Ease the stresses on your tresses

Gannett News Service

Unless your hair is very oily, shampooing every day can be rough on it. At least choose a gentle shampoo. Advertiser library photo

True or false?

1. The more you brush your hair, the faster it will thin.
2. You should shampoo your hair every day.
3. Shampoos containing vitamins are best for your hair.
4. Women rarely suffer from hereditary hair loss.
5. Pregnancy causes hair loss.

Answers:

1. False. Whatever hair falls out was on its way out anyway and had nothing to do with brushing. Each strand grows for two to six years, then rests a few months before falling out naturally. It's normal to lose 20 to 100 hairs a day. Brushing makes your hair lustrous and healthy.
2. False. Shampooing strips your hair of the natural oils that keep it strong and shiny. Avoid washing your hair daily, unless you have very oily hair, then use a shampoo meant for frequent or daily use, along with a gentle conditioner.
3. False. Hair is made of dead cells that need no nourishing and can't absorb the vitamins in products. Shampoos with vitamin B-5 may make your hair shinier because it appears to penetrate the hair strands and help them retain moisture.
4. False. Hair loss depends on heredity. Half of all women inherit a tendency toward thinning hair.
5. True. Pregnancy is likely to cause hair loss because of the drop in a woman's estrogen level before the baby is born.