We all know someone who is losing their hair. Yet a new national survey finds that when it comes to hair loss, old wives’ tales, urban myths and misunderstandings abound. A new survey conducted by Wakefield Research for Rogaine sets Americans straight on common follicle-fallacies.
Myth #1: Stress. Everyone knows that stress causes hair loss, right? Not exactly. Stress results in a host of health issues, but hair loss isn’t one of them. Yet 77 percent of Americans – more than three quarters of adults – incorrectly believe that stress can cause your hair to fall out. While stress might cause you to pull your hair out, it won’t cause it to fall out on its own.
Myth #2: It only comes from one side of your family. Lots of Americans have looked at a relative’s shining pate as if it were a crystal ball and asked themselves, “is that what my future holds?” A majority (62%) think that the baldness trait just comes from the mother’s or father’s side of the family, when in fact, it can come from either side of the family. Concerned individuals should shake both sides of the family tree to foresee their future.
Myth #3: There is no cure for hair loss. Many people assume that losing your hair is like being short: you can add an inch but you’ll never play basketball. Yet when it comes to hair loss, the idea that there isn’t an effective treatment just isn’t true. 50 percent of Americans believe that there is no effective treatment for hair loss. Yet there are several effective treatments for re-growing hair.