From hats making you bald to sex leading to heart attacks, we uncover the truth behind men’s biggest health fears
Men are bombarded with all sorts of tales in a bid to protect their health - but which are true?
DOES wearing a hat make you bald?
And does sex put you at a greater risk of having a heart attack? Men are bombarded with all sorts of tales in a bid to protect their health – but how do you know which ones to believe?
MATTHEW BARBOUR uncovers the truth behind the biggest men’s health myths.
MYTH: Wearing a hat or using a hairdryer can cause male-pattern baldness
FALSE: There is no evidence that either causes hair loss. It occurs because the hair follicle becomes smaller, resulting in shorter, finer hair and eventually no hair.
But smoking has been shown to reduce oxygen flow to the scalp, accelerating hair loss.
MYTH: The more you shave, the thicker and/or darker your hair will grow back
FALSE: Shaving will remove the dead ends of hairs, not the living segments beneath the skin. So it does not change how those parts grow.
The stubbly hairs that soon protrude again from the skin may be slightly darker but only because they have not been exposed to light.
MYTH: Carrying a wallet around in your back pocket is bad for your back
TRUE: A heavy wallet can force your pelvis to rotate forward and jump-start a chain reaction of pain further up your spine, leading to muscle soreness and spasms.
Osteopath and acupuncturist Garry Trainer says: “A wallet should be thin and flexible, or carried in a front pocket.”
MYTH: Dandruff shampoo slows balding
TRUE: Shampoos with zinc pyrithione (Head & Shoulders) or ketoconazole (Nizoral) slowed hair shedding by ten and 17 per cent respectively, according to an International Journal of Cosmetic Science study. It’s thought the ingredients keep scalp pores clear of sebum, a fatty oil that can irritate follicles.
MYTH: Men don’t have to worry about osteoporosis
FALSE: Osteoporosis increases the risk of broken bones. It is seen more often in women because the menopause causes bone loss, but some men are at increased danger. Risk factors include age, low levels of testosterone, alcohol abuse, smoking, gastro-intestinal disease, use of steroid medications and immobilisation.
MYTH: Men cannot get breast cancer
FALSE: Men CAN get breast cancer but it is rare. The lifetime risk is estimated to be about one in 1,000 men.
Risk factors include having family members (male or female) with breast cancer, a genetic condition associated with high oestrogen levels, chronic liver disorders, alcoholism and obesity.
MYTH: Some hairstyles can cause hair loss
TRUE: Surprisingly, certain hairstyles can cause hair loss – and permanent hair loss at that.
Cornrows and ponytails, for example, can put excessive pressure on your hair and can cause a condition known as traction alopecia, or gradual hair loss.
MYTH: Using hot tubs can make a man sterile
FALSE: There will not be any effect if you have a normal sperm count.
But if your sperm count is low, a hot tub will help keep it there and also make your boys slow swimmers.
The fix? Keep the water temperature lower than scrotal temperature, about 36C, and get out before your eggs are hard-boiled.
MYTH: The bigger a man’s shoe size, the larger his penis
FALSE: If you reckon a fella having big feet means he is well endowed, you are in for a disappointment, ladies.
Urologists at London’s St Mary’s Hospital conducted a study involving 104 men and found no statistically significant correlation between shoe size and stretched penile length.
MYTH: Men who are uncircumcised enjoy better sex lives
FALSE: Researchers at the Louisiana State University School of Medicine studied 15 men who underwent circumcision as adults.
They found that there was no statistically significant difference in sex drive, erection, ejaculation, or overall satisfaction.
MYTH: Old men are grumpy
FALSE: Men in their 50s scored 20 per cent higher in affability than men in their 20s, according to a study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Older gents become more caring because they’re raising children and grandchildren, and forming closer bonds with their loved ones. Both factors lead to a better outlook on life.
MYTH: Having sex can cause heart attacks in middle aged men
TRUE: THE chances of a 50-year-old, non-smoking man suffering a heart attack is about one in a million in any hour.
Having sex increases these odds to two in a million. Sex raises your heart rate to around 130 beats a minute, roughly the same effect as climbing stairs for 15 to 20 seconds.