8 Beauty Truths You Should Stop Believing

There are so many beauty "rules" to abide by — things you must do and things you absolutely cannot do, and once you get them stuck in your head, you do whatever you can not to break them. But what if I told you there are some beauty truths that are actually myths? All your good efforts might have been for naught, but there's no time like the present to set the record straight (and, you know, maybe save you some time and hassle).

Whether you hear it preached from your mother, your friends, or the media, there are plenty of sources of beauty information, and each one seems to be as steadfast in their belief as the next, but they might not necessarily be right. That's not to say you should disregard everything you hear — some things, like needing to use sunscreen to protect against sun damage, are totally true and you should definitely follow them. But there are some other beauty truths you might have bought into that don't actually have as much merit and validity behind them. And it's time to debunk them and get everyone on the same page, here.

Check out this list of eight common beauty truths that aren't actually not so true. Your mind might be totally blown.

1. Shaving Makes Hair Grow Back Thicker

This truth is bogus. Sure, if you want to wax, go for it, but don't do it because you think shaving is causing you thicker hair. It might appear thicker because when you shave and cut the hair, the ends become short and blunt, which can appear thicker than the uneven, fine ends that unshaven hair has, but it's definitely not growing in heavier.

2. Drink Water For Your Skin

While it is important to drink water for health reasons, don't guzzle it thinking it will hydrate your skin. "Water intake doesn't really correlate with skin hydration unless one is extremely dehydrated,” says New York City dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman. Who knew?

4. You Can Use Products T Eliminate Wrinkles

If it was as easy as buying a fancy cream, would fillers and botox even exist? Wrinkles are a result of aging and sun damage, and no moisturizer or serum is going to reverse them. They can help hydrate your skin and make them less visible, but they aren't going to take them away.

5. Natural Ingredients Won't Irritate Your Skin

False. Natural ingredients have plenty of benefits for your skin, but that's not to say they won't cause irritation. In fact, some can irritate your skin even more than products with chemicals. “Some of the most common oils that can cause irritation include clove, peppermint, ginger, cinnamon, and tea tree oil,” says New York City dermatologist Dr. Jeannette Graf. I learned this the hard way when I got a chemical burn from using tea tree oil, so don't think you're in the clear to put things all over your face just because it's natural.

6. You Can Fix Split Ends

Let's get this straight right now — if an end is split, it is split, and no shampoo or serum is going to put it back together. The only way to get rid of split ends is to cut them. You can use products, like heat protectants, to protect against them, but these products won't repair what is already there.

7. You Can Shrink Your Pores

Not possible. It doesn't matter what product you use, or how good your aesthetician is, pore size is determined by genetics.

8. Cutting Your Hair Makes It Grow Faster

I bought into this one for far too long, but really, just use logic. How are cutting ends off going to effect root growth? If only it was that easy! What trimming can do is take off breakage, and if you had split ends or breakage, your hair might have stayed at one length because the ends kept breaking off whenever it grew. But cutting your hair is not making it grow any faster.

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