Never Shower in a Thunderstorm Surprising Facts and Misleading Myths About Our Health and the World We Live in

Chapter One Human Nature? The Great DNA Crap Game Does your DNA determine your destiny? It used to be that scientists believed our genes were responsible for a select number of our physical features, and that was about it. We began almost as blank slates and our behavior was determined largely by our environment, molded over the years through stimulus and response. It was an overly simplistic view. A better understanding of human genetics eventually showed that we don't have nearly as much control over who we are and how we behave as we think we do, even though that sounds insane. A few years ago, a look at the newly mapped human genome showed that there were genes that could help determine whether a person grew up to be fat, an alcoholic, or a thrill-seeking hang glider. There is even a shyness gene. Suddenly, it seemed that the truth of the matter was somewhere in the middle: many of our traits are both inherited and environmentally responsive. It's not nature versus nurture, but nurture complementing nature. Our genes set us on a path at birth and guide us, but ultimately our past experiences lead us to decide how far we go and where we stop along the way. That being said, it is human nature to wonder to what extent our genes control the course of our lives, and how. Part of it is that we want to know what makes us tick and why we are who we are. Another factor is our desire to gain some inkling of our fate. If someone told you he could let you in on the time and the date of your death, as the old saying goes, wouldn't you want to know? Does Cutting Your Hair Make It Grow Back Thicker? For some reason, people of all ages consider this question of haircutting one of biblical import, more urgent than questions about diseases and more pressing than the fear-inducing old wives' tales that mothers have been spreading for centuries. Part of the reason might be that cutting or trimming hair on various body parts is something we all have to deal with at some pointsometimes hair we wanted to be thick and sometimes, unfortunately, hair we really didn't want at all. And almost all of us grew up convinced that the claim was true. I have to confess that I was one of those kids who would occasionally steal his father's shaving cream and razor, slip into the bathroom, and shave away nonexistent facial hair, hoping it would turn into a thick Tom Selleck mustache. For my sisters and other women, on the other hand, the notion that hair grows back darker and thicker is a nuisance, a reason to spend money on waxes and trips to the salon. But despite what millions of people think, trimming or waxing hair on any part of your body isn't going to speed its rate of growth, make it thicker, or change its texture. When this myth was born is not exactly clear, but it's been around in the scientific literature for well over half a century. The first studies to show that cutting hair isn't going to stimulate growth were performed in the 1920s, and many more have been carried out since then. All had the same results: the length, texture, and coarseness of your hair are determined by genetics and hormone levels, not by how often you shave, pluck, or Nair it away. But according to dermatologists, there are several reasons why trimming your hair on a regular basis creates the illusion that it's growing back faster and thicker. Many peoplemyself includedstart shaving at an early age, while their hair is still lightly colored or not growing at the rate it's destined to reach. Since hair is darker and rougher at its roots, removing the tips gives the appearance of coarser hair. The bristly stubble that emerges after shaving is also more noticeable thO'Connor, Anahad is the author of 'Never Shower in a Thunderstorm Surprising Facts and Misleading Myths About Our Health and the World We Live in', published 2007 under ISBN 9780805083125 and ISBN 080508312X.