Do Tight Hairstyles Trigger Traction Alopecia?

I first experimented with sporting braids as a protecting fashion in the course of the pandemic. The fashion helped me keep my thick, coily hair once I couldn’t get my bi-weekly salon blowouts in the course of the lockdown. I opted for lengthy field braids—glossy, thick in width, and rope-like—much like the model Janet Jackson wore in Poetic Justice.

Apart from serving to me feel and appear extra put along with minimal effort, the convenience field braids afforded me couldn’t be discounted. The no-fuss fashion was the right alternative for me, a low-maintenance girl who needed an easy fashion that regarded polished. I beloved the liberty they gave me. I now not needed to make investments 20 minutes each day fastidiously detangling and styling my multi-textured hair. As a substitute, I may rise up and go about my enterprise shortly, savoring the valuable time saved as a substitute of being beholden to my hair.

Thus, it was a no brainer once I selected to maintain the braided coiffure even when hair salons have been allowed to open once more. I had my field braids professionally redone each eight to 10 weeks. Nevertheless, after 18 months of getting braids persistently, I observed that my edges have been thinning. “That appears like traction alopecia to me,” a professional hairstylist informed me as he inspected my fragile hairline throughout an appointment, lastly making me query whether or not my chosen protecting fashion was “protecting” in any respect. The truth is that any coiffure that creates stress on the root of your hair (suppose braids, buns, ponytails, tight headbands, and so on) can put you susceptible to hair loss, shedding, or traction alopecia in additional extreme instances.

Associated Tales

To assist me type out if traction alopecia was the reason for my thinning edges, I reached out to Carl Truesdale, MD, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon and hair transplant surgeon; Hadley King, MD, a board-certified dermatologist; and trichologists Bridgette Hill and Sophia Emmanuel to debate all there may be to learn about traction alopecia, together with acknowledge it, forestall it, and how one can develop hair after shedding.

What’s traction alopecia?

Traction alopecia is hair loss brought on by repeated pulling or stress on the scalp. Based on Dr. Truesdale, extreme stress on hair follicles is extraordinarily frequent as a result of rise in reputation of braids, extensions, wigs, and snatched-back hairstyles like buns and ponytails. Whereas anybody can expertise traction alopecia, the situation is frequent in Black ladies, affecting one third of them, in response to analysis. “Traction alopecia can have an effect on any space of the scalp that’s pulled tightly, nevertheless it primarily impacts the hairline, the crown, and the nape,” Emmanuel tells us. “Over time, extended use of high-tension hairstyles can lead to everlasting hair loss attributable to irreversible harm to hair follicles.”

Dr. Truesdale says that the wrongdoer behind traction alopecia is often power irritation that happens on the hair follicles when hair is pulled too taut. “The fixed irritation can result in thinning, breakage, and in the end, balding of the affected space,” he says.

What causes traction alopecia? 

Traction alopecia could be brought on by any coiffure that excessively pulls or locations stress on the scalp. These types also can embody what some consult with as “protecting types,” together with braids, twists, locs, weaves, extensions, buns, and ponytails when achieved too tight. “They’re now not deemed protecting when achieved improperly,” Hill says. “They’re extra so ‘types of comfort’ as they will trigger extra hurt than good when achieved tightly.” Hill additionally says that utilizing cumbersome extensions in some protecting types may cause bodily stress to your strands by weighing them down and ultimately yanking them out. “Be conscious when including hair to your fashion that it’s not heavy or carries vital weight,” she warns. 

Emmanuel additionally says that clip-in hair extensions may cause traction alopecia by repeatedly pulling and urgent on the scalp, which, when achieved repeatedly, can weaken hair follicles over time. Equally, improper-fitting wigs—”whether or not too small or too unfastened”—may cause friction to your edges, contributing to hair loss,” she provides, noting that the glue used for securing wigs may help in thinning your pure hairline. One other contributing issue which will trigger the weakening of the hair follicle is using taut hair equipment, like tightly wound rubber bands, ponytail holders, and cushty headbands. 

What are the indicators of traction alopecia? 

Dr. Truesdale says early indicators of traction alopecia embody an itchy, tender, or crimson scalp, small pimple-like bumps alongside the hairline and temples from the pulling stress, and hair breakage. “Because the situation progresses, hair thinning turns into noticeable, and in extreme instances, hair follicles are completely broken,” he says. Normally, harm to the follicle is visually evident when diagnosing traction alopecia, says Dr. King; nevertheless, a health care provider can conduct a biopsy to rule out different hair loss prospects. 

The best way to deal with traction alopecia?

