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

The parable: shaving your legs causes the hair to develop again thicker and darker
Nope, says trichologist Anabel Kingsley. “Your hair just isn’t like a garden that’s stimulated by slicing. If you happen to lower your hair brief, shave your head, legs or anyplace else, hair won’t develop again thicker.” It’s the stubby size and squared-off (somewhat 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 foundation, 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

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 shoppers 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 injury the follicle, creating areas of hair loss.”

Kingsley says this oft-repeated fable is more than likely perpetuated by the truth that the invention of 1 gray hair normally leads to a cautious seek for extra.

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

Dija Ayodele, skincare knowledgeable and writer of Black Skin: the Definitive Skincare Guide, says folks 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 ought to be included, with the reason that, sure, melanin (extra current in darker pores and skin) offers safety, however it doesn’t imply try to be complacent and forgo solar safety fully.”

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

The parable: parabens are harmful

Nothing infuriates a magnificence knowledgeable greater than the assumption, broadly 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 each day in fruit and greens. They’re protected, present in nature, skin-friendly and a improbable preservative. Saying all parabens are dangerous is a bit like saying all mushrooms are dangerous.”

Farmer says that somewhat than defending us from hurt, the alternative of parabens may very well be placing customers in danger: “The transfer away from parabens has led to all types of issues with their replacements. Latest product failures, notably within the US, have led to folks reporting mould development of their cosmetics and led to product recollects.”

The parable: washing hair too usually is dangerous for it
Not in keeping with movie star and trend 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 wonderful hair must be washed extra steadily, 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 may be left longer, permitting the oil extra time to journey all the way down to the information and cease them drying out.” If you happen to’re utilizing mild merchandise, you possibly can wash oilier hair as usually as you want; drier hair will profit from much less frequent washing, to permit the pure oils time to journey down the shaft.

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 injury 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 dwelling in Britain are already vitamin D-deficient, sunscreen or no sunscreen. Marketing consultant dermatologist Sam Bunting says for many of us it’s a non-issue: “For the overwhelming majority, there ought to be no concern with vitamin D ranges [and sunscreen] due to ‘real-world utility’ (what a daily individual 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 right 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 folks are inclined to require extra publicity to generate the identical quantity of vitamin D.

The parable: false lashes and extensions injury pure lashes

Teresa Smith, the founding father of I Love Lash salon in central London,encounters this perception always, 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 all the time conscious 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 dwelling: “Scrubbing off mascara each day is damaging to the pure lashes.” As an alternative, gently stroke lashes with cleanser or remover. “I usually see shoppers’ pure lash well being enhance with extensions, as a result of they encourage wearers to be gentler.”

The parable: you possibly can’t use energetic skincare components while you’re pregnant
Data on skincare throughout being pregnant, notably these with energetic components equivalent 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 supplies readability: “You’ll be able to completely use actives while you’re pregnant, and really numerous my shoppers who get botox and filler with me pre-pregnancy transfer on to some type of energetic 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 improvement of the placenta and the foetus. These merchandise haven’t been examined in being pregnant, as a result of that isn’t attainable, however in lab research and in idea the chance is there, so we err on the aspect of warning.”

The parable: by no means pluck your individual eyebrows

This isn’t solely true, however knowledgeable Shavata Singh, CEO and founding father of Shavata Brows, does imagine DIY brows ought to be a case of figuring out one’s limitations. “The very best factor anybody can do is to start by getting an expert to create the perfect forehead form for you, then observe their design at dwelling, by tweezing away stragglers,” she says. You’ll naturally lose your form over time as wonderful hairs develop in, however this methodology will imply less-frequent appointments. If you happen to should form at dwelling, Singh suggests drawing in your design with a forehead pencil, not straying too removed from the pure form (something under the arch is truthful sport), earlier than choosing up the tweezers. Keep away from plucking from above, and take care to not overdo it.