Scalps are like gardens: It takes a variety of care and minding to maintain the outcomes lush and wholesome. It’s a fragile ecosystem. And whereas wholesome crops—or strands, on this metaphor—are hardy, it is solely to a degree. In case you pull something by its roots—you threat damaging the plant and the soil.
The identical goes in your hair and your scalp. A wholesome scalp results in robust hair, however repeated stress and pulling can harm the entire system. In case you’re a devotee of braids, tight ponytails, or weaves—you could be noticing hair loss or alopecia. Alopecia is available in many types, however traction alopecia (Key phrase: traction—referring to pulling) is restricted to the stress of tight hairstyles. “Extended mechanical stress on hair can result in everlasting harm and lack of follicles,” says board-certified dermatologist Andy Goren, MD. Sadly, says Goren, as soon as traction alopecia is noticeable, it’s irreversible.
Fortunately, that doesn’t imply you’re doomed to hair loss. In case you catch traction alopecia early sufficient, you possibly can forestall additional harm. And for those who’re already experiencing it, you continue to have just a few choices. To crack the case, we requested Goren, board-certified dermatologist Sheila Farhang, MD, and trichologist Zoe Passam learn how to establish traction alopecia and cease it in its tracks (no pun meant).
Meet the Specialists
- Zoe Passam is a guide trichologist at Philip Kingsley.
- Sheila Farhang, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist primarily based in Tucson and Beverly Hills.
- Andy Goren, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and chief medical officer of Daniel Alain.
What Is Traction Alopecia?
“Traction alopecia is a kind of hair loss which happens on account of repeated, extended pulling forces on the hair,” says Passam. “This locations undue trauma on hair follicles, which, if sustained over an extended time period, can result in everlasting hair loss.”
Whenever you pull tightly in your hair, the follicles change into infected, broken, and ultimately scarred. “Within the early phases, hair can develop again. Nonetheless, continual types over a number of years can change into scarring, and that’s everlasting,” says Farhang.
What Are the Causes of Traction Alopecia?
Traction alopecia doesn’t occur in a single day. It’s form of like coastal erosion—it occurs regularly. In case you’re repeatedly placing your hair into tight types over a number of years, you could discover your hair thinning and presumably not rising again.
Passam says she typically sees it in Black girls who come to her clinic since tight hairstyles (like braids and cornrows) are sometimes launched in early childhood. Sew-in hairstyles, tight ponytails or buns, and wigs may trigger stress on hair follicles. “Others embrace those that pull their again in a bun every day—particularly whereas the hair is moist,” says Farhang.
What Are the Signs of Traction Alopecia?
Hair loss is the primary—and probably the obvious—symptom of traction alopecia. “It’s most frequently seen on the hair margins, the place pulling forces are usually best, however it may happen anyplace relying on the coiffure,” says Passam. “Usually, recession of the frontal hairline will happen, and generally the hair loss could also be preceded by soreness, itching, and bumps on the scalp,” she provides. Take the soreness and irritation signs as warning indicators that traction alopecia may happen and leap proper into prevention.
It’s additionally normally pretty simple to inform traction alopecia aside from one other type of hair loss. In case you’re dropping hair however don’t have a historical past of carrying it in tight types, you in all probability don’t have traction alopecia. You’ll need to see a dermatologist as quickly as attainable about different causes.
Learn how to Keep away from Traction Alopecia
To keep away from traction alopecia, you’ll need to rethink any tight types (or not less than give your scalp a break from these types every so often). “Traction alopecia is most often induced by hair styling, so avoiding hairstyles that harm hair follicles comparable to ponytails, tight braiding, flat ironing, and hair extensions cut back the danger of creating traction alopecia,” says Goren.
“Avoiding chemical therapies, comparable to coloration and relaxers, will assist to make the hair much less inclined to breakage, and due to this fact keep as a lot hair size as attainable,” Passam provides. “Sustaining a great food regimen, with loads of protein, may also assist to help wholesome hair progress.”
How Traction Alopecia Can Be Handled
Prevention is the secret for traction alopecia. “It normally develops over a number of years and is usually irreversible until handled at an early stage,” says Goren. That’s why you need to deal with your scalp as kindly as attainable and cease the tight styling when you’re forward. In case your scalp is sore, now is an efficient time to present your hair a break.
In case you’ve already misplaced hair, recovering will probably be a bit tougher, if not unattainable. “The potential for the hair recovering from traction alopecia relies upon very a lot on the time because the onset of the hair loss,” says Passam. “If that is newer, it’s attainable that some restoration can be attainable, but when it’s extra long-standing, it’s doubtless that scarring could have occurred within the follicle, which can, due to this fact, be unable to regrow a hair.”
These within the later levels of traction alopecia can see a dermatologist about good old school topical minoxidil, which is one of the best guess (though not assured) at regrowing a number of the hair.
The Remaining Takeaway
The excellent news? Sporting your hair in a decent ponytail often won’t trigger everlasting hair loss, and also you’ll doubtless discover some soreness and irritation earlier than you expertise irreversible harm. In case you keep away from these types or not less than give your scalp an extended, wholesome break, you could possibly forestall traction alopecia and presumably even regrow a few of your misplaced hair. “You need to see your dermatologist before later,” says Farhang.
The dangerous information is that for those who’re already experiencing hair loss from tight types, you’ve doubtless scarred the follicle, which means it could not develop again. At that time, the best choice is to see a dermatologist about prescription topicals or steroids.