Beauty Tips

Fake News Exists in the Beauty World, Too. Don't Believe These Viral Headlines

We sort fact from fake in eight eyebrow-raising headlines

by Katie McCarthy | COMMENT

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"Coconut Oil and Lemon Mixture: It Turns Gray Hair Back to Its Natural Color" The claim: This article from thebestremedies.com suggests readers can turn back the clock on silver strands by applying a once-weekly hair mask made of coconut oil, which "reverse[s] gray hair," and lemon juice, which "prevent[s] premature graying."

Shared: 560.5K times

Fake or fact: Fake AF

Why: There's no doubt that rich, moisturizing coconut oil can improve the condition of the hair and scalp, and that lemon juice and coconut oil are filled with beneficial nutrients. But don't expect them to do anything to change the color of gray hair.

"The process of graying is a complicated chemistry that will not be suspended or changed with the use of coconut oil and lemon juice," says Liz Cunnane-Phillips, a trichologist for Philip Kingsley. "Oh, that it were it that simple!"

It's important to understand why your hair turns gray, Cunnane-Phillips continues. "Hair turns gray when the pigment cells responsible for color, melanin, stop being produced," she explains. In other words, hair turns gray due to the absence of color. And if your hair's pigment is gone, the only way to bring it back is with artificial color.

Rita Hazan, famed celebrity colorist and founder of New York City's Rita Hazan Salon, agrees with Cunnane-Phillips. "You need to add pigment into your gray hair to color it," she says.

Image via Getty

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