By Dixie Somers
A lot of people swear by different beauty regimens that have later been discovered to be false. Some beauty myths can actually present a health risk, while other beauty regimens provide no benefits whatsoever. Here are some well-known, popular myths that are simply factual and untrue.
Myth: Getting Regular Haircuts Makes Your Hair Grow Longer
Although trimming unhealthy strands of hair will improve the texture and vibrancy of your hair, a haircut does not make your hair grow any longer than your normal hair growth pattern. Your hair will grow at its normal rate, when you remove damaged hair strands. However, getting regular haircuts will help to increase the potential for your hair to grow to its genetically predisposed length, if you’re interested in growing your hair as long as it possibly can grow.
Myth: Skin Moistures Clog Pores
Oily skin naturally secretes oil, but many people believe that applying moisturizers to oily skin will clog the pores. Because of this untrue myth, some people cleanse and exfoliate oily skin without adding moisture. Similar to dry skin, oily skin needs the proper amount of moisture daily to protect the skin cells from free radical damage and help to replenish the skin from the drying effects of chemicals in the cleansers, toners and masks. However, oil-free skin moisturizers work best for this problem.
Myth: Olive Oil Prevents Stretch Marks
When the skin expands, such as during pregnancy, stretch marks may form as a result. For generations, many women have applied olive oil to the skin during and after pregnancy to help prevent stretch marks from forming and to remove the appearance of stretch marks. Olive oil is great for adding moisture to dry skin and helping to soften the skin, but it does not prevent or minimize the appearance of stretch marks. Stretch marks are primarily caused by genetic factors, hormones and other possible factors, such as your propensity to gain weight faster than others and excess amniotic fluid during pregnancy. Laser treatments are effective for removing stretch marks.
Myth: Skipping Meals Helps You Lose Weight Faster
This is a popular myth, because many people believe that skipping a meal can make you shed calories and lose weight. Skipping meals can actually lower your metabolism and cause you to lose the right amount of nutrients and proteins that your body needs to maintain a healthy weight.
Myth: Aspirin Can Relieve a Toothache
Many people believe that putting an aspirin on an aching tooth will relieve the pain. This is an old wives tale for an at-home remedy that is untrue. According to a dentist in Winnipeg at Polo Park Dental, swallowing an aspirin can help relieve pain in the body, such as a headache or a leg cramp, but placing an aspirin next to a sore tooth will not stop the pain. It can in fact damage the gums, if the aspirin is held on the tooth for an extended period of time.
Although there are many at-home remedies that are effective at treating a wide variety of conditions, some of the remedies do not provide the best treatments for different ailments. We often think that because everyone is using a particular home-remedy it must work. That’s the problem with home remedies—no matter how popular they are, they haven’t been studied, tested, or scientifically proven to improve your health or beauty. This is true for other trends and practices. Just remember—just because everyone thinks it’s true, doesn’t mean it is!