Changing your part?

[meepster]

Is there any hair-growing benefit to changing the way you part your hair? I just changed my parting for the first time in years, and noticed that while my hair is frizzy and has all sorts of bits sticking out, there was no frizz and nothing sticking out when I changed my part. Does it mean that exposure to the environment is what's causing my hair to be frizzy, and that it's good to give it a break from the elements this way? Do any of you do this?

[xoAshley]

It’s because you changed your “canopy” hair (the hair that lays on top of the rest that’s exposed all the time to the elements) and now you’ve revealed hair that’s usually hidden away underneath. The canopy hair takes more of a beating then the hair underneath, which has now become your new “canopy”. As for benefits, I’m not sure,

[Lucy McLucyFace]

I agree with the above reply.
Usually the other advantage to changing the parting is that it helps with the hairline. It tends to weaken around the parting because it has more tension on it so it's advised to change it every 6 months to allow for baby hairs to grow back

[auburntressed]

Yeah, apparently if you only part your hair one way all the time, your part can widen over time.

I part my hair every which way, depending on what hairstyle I am using for the day. I have not noticed any significant changes between this and when I used to use the same part all the time.

[Feral_]

I’ve had the same middle part for years and it hasn’t widened. I tried a side part but didn’t like the feeling of it on my head. I like symmetry!

[lapushka]

Same answer as Feral_. I have had a side part for years, since I was a teen. And it hasn't widened, weakened the hair, none of those things.

I don't think changing up a part is going to do magical things. Other than bring other hair to the surface (during the summer when the sun is out); maybe that.

[Stray_mind]

I don't part my hair at all. I let it do it's own thing usually. I think parts widen only if you do very tight up dos, due to traction alopecia. Otherwise i don't see how it would widen.

[barnet_fair]

Does hair have a "natural" parting? I've seen references to this idea but I don't know whether it's true, or whether hair just tends to fall where you've most recently parted it. I deliberately changed my side parting to the other side a few years ago, but I think it often "wants" to move to the other side.

I also find that the parting can change spontaneously depending on the monthly cycle (if I wash my hair around ovulation it will want to part in the centre), but this could be for all sorts of reasons and might be just me...

[lapushka]

My hair naturally parts on one side, it's the way the hair grows, I guess. If I try to make my part on the other side, it "feels" as if the hair is going against the grain.

[Kake]

My hair naturally parts on one side, it's the way the hair grows, I guess. If I try to make my part on the other side, it "feels" as if the hair is going against the grain.

I used to be able to part it on the other side, but now it looks like I'm wearing a wig if I do It that way,

[unheardletters]

My hair naturally parts, I don’t try to force it to part in a different way, because it always just flips back to the natural part.

[ExpectoPatronum]

I have a lot of experience with hair parts.

I change my hair part up almost every time I wash and have done so for years. I even went a year or two without parting my hair.

If I don't part it, it has a naturally uneven part in the center, but I am very easily able to change the parting even after it dries. It took a lot of "training" to get my hair to do this. I like to think not having a set part gives my hair a bit more root volume, but I have no evidence for this.

[Kalamazoo]

I think the location of your crown determines where you can part your hair. I think I have 3 crowns, 1 at the top of my head, 1 in front on the side by the forehead hairline, and 1 in the back. So the front crown can produce a cowlick, if the hair's parted just so, & the one in back can cause the hair to split in back if I'm wearing it down. So, I can part my hair anyplace I want to, but the crowns may make it lay funny. Some strange zig-zag parting is frequently necessary.

[Jools69]

Previously, I have occasionally swap my left side part for the right side to give some body for my hair. The last 12 months, I’ve been training my hair to accept a middle part. Most of my hair has accepted it, :) except my crown. I have a double crown and even now, I can feel my hair is determined to part on the left and stick up at the back. :rolleyes:

[illicitlizard]

I've had the same part for years and never noticed any part widening...

However, recently I've changed my part. It's winter and super dry and I noticed my scalp at my part was getting dry and flakey whilst the rest of my scalp was fine. Changing the part seems to have helped, gave the skin a break from always being exposed I suppose!

[SleepyTangles]

My parting is naturally slightly on the left, but I switch it every few months in order to "distribute" more evenly the stress of element exposure, and allowing the old canopy to rest and thicken back up.
In my experience, this gives visible benefits in terms of thickness and health :)

[Feral_]

Something I've noticed is I need to wear a hat more in the sunny weather - my parting is tanned compared to the rest of my scalp, eek!

[Ylva]

Something I've noticed is I need to wear a hat more in the sunny weather - my parting is tanned compared to the rest of my scalp, eek!

I burned my parting multiple times last summer. :|

[TatsuOni]

I think that one reason that this myth exists is because when poeple start balding (due to genetics) they usually do this from the front or on top of their head in the middle and that's where some people have their parting.

And yes, it is a myth. Unless you for some reason put your hair under heavy stress where you part it, like say you rub it daily or pull out the roots, it will not widen. I know a lot of people that have parted their hair in the same place for 10-50 years without it widening. I've parted my hair the same way for around 10 years myself.

My SO on the other hand started balding when he was 20 (from the front) and that's genetic. He now only has hair (that he shaves) on the sides and in the back.

[Feral_]

I burned my parting multiple times last summer. :|

Oh bad luck! :(
I did once too, and when it healed it went all flakey, like bad dandruff, not a good look.

[Ylva]

Oh bad luck! :(
I did once too, and when it healed it went all flakey, like bad dandruff, not a good look.

Same for me. It was also itchy as heck.