There are over 56 million Americans suffering from hair loss, yet there are still many misconceptions and plenty of misinformation out there.

Understanding the truth about hair loss, its causes and real treatment possibilities, empowers you. The more knowledge you have, the more successful you are likely to be in fighting hair loss and in finding an effective hair restoration treatment. In other words, solutions that’ll actually work.

Below are 4 commonly held beliefs or assumptions about hair loss.

Can you tell the myths from the facts?

1. Baldness Comes From Your Mother’s Side

Myth

It’s a common misconception that baldness is inherited only from the mother’s side of the family. You’ve probably heard at some point that if you wanted to know the chances of keeping your hair, just look to your maternal grandpa’s hair situation. If he had a full head of Fabio-like locks of steel into his 90s, you’re in the clear, or if the reverse scenario were true, that you’re doomed to baldness.

Statistically, it’s true that hereditary pattern baldness is more commonly inherited from the mother’s side of the family, but it’s not necessarily an accurate prediction of what’s going to happen to you.

While your hair future may be determined by genetics, you’re likely to have a mix of your parents’ hair genes. In other words, genes from both sides of your family can play a determining role.

Even when no hair loss is present on your mother’s side, if there’s hair loss somewhere in the family, you’re likely still at risk. When there’s a long history of similar pattern hair loss on your father’s side, there’s a good chance you’ll be dealing with it.

Essentially, your hair fate can come down to various genetic factors.

2. Hair Loss Can Be Caused by Wearing Hats Too Often

Myth

Many people believe that frequently wearing hats can cause hair loss or speed up the rate of hair loss because hats “suffocate” the scalp and hair.

This just isn’t true. In reality, hair follicles get oxygen from your bloodstream, not the air, so wearing hats cannot effect or cause hair loss in this way.

In theory, wearing an extremely tight hat that maybe puts significant pressure on areas where it contacts your head, could, potentially, lead to traction alopecia, a type of hair loss triggered by pulling hair too tight. However, this is a categorically different scenario and not at all likely.

Bottom line: you can’t suffocate your hair by wearing hats. Wear a hat as much as you’d like without fear.

3. Mistreating Your Hair Can Cause Hair Loss

Fact

There’s no shortage of potential ways you can damage your hair, making it weak and easily broken. The most common culprits include, heat styling, chemical processing, aggressive brushing, and frequently wearing tight hair styles that pull the hair. Other contributing factors, such as the chemicals in shampoos and water, air pollution, and UV exposure, can also compromise the structural integrity of hair fibers and cause damage that leads to hair loss. The good news is, hair loss due to these causes is not likely to be permanent.

4. Hair Restoration Never Looks Natural

Myth

The ghost of hair restoration surgeries past still haunts many people today. There’s a lingering impression of old procedures that may have had questionable results—migrating hair plugs, patchy stripes that look like a muppet got made into astroturf, or just generally, unattractive and unnatural results.

People often still have an outdated perception of hair transplant surgeries, but today’s procedures are nothing like that. Hair restoration surgery techniques have evolved light years since then and use incredibly precise, advanced technologies. Hair restoration procedures actually do give extremely natural, and for many people, life changing, results.

If you’re ready to begin your hair restoration journey, it can start with a simple phone call. Contact our office today to set up your consultation and learn more about our hair restoration procedures.