Shaving your legs won’t make your hair thicker: 10 beauty myths busted


The parable: shaving your legs causes the hair to develop again thicker and darker
Nope, says trichologist Anabel Kingsley. “Your hair shouldn't be like a garden that's stimulated by reducing. For those who lower your hair brief, shave your head, legs or anyplace else, hair is not going to develop again thicker.” It’s the stubby size and squared-off (relatively than naturally tapered) hair suggestions that give the phantasm of larger thickness in regrowth – which is why common trims make the hair in your head seem (falsely) denser and thicker. Nevertheless, waxing legs (the place hairs are pulled from the basis, generally disrupting hair manufacturing) can in some instances trigger hairs to develop again extra sparsely.

The parable: plucking gray hairs causes extra to develop of their place

Grey hairs
Photograph: Kellie French/The Guardian

Persons are generally warned that yanking out gray hairs will solely trigger multiples to look at their funeral. If solely, says Anabel Kingsley, who treats purchasers with hair thinning and alopecia: “It might be an effective way to get thicker hair. Sadly, it isn’t. And pulling out hairs repeatedly can harm the follicle, creating areas of hair loss.”

Kingsley says this oft-repeated fantasy is most certainly perpetuated by the truth that the invention of 1 gray hair often ends in a cautious seek for extra.

The parable: darker skins don’t want sunscreen
It isn’t only a fantasy that olive, brown and black pores and skin wants no sunscreen – it’s a critical public well being difficulty. Whereas it’s true that charges of melanoma and different pores and skin cancers are decrease in Black and Asian populations, those who do happen are typically recognized a lot later, reducing the survival fee.

Dija Ayodele, skincare skilled and creator of Black Pores and skin: the Definitive Skincare Information, says individuals of color have to be diligent of their solar safety: “As a result of Black and darker pores and skin tones are much less more likely to develop sun-induced pores and skin most cancers, the suncare market doesn’t have interaction with this demographic. Pores and skin of color must be included, with the reason that, sure, melanin (extra current in darker pores and skin) offers safety, nevertheless it doesn’t imply you have to be complacent and forgo solar safety fully.”

Ayodele provides that the development for contemporary chemical pores and skin peels and the residual recognition of bleaching merchandise, in addition to a propensity in the direction of hyper-pigmentation and discolouration in darker skins, is all of the extra cause to slather on the SPF.

The parable: parabens are harmful

Beauty myths debunked by Sali Hughes
Photograph: Kellie French/The Guardian

Nothing infuriates a magnificence skilled greater than the assumption, extensively popularised by the “clear magnificence” motion, that these frequent preservatives are a hazard to well being. Beauty scientist Sam Farmer isn't any exception: “Parabens are ingested by most individuals every single day in fruit and greens. They're secure, present in nature, skin-friendly and a improbable preservative. Saying all parabens are unhealthy is a bit like saying all mushrooms are unhealthy.”

Farmer says that relatively than defending us from hurt, the substitute of parabens may very well be placing shoppers in danger: “The transfer away from parabens has led to all types of issues with their replacements. Current product failures, notably within the US, have led to individuals reporting mould progress of their cosmetics and led to product remembers.”

The parable: washing hair too typically is unhealthy for it
Not in accordance with superstar and vogue hairstylist Neil Moodie, who has labored with Kate Moss, Gemma Chan, Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer. “Haircare is all about your hair sort,” he says. “Straight and nice hair must be washed extra incessantly, because the pure sebum from the scalp travels down the shaft extra simply, giving the hair a flatter, oilier appear and feel. Thicker, curlier, coiled or wavy hair could be left longer, permitting the oil extra time to journey right down to the information and cease them drying out.” For those who’re utilizing mild merchandise, you'll be able to wash oilier hair as typically as you want; drier hair will profit from much less frequent washing, to permit the pure oils time to journey down the shaft.

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Moodie says the common customers of styling merchandise also needs to ramp up the shampooing, to allow them to’t construct up and irritate the scalp or harm hair. For frequent washers, he recommends utilizing an SLS/detergent-free shampoo to therapeutic massage the scalp and root space, then a conditioner solely on mid-lengths to ends.

