As kids (and as parents of kids) the fear of head lice is real. As a result, we’re often told to keep hair tightly pulled back and discouraged from letting it flow freely. So after years of nit anxiety (yes, it’s a thing ok?), paired with dance recitals and swimming lessons, many of us have rocked the tightest buns known to man from a young age.
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Fast forward to our adult life and our love for a high pony or slicked back bun for a chic and quick hairstyle has too come to haunt us. It’s now time to face what dermatologist, Dr Lauren Knight, has called: ‘the truth behind the tight bun’.
Recalling her own experiences in an Instagram post where she distinctly remembers “the discomfort of a misplaced hairpin that had been jammed into my head to hold the bolla in place”, and a side of headache, Dr Knight has come to learn that our hair care and styling practices are in fact a common cause of hairloss.
“Traction alopecia is a type of hair loss that results from prolonged or repetitive tension on the scalp hair,” she says, referring to the common styling occurrence of a tight bun, ponytail, dreadlocks, braids and hair extensions.
While Dr Knight says it is reversible at first, eventually the damage can’t be undone.
The first warning signs of traction alopecia present themselves in the form of itching, redness andscaling, and overtime it can be seen as a receding frontal hairline, with only hairs in the original hairline left. She calls this the “fringe sign”.
To avoid this, Dr Knight recommends switching from tighter styles that cause tension on the scalp,to lower traction options.
And, despite our fears of head lice, leaving the hair natural and untied will give you time to recover from any previous damage.
I had hair extensions in my early 20s and developed tension alopecia. Later (and now) I got partial alopecia. You learn to live with it.
Love this hair style – but this is just too sad
I remember reading in “Memoirs of a Geisha” about how the older geishas get this type of hair loss from their traditional hairstyle. I get migraines, so I’m prone to ponytail headaches. I couldn’t wear my hair pulled back really tight if I wanted to.
Ive never had my hair in a bun. I cant handle tight hairdo’s as they give me a headache. Hairbands were out for me as wearing one would send me straight to migraine town and I would be a write of for 2 days.
Growing my hair out again, but I do like to put it in a pony just not a high one good advice about wearing your hair just not to tight for long periods of time.
I sometimes wear my hair up in a ponytail. I’m having problems with hair loss at the moment due to serious illness. I guess it will grow back eventually.
I hate having my hair around my face but I know it’s bad for my hair. But I still only last a day of having it loose then up it goes!
I don’t pull my hair tight when I wear it up. I wonder if this is what happened to the singer Sade?
I wear my hair loose in winter and tied into a ponytail in summer, but it’s never pulled tight, always loose otherwise I get headaches.
I used to love tight hairstyles in my early teens. I still love a ponytail and it is still my go to style but they are not as tight as I used to make them.
I know a lot of women who this has happened to but it isn’t a problem for me because I had my hip length hair cut off when I was 13 and I’ve had short hair ever since. Mind you, there have been loads of occasions over the years where I would have loved to put my hair in a ponytail.
I wear a pony most days. My hair falls out but I have heaps of it. I have thyroid problems.
It’s too hard to pull my hair too tight. My hair wants to fall forward onto my face, so pulling it up tight would involve a lot of slicking back with something just to get it there. Sometimes I can’t even stand just pulling it gently back into a clip or slide on the side of my head. Oh the joys of having a lot of hair. I do put it up in a loose messy bun sometimes in summer, but most days I can’t stand the pressure on top of my head either, and I never pull it tight, ever.
I have not had my hair up in years. Can’t say not having it up has in any way reduced hair loss either.
Can not wear high tied anything. Having too much fur it pulls a lot and then scalp hurts. If my hair was shoulder length, maybe sometimes. Can’t do it any more.
I can’t bear tight hairstyles – they hurt!
If I’m at home or exercising I always wear my hair up in a ponytail.
I have short hair now but even when it was longer I never tied it tightly
Short hair here, no tight hair styles
I don’t use hair pins anymore, thank goodness for working from home! It is just messy.
I don’t wear my hair tight as it gives me a headache so I’m good!
I tend to put my hair back in a tight bun so I’ll have to stop doing that
I do wear ponytail most of the time.But always make sure it’s not too tight.
I don’t wear my hair in tight styles, I use to in summers but I don’t bother with them any more
I used to wear my hair up in a high pony tail wrapped into a bun while running and working out but found that I had handfuls of hair breaking so now I wear a low ponytail that is slightly loose and that has helped a lot. It’s not as practical, but I’m trying to save what little strands I have left at this point!
Its a great look, maybe just for occasional use
On the subject on nits- this is one good thing about all the lockdowns in Melbourne. No nits on the kids this year!!!
Interesting… But don’t agree…
I used to have to wear my hair in a tight bun for ballet classes when I was a child, and that gave me headaches then. I haven’t worn my hair tightly tied back in years, I wear it in a pony tail very occasionally now.
I wear a long tail most work days , I don’t do tight buns.
I wear my hair like this a lot and still have heaps of hair
I wish I could wear my hair in a tight style!
I remember seeing an elderly lady with a tightly pulled back pony. Her hairline was unnaturally too far back.
I have my hair up most days. Some pull their hair back as it gives them an instant face lift. Most of my hair loss has been hormonal or health reasons. I can see that having it pulled back so tight could cause trauma.
I have to wear my hair up for work so it’s a rare day when I don’t wear a ponytail. I don’t like them tight but it’s a pain if it’s too loose and bits fall out at the front.
I usually have my hair in a bun but its never tight. I wear pony tails occasionally but also never pulled tight. I can definitely see how consistent pulling of the hair can cause hair loss but I never thought it be permanently damaging! I’ve experienced a bit of hairloss before but from a nutritional deficiency.
I often wear my hair in a ponytail or a top knot but doing so does not seem to be causing hair loss.
Working from home has made it easier not to need to do much with hair 😀
My hair is way to long to wear pony tail (just to weighty), so miss it! Wearing tight styles are not easy now even if I wanted.
I think it’s right to some extend if the im proper using of styling products such as the jel could be bad for the hair and causing of hair loss but you don’t need to worry very much as hair restoration surgery in Islamabad can recovering your hair loss and regrow naturally..
good to know!