When I was a little girl, my mum (like many others) told me that if I ate the crust off my sandwiches, my hair would go curly. At the time, I took this as gospel and finished my crusts religiously, hoping it would give me Mariah Carey-worthy ringlets. But looking back as an adult, it was quite clearly a ridiculous old wives tale with no scientific backing whatsoever. However, there are plenty of other beauty myths that have somehow managed to stand the test of time, thanks to seeming like they *could* be possible. These are things that many of us take as concrete facts, despite scientific evidence to suggest otherwise. So, in case you missed the memo (we wouldn’t blame you) we’ve set the record straight on some of the most common beauty myths.
The myth: Eyelash extensions rip out your natural lashes
The verdict: Not necessarily
Eyelash extensions have had a bit of a fall from grace lately. While they used to be the go-to option for long, fluttery lashes, they’ve recently been cast aside in favor of the ‘more natural’ lash lifts. One of the main reasons behind this is the belief that lash extensions rip your own eyelashes. But this isn’t necessarily the case. It’s not the extensions themselves that rip your lashes out, but attempting to remove them yourself at home! So, if you prefer the look of extensions, go for it — just make sure you have them removed at the salon by a professional lash technician.
The myth: You shouldn’t wash your hair every day
The verdict: True!
This is one of those rare occasions when a beauty ‘myth’ actually turns out to be the real deal. Washing your hair too frequently strips your locks of their natural oils and can lead to a dry scalp and product buildup. As for how often you should wash it? It depends on your hair type, but every two to three days should do the trick.
The myth: Shaving makes your hair grow back thicker
The verdict: False
Shaving may be an annoying, time-consuming task, but it won’t turn you into a wooly mammoth. Scientific research shows that shaving (or waxing, for that matter) has no effect on how thick or dark the hair grows back.
The myth: Trimming your hair makes it grow faster
The verdict: False
Just as shaving your body hair won’t make it grow back thicker, trimming it, unfortunately, doesn’t speed up hair growth. However, that doesn’t mean you should skip your regular hair appointments — trimming your split ends is still essential for thick, healthy-looking locks.
The myth: You can use toothpaste as a pimple remedy
The verdict: False
Step away from the toothpaste! Despite the advice regularly appearing in ‘beauty home remedy’ articles, using toothpaste on your blemishes is a definite no-go. While it may shrink the size of your pimple, it’ll also irritate and dry out the skin — which is even worse than the blemish itself.
The myth: You should regularly switch up your hair products
The verdict: False
Many people believe that you should regularly change up your shampoo and conditioner, as your hair builds up a tolerance to it. But science tells us this is not the case at all. So, if you’re happy with your hair products there’s no need to do the switcharoo. However, as the weather gets colder you may want to switch to more climate-appropriate products. Here’s how.
The myth: Rinsing your hair with cold water will make it shinier
Verdict: False
Sorry to break it to you if you’ve been braving it under icy temps in the name of glossy locks — but cold water rinses don’t make your hair shiny. While the conventional wisdom is that warm water opens the cuticles while cold water closes them, science tells us that water doesn’t affect the porosity of your hair at all.