The parable: sunscreen makes us poor in vitamin D
Many have argued lately that our elevated consciousness round solar safety has led to widespread vitamin D deficiency. However many individuals residing in Britain are already vitamin D-deficient, sunscreen or no sunscreen. Dermatologist Sam Bunting says for many of us it’s a non-issue: “For the overwhelming majority, there must be no concern with vitamin D ranges [and sunscreen] due to ‘real-world software’ (what an everyday particular person would slather on). However those that practise rigorous safety by carrying photo-protective clothes, hats, staying within the shade and making use of sunscreen on the appropriate dose (2mg per sq cm), do have a better danger, so oral supplementation is suggested.” For others, sitting exterior for a couple of minutes with unprotected forearms ought to prime up vitamin D ranges properly, although dark-skinned individuals are likely to require extra publicity to generate the identical quantity of vitamin D.

The parable: false lashes and extensions harm pure lashes

Eyebrows
Photograph: Kellie French/The Guardian


Teresa Smith, the founding father of I Love Lash salon in central London,encounters this perception consistently, and lays the blame at shoddy practitioners. “A talented lash artist works meticulously, including hand-crafted extensions to 1 pure lash at a time,” she says. “I’m at all times aware of the size and thickness of the lashes utilized, to make sure they’re not too heavy/lengthy and that they’re correctly remoted, to permit the pure lashes to proceed rising healthily with none irritation.”

Extensions or none, she believes lash upkeep begins at residence: “Scrubbing off mascara every single day is damaging to the pure lashes.” As an alternative, gently stroke lashes with cleanser or remover. “I typically see purchasers’ pure lash well being enhance with extensions, as a result of they encourage wearers to be gentler.”

The parable: you'll be able to’t use lively skincare elements once you’re pregnant
Info on skincare throughout being pregnant, notably these with lively elements comparable to vitamin C, Bs and ingredient du jour niacinamide (present in meat, poultry, fish, nuts and greens), is among the many most conflicting and complicated on-line.

Physician and aesthetician Ahmed El Muntasar offers readability: “You may completely use actives once you’re pregnant, and really lots of my purchasers who get botox and filler with me pre-pregnancy transfer on to some type of lively when pregnant to retain pores and skin glow and vibrancy.”

There are a few exceptions, he says: “With retinol and salicylic acid, there's a theoretical danger of creating points with the being pregnant round haemorrhages and growth of the placenta and the foetus. These merchandise haven't been examined in being pregnant, as a result of that isn’t doable, however in lab research and in concept the chance is there, so we err on the facet of warning.”

The parable: by no means pluck your personal eyebrows

Eyebrows
Photograph: Kellie French/The Guardian

This isn’t completely true, however skilled Shavata Singh, CEO and founding father of Shavata Brows, does consider DIY brows must be a case of figuring out one’s limitations. “The perfect factor anybody can do is to start by getting knowledgeable to create the perfect forehead form for you, then comply with their design at residence, by tweezing away stragglers,” she says. You'll naturally lose your form over time as nice hairs develop in, however this methodology will imply less-frequent appointments. For those who should form at residence, Singh suggests drawing in your design with a forehead pencil, not straying too removed from the pure form (something beneath the arch is honest recreation), earlier than choosing up the tweezers. Keep away from plucking from above, and take care to not overdo it.

The parable: your pores and skin will get used to skincare and it stops working
This may be debunked by taking a look at elements with substantial and expansive long-term scientific findings (often called “long-term follow-up research”).

Advisor dermatologist Dr Jason Thomson from the Pores and skin+Me service, says: “Tretinoin, probably the most lively type of retinoid, is a prescription-only drugs and the very best studied of all of the retinoids. Research have been completed the place individuals have used tretinoin commonly for one to 4 years, and these have proven that scientific enhancements (in addition to enhancements seen below a microscope from biopsies) are seen over lengthy durations and the advantages truly improve over time.”

So it appears the idea of “overfamiliarity” carries little weight. Thomson says: “Research give us proof that the alternative is true they usually type the idea for dermatologists’ recommendation that consistency is vital with skincare. Sticking to elements which have confirmed advantages is the very best method, not chopping and altering your merchandise and routine.”

This text was amended on 8 January 2022. Sam Bunting is a dermatologist, however not a advisor dermatologist as said in an earlier model.

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