The Fact and Fiction of Summertime Hair Loss
Dr Robert Leonard exposes the truths and myths surrounding hair loss in men and women
April 2011
Just in time for summer, Dr. Robert Leonard, chief surgeon and
founder of Leonard Hair Transplant Associates, is setting the record
straight on the top 10 myths of summertime hair loss in men and
women:
1. Myth: Wearing a baseball cap or hats will cause thinning hair and
loss of hair.
Dr. Leonard’s truth serum: Hats off to this myth! No matter what
your mother has told you, wearing a hat does not cause hair to thin
or fall out.
2. Myth: Exposure to chlorine in swimming pools will cause hair
loss.
Dr. Leonard’s truth serum: Another dive in the truth
department…chlorinated water can affect the hair shafts by drying
them out and making them more brittle, but does not cause hair to
thin or fall out. Also, watch out for bleached hair---it has been
known to turn green with exposure to chlorine!
3. Myth: Applying sunscreen to the scalp will cause hair to thin and
fall out.
Dr. Leonard’s truth serum: No! If you have thinning hair, it is very
important to use sunscreen on your scalp to prevent burn and worse.
In fact, one of the first hints that a person is losing his or her
hair is, indeed, sunburn.
4. Myth: Swimming in saltwater will cause hair to dry out and fall
out.
Dr. Leonard’s truth serum: Keep surfing! No, any saltwater activity,
including swimming, does not affect your hair loss. Genetics is the
root cause (sorry) of 98 percent of hair loss.
5. Myth: Overexposure to sun and heat will cause hair to become
brittle and fall out.
Dr. Leonard’s truth serum: No again. The main concern with
overexposure to the sun is sunburn of the scalp—and it hurts a lot!
Growing more hair, either with medical treatments or with modern
hair transplantation, are great options to consider if your hair is
thin enough to get burned.
6. Myth: Braiding your hair at an exotic beach stand will cause your
hair to fall out.
Dr. Leonard’s Truth Serum: Short term braiding is fine; it is true,
however, that certain hair styles, such as long term, tight corn-row
braiding can permanently destroy follicles and cause hair loss. This
is a preventable condition called traction alopecia.
7. Myth: Sexy summer activities cause less hair to fall out.
Dr. Leonard’s Truth Serum: Too bad about this one, huh?!? There is
no truth to the idea that the more sex you have, the less hair
you’ll lose. But the good doctor still thinks it’s worth trying to
bust this myth!
8. Myth: Blow drying wet hair after a day at the pool or beach will
cause hair to fall out.
Dr. Leonard’s Truth Serum: The truth is that there is no evidence
that hair dryers cause thinning hair. However, too hot or too much
drying may lead to brittle hair.
9. Myth: Smoking cigarettes causes hair loss.
Dr. Leonard’s Truth Serum: Let’s face it; cigarette smoking is
medically
BAD for everything, including your hair. Recent studies have found
sufficient evidence to claim there is a significant link between
smoking and hair loss. It's still uncertain whether the connection
is due to the effects of tobacco toxins, but it is probably due to
the fact that nicotine constricts blood vessel throughout the body,
including those directly affecting individual hair follicles.
10. Myth: Standing on your head during summer workout sessions will
help your hair to grow.
Dr. Leonard’s Truth Serum: Although increase in the microcirculation
to the follicles does help to decrease hair loss (as is affected by
low level laser therapy), standing on your head does makes blood
flow to the head, but it has not been shown to be of any benefit
with hair loss.
Dr. Robert Leonard has more than 25 years of experience in cosmetic
surgery, serving as New England’s foremost authority on hair
restoration. He is the Hair Loss Expert for Johnson & Johnson,
makers of ROGAINE®, and is medically educated, trained and licensed
to perform hair restoration procedures for men and women.
Raised in Arlington, Massachusetts, Dr. Leonard received his
Bachelor of Arts at the University of New Hampshire and earned his
medical degree at the University of New England. He is board
certified and licensed to practice medicine in several states
including Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Florida.
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