1. Bald Bull/ The Bald and the Brave
Many men believe that wearing a hat or using a hair-dryer ends up in hair loss and you could go bald like ‘bald bull’.
MYTH! According to WebMd, there is no evidence which suggests that wearing a hat or using a blow-dryer causes baldness. However, hair loss occurs as the hair follicle becomes smaller which results in shorter, thin hair and finally you end up saying goodbye to your full crop of hair.
2. To Brief or Not to Brief
Men who wear briefs have a lower sperm count.
MYTH! If you love wearing briefs, rest assured that it will not affect the amount of your swimmers. A factor that could affect your sperm count is the prolonged temperatures but any evidence of ‘brief- wearing’ leading to a lower sperm count is inconsistent.
3. All About The Beards
The more you shave, the thicker your beard will be.
MYTH! There ain’t any shame in not having a killer beard, if you do have a healthy well-groomed beard going on-well done. If you wanting a thicker stache then shaving frequently will not make it happen as the size and shape of your hair follicles determine the thickness, texture of your hair.
4. Bigger But Not Better
Probably one of the biggest myths out there is the old- ‘The bigger the shoe size, the bigger the ‘stifmeister’ ’.
MYTH! Ladies, please take note, a bigger shoe size does not mean a bigger banana. A study that was conducted by two urologists at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, involving 104 men, found that there was no significant correlation between shoe size and penile length. Guys, if you wear a smaller shoe size, you’re safe.
5. Peaking Early
Could it be that men hit their sexual peak at the age of 18?
TRUE! Men do peak earlier than women, with regards to a man’s supply of testosterone, but peak hormone levels are not linked to a man’s peak sexual performance.
6. All Pain, No Gain
We have all heard the infamous line “no pain, no gain” sometime or the other, be it from your fitness trainer, the movie or the song by Betty Wright.
MYTH! It was meant to motivate you to push through the pain but it could be dubbed as the biggest exercise myth. Many health and fitness websites have disagreed with the slogan, saying that exercising until you feel pain or going past that point could result in you injuring yourself further as you do not gain anything from pain.
7. Prostate Cancer- Number 1 Killer For Men
More men die from prostate cancer than from any other type of cancer.
MYTH! Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in men whilst prostate cancer is the third, according to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA).
8. Men Do Not Get Breast Cancer
Men cannot be diagnosed with breast cancer, it’s impossible.
MYTH! Men can get breast cancer, however it is rare. About one in 1,000 men is the calculated lifetime risk. There are other factors that pose a risk, such as family history with breast cancer (male or female), alcoholism, obesity and chronic liver disorders.
9. Bone Up
Men should not be worried about Osteoporosis.
MYTH! With the male prowess playing a factor, most men like to believe that their strength will last as they age. A disease that causes the skeleton to weaken and increases the risk of breakage in bones, osteoporosis is something that men should be concerned about. It might be seen less often in men as their skeletons are larger and they do not have to go through menopause but you could be at risk with factors such as age, low levels of testosterone, alcohol abuse and smoking playing a role.
10. Unbreakable Willy
Most guys like to assume that their ‘Willy’ is unbreakable, sorry to disappoint you.
MYTH!You can break your ‘Willy’, whilst there is no “penis bone”, you can end up tearing your fibrous sheath that stretches during an erection which is called the tunica albunginea. Penile fractures occur during sexual activity, treatment involves surgery but thank your lucky stars, guys, as penile fractures are rare.
11. Brewing A Beer Belly
Drinking beer does not lead to a “beer belly”.
MYTH! It might be the drink of champions but it does contribute to a “beer belly”. All guys love beer, to indulge in an ice cold ‘brewski’ whilst hanging with the boys. However, there is an uninvited guest called: calories, which sneak in without you suspecting it. As excess calories from beer can increase belly fat and contribute to a bigger waistline.
Myths, you, have been busted…
– Alice Paulse
Sources: WebMd , Medical Daily.
