Health & beauty myths busted

Zara Baker looks at common health & beauty myths & speaks to the professionals to separate fact from fiction

We’ve all heard them: stories from our mum/best friend/hairdresser that we’re not quite certain whether to believe. We take a look at common myths from the world of health and beauty and ask the experts: fact or fiction?

Myth: You put on weight when you stop smoking
Nicotine does speed up the metabolism and suppresses your appetite, which helps prevent weight gain. Once people quit, weight gain can occur as people may turn to comfort food as a replacement for smoking. Before you go reaching for a pack of cigarettes though, remember that, as well as being extremely bad for your health, smoking affects the smell and taste of food. You may enjoy eating more when you quit, but is that a bad thing? Any weight gain is usually small, with four to 10 pounds being the average. If you do quit smoking, be sure to take up exercise. Healthy activity will help reduce stress, and wellbeing coaches identify that there is less of an inclination to eat excessive amounts of carbohydrate rich foods, which contribute to weight gain.

Result: While this can be true, the changes to your lifestyle by quitting smoking are so much more beneficial to your health – what’s a few pounds between friends?
Quit the habit with NLP practitioner and hypnotherapist Jonathan Conway. 01273 540425/07956 855 027, www.theconwaypractice.co.uk

Myth: Brush your teeth after breakfast
There are over 700 different types of bacteria that live in the human mouth (both good and bad). At any one time you may have up to 10 billion bacteria in your mouth which is about 2 billion more than you will find on the average toilet seat! You may think that brushing after eating is the most ideal way to maintain healthy teeth, but there’s a lot happening in the night that makes brushing your teeth first thing vital.

“Brush your teeth when you first get out of bed and before you get back in at night,” says Christina Chatfield, hygienist/clinical director of Dental Health Spa in Brighton. “These are the two most crucial times. This is because saliva – which keeps cavity-causing bacterial plaque off teeth – dries up at night, so it’s best to brush the teeth before you go to bed. During the night, bacteria in your mouth have been multiplying and, just like we are, by the time we wake up they are pretty hungry. The bacteria in our mouths feed on the sugars in the foods we eat and turns it into acids which cause decay, unless you brush some of the bacteria away in the morning, there will be thousands of them waiting to tuck into your breakfast with you.”

Result: Do both! Brush your teeth before breakfast. Try to avoid brushing your teeth immediately after eating as acidic foods soften the tooth enamel, which can be worn away when you brush. So, brush before eating and then at least an hour later.
Dental Health Spa, 14-15 Queen’s Road, Brighton, BN1 3WA,
01273 710831, www.dentalhealthspa.co.uk

Myth: Women over 40 should have their hair cut short
“What rubbish!” says Anne Matthews (pictured) of The Bridal Hair Company. “As long as your hair is in great condition, professionally cut and even coloured if necessary. You only have to look around you in Brighton and Hove to see rules don’t apply! A bit more glamour and femininity doesn’t go amiss as we get older. Great hair is great hair whatever your age, as long as it’s in a style that flatters you. I’m modelling my own myth buster as a woman over 40 with long hair. I’ve no plans to change that either!”

Result: False. The right haircut to suit your face shape and skin tone is always the best option and can take years off a person. You don’t see Elle Macpherson or Jennifer Aniston reaching for the scissors!
Anne Matthews, The Bridal Hair Company, 07779 637 508, www.bridalhaircompany.co.uk

Myth: Tennis is really expensive
Andy Murray’s 2013 Wimbledon win has seen many of us putting on our tennis shoes, keen to take up the sport. It’s a great activity for all the family and keeps the kids fit and active during the school summer holiday, but there’s a conception that tennis clubs are expensive, leaving the Andy Murray of tomorrow short of skills. “No, tennis is not expensive!” says Liz Bartlett of the Tennis Lawn Association. “Forget the members only and all white clothing images we see at Wimbledon each summer; tennis really is an affordable sport for all the family. The average national adult membership for a local club is just £2.81 per week and for juniors just 94p per week. In Brighton and Hove you can also book a public tennis court for just £7.30!”

Result: Tennis is affordable and fun. Find a local club or court and keep fit with friends and family.
www.tennisbrightonandhove.org.uk

Myth: Don’t wash your hair every day
We all love leaving the salon with perfect blow-dried hair and often think we need to wash our hair every day to achieve the same results. But doing this strips hair of its natural oils, which feed the hair, making it very dry (not to mention the damage caused by hair dryers and hair irons).
“Even though the weather is great at the moment, don’t forget we had a long, cold winter, with many of us having the central heating on for about 10 months of the year,” says Willie Hendry of Willie Hendry Hair. “Central heating is the number one enemy for our skin and hair, as it zaps all the moisture out of the air. One of the things my clients ask the most is why is their hair so dry and what can they do about it. We may not have the central heating on now, but we have the sun, which dries out the ends of our hair and can damage the scalp, making it dry and itchy. It’s vital to nourish the hair with the right shampoo. Argan oils are also great in replicating the hair’s natural oils, giving much needed hydration.”

Result: Know your hair type and be aware of the changing seasons too. The right shampoo is important in providing the hair with the right amount of nourishment. Try to avoid washing your hair every day and ease back from the heated stylers (if you can’t go cold turkey, be sure to use a heat defence spray).
Willie Hendry Hair, 45-46 Trafalgar Street, Brighton, BN1 4ED,
01273 819815, www.williehendry.com