Over time, as people share their health misconceptions with
others, they can sometimes start to fool the general
population. There are certain medical and general health
myths with particular significance to men. The Cheat Sheet
has covered some of them in the past, such as so-called
"women's diseases" that men can actually get and the
misconception that men hate talk therapy . Here, we've
debunked a few more myths about men's health. Read on to
find out if any of these urban legends had you fooled.
SHAVING CAUSES THICKER AND/OR DARKER HAIR TO GROW BACK
Your hair might seem more coarse after it grows back, but
shaving does nothing to change the inherent color of your hair
or thickness of your hair follicles. "Shaving removes the dead
portion of hair, not the living section beneath the skin's
surface," Rachel Vreeman, M.D., told Men's Health . Vreeman
is an Indiana University assistant professor who has published
research and books on persistent health myths. She says
shaving away dead hair can't change how the living hair
grows. When the new stubble protrudes, these hairs might
appear slightly darker than the rest of your hair, but Vreeman
says that's only because they haven't been exposed to as
much sunlight yet.
MEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO DIE OF PROSTATE CANCER THAN ANY OTHER CANCER
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both
men and women in the United States. Prostate cancer is
second for men, and the American Cancer Society
estimates that one in 36 men will die from prostate cancer. It
can be a serious disease, but most men diagnosed with
prostate cancer do not die from it. More than 2.9 million men
in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at
some point are still alive today.
MEN SHOULD CONSUME FIVE SERVINGS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PER DAY
Men eat far fewer fruits and vegetables than women, but they
actual require more. You might remember a general
recommendation of five servings of fruits and vegetables per
day, but the 2005 dietary guidelines released by the
government upped it to nine servings , or about two cups of
fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables. The CDC's
guidelines provide specific recommendations in cups for
various men, women, and children. Moderately active men
age 19 to 30, for example, should eat two cups of fruit and
three and a half cups of vegetables every day.
MEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO ATTEMPT
SUICIDE THAN WOMEN
Women attempt suicide more often than men, but about four
times as many men die by their own hand than women. This is
in part because women tend to use methods with higher
survival rates, such as poisoning, while men tend to use more
fatal means like guns. Women are thought to be more likely to
suffer from depression and have suicidal thoughts, but men
are less likely to seek mental health treatment.
HATS, HAIR STYLING, AND/OR BLOW DRYERS CAN CAUSE BALDNESS
There's no evidence that wearing a hat, using styling products,
or blow-drying result in baldness. Baldness typically occurs
when the hair follicle becomes smaller over time, creating
shorter, finer hair, and eventually, no hair. Male pattern
baldness accounts for more than 95% of hair loss in men . By
age 35, two-thirds of American men will have some degree of
appreciable hair loss, and by age 50 approximately 85% of
men will have observably thinning hair. Baldness is usually
genetic, but it's also a myth that it's always passed down
from the mother's side . In some cases, hair loss can be
caused by medications, certain diseases, or poor nutrition, so
if you notice sudden hair loss, talk to your doctor.
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