“If you happen to suspect you could be experiencing traction alopecia, it is important to seek the advice of with a healthcare skilled or a dermatologist,” says Dr. Truesdale. “Early prognosis and remedy will help reduce hair loss and enhance your general hair well being.”

First up—loosen your tight fashion

Hill says step one to restoration is to cease sporting compromising hairstyles or utilizing dangerous strategies that pull your hair tightly or trigger extreme friction so to relieve any stress in your follicles. This does not imply by no means to put on a ponytail or get field braids once more, however cease and take a minute to loosen your hair tie if it is tugging at your roots (or take it out earlier than mattress) and undoubtedly talk with braiders and hairstylists in case your fashion feels too tight.

Adopting practices like sleeping on a silk pillowcase to reduce further friction or guaranteeing that the band in your bonnet is not too comfortable—together with utilizing light, nourishing haircare merchandise also can assist. “Hair loss would not occur the primary time you put on a decent coiffure. It occurs over time. So in case you can hold the scalp wholesome going ahead, you will get your hair again on monitor,” Dr. King explains. For extra superior instances, medical interventions could also be obligatory, Dr. Truesdale says, with remedies relying on the severity of the hair loss.

Talk about remedy choices along with your physician

The FDA-approved topical remedy minoxidil will help stimulate hair progress if no follicle scarring is concerned. Minoxidil works by bettering blood move to the scalp, which in flip helps hold hair in its anagen part—the rising part of hair—longer—some dermatologists wish to compound minoxidil with tretinoin to enhance its efficacy and scalp absorbency. Moreover, medical doctors can inject topical corticosteroids (just like the FDA-approved injection Kenalog) into the affected areas to cut back irritation brought on by the situation. 

Along with the beforehand talked about scalp therapies, Dr. Truesdale additionally likes treating the compromised space with crimson mild remedy, platelet-rich plasma remedy (also referred to as PRP), or exosome injections to foster scalp well being and hair follicle restoration. Crimson mild remedy works by exposing areas of hair loss to crimson LED mild to spice up dormant hair follicles into the expansion stage.

PRP includes drawing blood from a affected person and separating the enriched cells, then injecting them again into the scalp to feed the broken follicles and stimulate their stem cells for hair progress. However, exosome remedy is a more recent scalp process that helps snap dormant hair follicles out of relaxation. Exosomes comprise progress elements, numerous proteins, and activated stem cell alerts, which may talk with impaired follicle cells to spur hair regeneration. 

Nevertheless, if the harm to the follicles is extreme and leads to scarring, the ensuing hair loss might be everlasting, explains Dr. King. “There may be nothing you are able to do to reverse it at that stage,” she tells us. Therefore, a hair transplant could also be your solely viable choice if that’s the case. The process includes transferring wholesome hair follicles from areas from the again or sides of the scalp—the place hair just isn’t usually vulnerable to balding—to fill within the spots that skilled irreversible hair loss by changing them with new ones, explains Dr. Truesdale. 

What can we do to stop traction alopecia? 

The easiest way to keep away from traction alopecia is to keep away from tight hairdos altogether, advises Dr. Truesdale. Go for looser types to cut back stress on the hair as a substitute, suggests Hill. If you happen to put on hair extensions, braids, wigs, clip-ins, locs, or twists, guarantee they are not so tight, put on them moderately, and swap up your coiffure usually to present your hair follicles a relaxation in between.

And bear in mind, when choosing a braiding professional, search a licensed hairstylist or an skilled artist with a way that minimizes scalp irritation. Most significantly, do not be afraid to talk up in case you expertise discomfort, and have them instantly undo the fashion if it is painful, says Hill. We all know it may be a bit awkward to push again within the salon chair, however utilizing your voice on the first signal of discomfort can prevent a lot of stress and ache in the long term. 

Last takeaway 

Armed with the above data, I paused on often getting braids and began sporting a lower-tension coiffure, pronto. I additionally sought the skilled assist of a dermatologist to evaluate my hair and scalp and assist decide my greatest plan of action. Fortunately, traction alopecia is preventable and reversible in lots of instances, particularly in case you act quick. Fortunately, the harm to my hairline was superficial, and the dermatologist was capable of bolster it to its authentic thickness with a mix of Kenalog pictures and a minoxidil compound prescription. 

Will I ever cop again to the comfort of “protecting styling” once more? Most definitely, sure. I am truly contemplating braids for my subsequent week-long trip (which is completely fantastic), however now, I’m well-equipped with the data on put on and look after them correctly so my hair and scalp can thrive and flourish to the fullest.