7 Hair Care Myths I Hear in the Salon (and What's Actually True)

I've heard the same hair care beliefs across the chair for twenty years, and almost all of them come from good intentions. Someone's mother said it, or a video made it sound convincing, or it worked once for a friend. So I never mock the person who believed it. My problem is with the myth, and I always want to leave you with what's actually true.

Here are the seven I hear most.

1. "Hair oil makes my hair greasy"

Oil doesn't make hair greasy. Two things do: too much product and a poor wash-out.

For shoulder-length hair, about 2 to 4 ml is enough, which is a small pool in the palm and not a handful. Then comes the step almost everyone gets wrong: don't wet your hair first. Water dilutes the shampoo before it reaches the oil. Put shampoo straight onto the dry, oiled hair, work it in until it turns milky, then add water. A second quick shampoo is normal after a heavy application.

What's true: the right dose and the right wash-out fix this for almost everyone.

2. "Put oil on after you wash"

Most people do it backwards. Hair swells when it absorbs water and contracts as it dries. Repeat that thousands of times over the years and the outer layer of the hair, the cuticle, lifts and wears down. This is called hygral fatigue, and it's one of the quiet, unglamorous causes of damage.

An oil that gets into the hair shaft reduces how much water the fibre takes in. A 2003 study in the Journal of Cosmetic Science found that coconut oil reduced protein loss from hair when applied before or after washing, while mineral oil and sunflower oil did not. That's one study with its limits, but it fits what pre-wash oiling has always aimed to do. The practice is centuries old across the Levant and South Asia, and the science gives a reason for it.

What's true: oil before the shower helps protect hair from protein loss during washing.

3. "Oiling makes my hair fall out"

You notice hair coming out because you're handling it. Massaging, detangling and washing all release hairs that were already on their way out. Losing 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal, and it's one of the most reassuring facts in hair care.

What's true: oiling doesn't cause shedding, it just makes you notice it. If shedding is sudden, patchy or persistent, see a dermatologist.

4. "Cutting my hair makes it grow faster"

Hair grows from the root, about 1 to 1.5 centimetres a month, or roughly a third of a millimetre a day, whatever you do to the ends.

Trimming does help, but for a different reason. It removes split ends before they travel up the hair and cause breakage. That keeps your hair looking healthier and lets you hold on to length, which is not the same as growing faster.

What's true: trims prevent breakage. They don't speed up growth.

5. "The longer I leave it on, the better"

Two hours is the minimum for an oil treatment, and overnight gives the best result. Beyond overnight there's no added benefit, just more washing. Leaving oil in for three days will only leave you with a lot of shampooing to do.

If you sleep with it on, a silk or satin pillowcase or a wrap keeps things tidy.

What's true: overnight is the sweet spot, and 1 to 2 times a week is plenty.

6. "Natural means gentle, so I can add essential oils to my bath"

This one worries me more than the rest, because it's common online advice and it can hurt you. Oil doesn't mix into water. It floats on the surface as neat droplets and lands on your skin at full strength. That's a real burn risk.

More generally, undiluted essential oil on skin is the main cause of sensitisation, an immune response that is permanent and can cross-react with other fragranced products for life. The concentration against your skin is what counts, not how many drops you use. That's why essential oils belong in your shampoo or conditioner, diluted, and never on your skin on their own.

What's true: natural doesn't mean gentle. Essential oils always need diluting.

7. "Rosemary oil is just as good as minoxidil"

I hear this often, so let me be clear. Minoxidil is a medicine. Hair products like mine are cosmetics, and they're not the same category.

There is a published six-month trial from 2015 in which rosemary oil performed comparably to 2% minoxidil on hair count in men with a common type of hereditary hair loss. That's a real study, and it's interesting. But it's one trial with limits, it studied rosemary oil rather than my products, and it doesn't mean anything on a shelf is a treatment for hair loss.

What's true: cosmetic scalp care can help your scalp feel comfortable and your hair look fuller. If hair loss worries you, see a dermatologist. I'll always tell you the same.

What these myths have in common

Most of them come from the same place: hair care is a field where people are sold big promises, and the real answers are more modest and more useful. Use the right amount. Apply it to dry hair before you wash. Give it time. Be patient, because hair grows slowly, and three months of consistency will tell you far more than a week of hoping.