At some point or another growing up, you’ve most likely heard beauty myths passed on from your mother, female relatives or friends. These common oldwives beauty tales continue to mystify women even throughout their adulthood, but when it comes to uncovering the truth, what is fact from fiction?
Well look no further, because the lid is coming off these classic beauty myths allowing you to finally throw those old adages out the window!
Myth: Shaving causes thicker re-growth
FICTION
You can all take a deep breath and save your razors from ending up in the receptacle bin because this myth bears no truth. In fact, what does occur when you shave parts of your body is that you are eliminating the surface layer of hair, but the actual root of the hair still resides in the follicle deep below the skin’s surface. When the shaved hair begins to grow back, the root emerges first from the follicle, not the tapered end, making it appear thicker to the human eye.
The Myth: You still need to wear sunscreen on cloudy days
FACT
Although we cannot see the sun on overcast days, it doesn’t mean the sun’s harmful rays (UVB and UVA) are not affecting us. UVA rays penetrate windows and are considered ˜ageing’ rays, while UVB rays are the sun’s ˜burning’ rays that cause sunburns. Both types of rays can lead to cancer, which is why it’s important to wear sunscreen everyday, especially if you’re inside an office with floor-to-ceiling windows if you want to prevent skin aging. The average SPF one should be applying everyday is SPF 15. To save you time in the morning, many products from moisturizer, face cream and lip balm now contain an SPF.
The Myth: Popping pimples causes more outbreaks
FACT
As hard as it may be to keep your fingers away from a Jupiter-sized pimple on your face, your Doc is right”popping pimples is really bad for your skin. When you try and pop a pimple, you run the risk of pushing more sebum and bacteria into the follicle beneath the pore resulting in more outbreaks. Also, your fingers are ridden with bacteria, even after you wash, so when popping, the hole could become further infected. Even worse, picking at a pimple can result in ego-deflating scars. If you really need to quickly get rid of a zit, call your dermatologist for a cortisone injection.
