By Audrey Davis-Sivasothy
Author, “The Science of Black Hair”

Misinformation can be just as stubborn as frizz or those pesky flyaways – it’s difficult to manage, impossible to reason with and it just keeps coming back.

Old wives’ tales and ineffective products that claim to treat or rehabilitate hair often have a placebo effect because people want them to work. But many of these ideas and products actually do the opposite of what’s intended, and they delay the user from seeking out real solutions.

• Myth: There’s a magic pill (or oil, serum or balm) to grow our hair faster, stronger or thicker.
Unfortunately, no. Hair growth is genetically predetermined and controlled by our hormones. Unless the magic pill affects our genes or hormones, there’s no hope that it might make our hair grow. (This includes prenatal vitamins. Credit the upsurge in hormone levels during pregnancy for those vibrant tresses!) Basic vitamin supplements can offer slight improvements in hair quality, but only if our body truly lacks the particular vitamin or mineral being taken.