The battle between the middle part and side part is ongoing, but did you know that where you part your hair might impact more than just your aesthetic? Claims have been made that changing your part from time to time can be beneficial for your skin and hair health. Before we go switching up our part in the name of health, we wanted to hear from experts on whether or not this theory is true. Ostensibly, experts agree there might be something to these claims. However, New York dermatologist Elaine Kung, MD notes that there isn’t a lot of scientific research on the benefits, so it’s hard to confirm.
Featured Experts
- Elaine Kung, MD is a dermatologist based in New york City
- Gretchen Friese is a trichologist at BosleyMD
- Dr. Isfahan Chambers-Harris is a hair expert and founder of Alodia
Does switching your part help prevent skin cancer?
In theory, “changing your part can help protect the scalp from skin cancer because the same part of your head is not always exposed to UV rays,” says BosleyMD trichologist Gretchen Friese. According to Dr. Kung, there is a possibility that switching your hair part can play a “very minor” role in preventing skin cancer on your scalp. “When you switch your part, you alter the areas of your scalp that receive direct sunlight. This means you're not exposing the same spot to UV radiation constantly, potentially reducing the risk of skin cancer in that specific area,” she explains.
However, Alodia founder and hair expert Dr. Isfahan Chambers-Harris notes that any substantial claims “about protecting against skin cancer would need strong scientific backing, and needs to be supported by robust evidence,” that we don’t have. So, while switching up your part can’t hurt, we can’t confirm it’ll keep you totally safe, so always wear sunscreen!
Can changing your part help with hair loss?
Changing your part won’t halt hair loss altogether, notes Dr. Kung. However, “it may help prevent hair breakage caused by repeated mechanical stress on the same hair strands,” which can play a role in hair loss.
“When we put tension on our part, like with tight ponytails and braids or even wearing a hat over time, can create stress to the follicles in the area where the hair separates (the part). This can be damaging and may lead to hair loss,” explains Friese. Therefore, changing your part may have some positive effects on hair health like “reducing strain and stress on specific hair follicles,” which “may indirectly help with lessening hair breakage,” says Dr. Isfarahan.
