Hair and Skin Myths Cleared

Confused by all the beauty advice people give you? So were we! We asked five girls to pick out one piece of advice they have received and went to a specialist with it. The truth, it appears, is different from what we have been led to believe. Read on…

Fatty foods cause acne

Siddhi Kapur, a 22-year-old student, has stopped eating fried foods and pickle because of her acne problem.

Dr Atul Bharia, a dermatologist, says there is no evidence to show that fatty foods cause acne. “Bacteria and hormones lead to the overproduction of natural oils in the body. Plus, if your parents had acne, chances are you will have it too. You have to make sure that your skin is clean. Wash it after every time you expose it to pollution and you will see a difference,” he explains.

Don’t moisturise oily skin in the night

Hrishita Khanna, a 27-year-old school teacher, avoids using moisturiser in the night because her mom told her skin needs to breathe.

Dr Bharia explains that a lot of skin repair takes place in the night and that is when the skin needs extra nourishment. “See that the moisturiser you are using does not have an oil base so that it doesn’t clog the pores. You can use a greasy one after a shower in the morning when the skin feels tight and dry,” he explains.

Drinking water gives you clearer skin

Archana Kulkarni, a 25-year-old content writer, believes drinking 3-4 litres of water every day will wash out dirt and oil that may damage her skin.

Dr Bharia says water is essential for the liver and the kidneys but very little water actually makes it to the epidermis. “Instead drink fluids that will give you nutrition as well. Fruit juices and vegetables with high water content will make a difference. If you want good skin, eat foods that contain vitamin E such as asparagus, peanuts, walnuts, cashews, spinach, corn and wheat germ,” he says.

Split ends can be repaired with oil

“I even use a spilt end repairing conditioner,” says 26-year-old banker Laxmi Mani.

Split ends cannot be repaired, says hairstylist Shamim Jaffer. “Conditioners can glue the splits together temporarily. Eventually the problem will return. The hair has to be cut off. Trim your hair every two months to make your hair strong,” she says.

Oiling your hair will get rid of dandruff

Amrita Palshikar, a 26-year-old event manager, says, “I oil my hair every day to counter the severe dandruff problem I have.”

Dandruff is the result of skin yeasts and not a dry scalp, says Jaffer. “Use an anti-dandruff shampoo that will get rid of these micro-organisms. If the problem persists, visit a trichologist,” she recommends.

The one thing we still know to be true is that your diet affects the way you look. A balanced diet is the key to looking good!