Gentlemen, it’s time we destroyed some commonly-held beliefs about male grooming. Sure, you’ve probably Googled some of these rumors in the past but we know search engines can be an information overload. We’ll get you sorted so bookmark this page and read on to see if you’ve fallen for any of these popular grooming legends.

Myth #1: Shaving makes your hair grow back thicker and faster

Wrong. So wrong! The most commonly thought belief by both men and women alike is that the act of shaving your hair means that it will come back thicker, darker and faster than before. However, if we really think about it this cannot be true.
The truth is that once the hair has left the body and entered the outside world, it is actually dead. Therefore, it cannot possibly be affected by anything that happens to it as it has no contact with the brain to cause any changes.

So cutting the hair at the skin level during shaving or trimming the hair does not affect the color, texture or speed at which it grows.

Myth #2: Men inherit baldness from their mother’s side of the family

You must have heard it said: “Baldness? Look at your maternal grandfather” – or – “It’s your mother’s brother? If he’s bald, you’re screwed!”

We don’t know where this old wives tale came from but don’t worry; your mom’s side of the family doesn’t predict the future of your manly mane of hair. Hair thickness, color and thinning are really all down to genetics and therefore can come from either parent’s side.

Myth #3: Shaving against the grain gives a closer shave

Seriously? If you want to damage hair follicles and cause the discomfort of razor burn, then be my guest, but the truth is that hair grows in all directions so go with the flow. In the neck region especially, hair sprouts in all directions so you could truly catch some damage if you go against the grain. So screw the myth, shave on and remember to moisturize afterwards! The hair is safe, but the hairstyle is not.

Myth #4: Wearing hats a lot can cause hair loss

We’ve heard several version of this one. The lack of sunlight causes the hair to die (we now know that doesn’t matter). The friction rubs the hair off (even latex swim caps won’t do that). So don’t worry about this one, fellas…unless you turn it sideways. Then we need to have another talk about how that trend is long gone.