There are many commonly held health and beauty beliefs that we all have without any actual proof that they are actually true. Here we delve into a couple of beauty beliefs that may not actually be the whole truth...
We need to shower everyday?
To wash or not to wash that is the big A lister question of the moment! Celebs like Jake Gyllenhaal, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis admit that they don’t feel the need to shower, every day. Is there any reason why you should cut down on showering? It is true that for every minute spent in the shower it consumes around 12 litres of water. Surveys done in the UK show 18% shower two to three times a week, with 3% showering only once a week. Elaine Larson, senior scholar in residence at the New York Academy of Medicine and professor emerita of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health says “I think people are sort of stuck on, ‘How often should I bathe?’ or ‘How often should I clean my hands?’ but it has more to do with what you’ve done,” Larson said. “I think the question is, ‘When are the appropriate times to bathe or to wash your hands?’ and it’s when they get contaminated.” Larson further adds that in developed countries the main reason for bathing is no longer to prevent disease, but for aesthetic purposes — to look and smell clean. So how many times should we be showering? This is actually not as straightforward as it sounds and will depend upon your lifestyle. Someone who is very active running around all day or doing physical work in the hot sun is likely to sweat a lot more than someone who is sitting all day inside in a cool environment. So whilst showering everyday may be nescessary for someone very active two or threes times a week is sufficient for someone who is not doing anything that strenuous. People working from home in a familiar environment not coming into contact with unfamiliar germs do not need to shower every day. It is also true that older people are more likely to have drier skin which if washed too frequently can carry more germs. People with conditions like eczema should avoid long showers and should instead have shorter, colder showers using soap on areas prone to odour.
2. Our hair self cleans itself.
Former Take That star Gary Barlow famously revealed on Twitter back in 2017 that he had washed his hair for the first time in 14 years! Known as the "No 'poo" - trend (short for no shampoo) other public figures admitted to not washing their hair like Andrew Marr said in 2006 that he had given up washing his hair, which had been "a vast cost to my wallet and the environment". Sadly the idea of self cleaning hair although it sounds fabulous is a myth! "Rinsing your hair is not going to be very effective after certain activities that make the scalp sweaty, such as exercising or using a sauna," says the Belgravia Centre in London for Hair loss. They further add that "Rinsing will also not remove bacteria or clean the excess oil from your scalp if you have greasy hair." According to Anabel Kingsley, consultant trichologist at Philip Kingsley “If you don’t cleanse your scalp frequently, excess oils, dirt, pollution and dead skin cells build up,”. She recommends shampooing at least every other day with no more than three days between washes to keep the hair and scalp in good condition.
3. Acne is caused by poor hygiene and poor diet.
Contrary to what you may believe acne is not caused by how often you wash your face infact according to the NHS in the UK washing your face more than twice a day could aggravate your skin. Further also going against a popular myth no particular food causes acne but a balanced healthy diet is recomended for maintaining general health. Also as a side note there is no evidence using sun lamps or sun bathing improves acne infact some acne medications make your skin more sensitive to sunlight so remember always read the instructions!
4. Cutting your hair makes it grow faster.
I love the counter logic of this one but somehow as a myth it persists! So the quick answer is NO. Your hair grows around 0.5cm to 1.7cm per month and depends on your hair folicle and scalp health. Cutting your hair will also NOT MAKE it thicker this is dependent on genetics, environment and age. But if you remove split ends by having regular trims this can make your hair APPEAR thicker and also prevent the split end worsening and causing breakage of the hair making it appear shorter and in poor condition.
So these are my fav beauty myths but I would love to hear about the myths you believed once upon a time until you found out they weren't quite the whole truth! Drop a comment in the comments.
Stay fabulous
Love CocoBabbit xoxo
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