Just about every product on the market makes the same promise to deliver stronger, healthy hair. But what most scientists know, is the whole premise is based on a myth. Because your hair is actually dead.

Don't believe me? Believe the Beauty Brains. In a post titled What Does Your Hair Really Need? they break the whole thing down for laypeople like you and me.

"It's a common misconception that hair can be healthy. Hair can be no more healthy than a shoe lace, a cotton blouse, or any other non-living fiber. The hair on your head is not living tissue. It is dead, keratinized protein. Hair cannot be healthy. Of course, it can look healthy or not-healthy, but that's not the same thing."

Yes indeed, just like the top layer of our skin and our fingernails, hair is made up of dead cells. So why are there so many products out there promising to improve the health of your hair? Because the marketing geniuses know that we're quick to buy into this myth, in the hopes of improving our appearance.

Just because your hair can't actually BE "healthy" doesn't mean it can't grow to be long, strong, and beautiful. The Beauty Brains post underscores the importance of a good, balanced diet as leading to healthy looking hair. Drinking those eight glasses of water a day certainly helps, and it's best to refrain from damaging chemicals, heat and restrictive hairstyles. Protective styles like a simple bun or two strand twists are great for maintaining the length and strength of hair.

In terms of diet, protein is highly recommended for healthy living in general -- vegetarian friends, please don't think I'm exclusively referring to meat! You can get amazing protein from beans, tofu, peanut butter, tempeh, seitan... many delicious sources. Check out this article from the Today Show for suggestions on eating healthier, to improve the appearance of your hair.

What do you do to keep your hair looking healthy?