Myth or reality? Does cutting – or even shaving – your hair really make it stronger and healthier? Let’s dispel some false considerations about hair care with some tips for a healthy and shiny hair … without resorting to drastic choices.

In a very particular historical situation, in which leaving home to go to the hairdresser is a luxury to be granted with great parsimony, taking care of your hair is more complicated than expected. Stress, cold, rain and other atmospheric agents heavily affect the health of our hair, and the invitation to stay at home as much as possible can contribute, in the long run, to make us lazy, making us forget some good beauty-routine diligently learned. Among these, for example, the application of masks and specific products, or the use of targeted supplements such as the products of the Sohn Yeast line . Here, in no time at all, we find ourselves looking for a drastic and quick solution to thicken the hair and strengthen the hair: but is the cut really the right way? 

What is hair cut for? 

If not for pure and legitimate aesthetic reasons, cutting the hair eliminates the final part of the hair, which in most cases is always the part most prone to damage, dry out or break. But is using scissors also the best method for strengthening hair? The answer – almost unanimously – is no: the cut, in fact, as well as the shaving, absolutely does not serve to strengthen the hair; but, eventually, it allows to eliminate the most damaged, dry or brittle part of the hair shaft. This is especially true in the presence of the infamous “split ends”, a common problem with hair that has not been subjected for a long time to a cut (or even a simple “trim”).

The power of hair cutting, between myth and reality

Split ends aside, it is often said that cutting is the fastest and easiest process to have beautiful and healthy hair. Regular retouching with scissors also represents, for some women, the secret to long or very long hair, to increase the growth rate of the hair and to maintain its natural softness and shine. Finally, it is a fairly widespread opinion among men that having their hair cut regularly can help prevent premature baldness. But how much of these beliefs are true and how much instead is the result of suggestion or popular rumors? Why, in short, is it believed that the cut is good for the hair? Is there anything true in this theory?

Anatomy of a hair.

That the cut can strengthen the hair is – unfortunately – only a myth to dispel, because science is clear: the hair regenerates itself starting from the follicle located on the skin, and it is precisely on the part of the head that the hair shaft grows and becomes stretches. Basically, the tip is “always the same” until it is cut: for this very reason it is much more subject to damage due to time, stress and atmospheric agents, as well as frequent washing and aggressive drying. Over time, the ends of the hair exhaust their vital energy and appear dull and dry, prone to breaking and the formation of split ends. It is therefore obvious that cutting hair has no effect on hair loss, on their thinning or on the ease with which they break, nor can it suddenly make them stronger and more resistant. 

Is the cut good for your hair?

There is a fact, however, that seems to contradict this statement: if the cut does not affect the strength of the hair, why does the hair appear more full-bodied, thicker as soon as it is cut? The answer, in reality, is very simple: as we have said, when we cut the hair we eliminate the most damaged, thin and damaged part, and by eliminating the “less beautiful” locks we tend to emphasize the thicker and brighter ones. Hair immediately seems denser, thicker and healthier: hence the idea that a cut is enough to strengthen and regenerate the hair. Of course, a trim every now and then will be useful to eliminate split ends and the damaged part of the hair, so – in a sense – it can be said that cutting hair regularly is still of some usefulness to our hair (or at least to its appearance).

How to strengthen hair: useful tips

If your goal, however, is not only to appear with thick and healthy hair, but you want really and lastingly healthy hair, the simple cut will not be enough to fix the situation. As often happens, to preserve the health and well-being of our body – and therefore also of our hair – it is very important to have a balanced and varied diet, which favors vegetables and fruit. A healthy diet, along with constant motor activity, is also the first step in restoring the health of damaged hair, especially after the summer. It is also good to avoid aggressive washing and styling, at least until the hair has recovered from excessive stress factors: no to bleaching and dyes, plates and treatments that are too strong (such as perm). Yes, however, to the use of targeted supplements and delicate products, preferably based on natural ingredients.