These popular hairstyles might be causing hair loss

by
These popular hairstyles might be causing hair loss

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.

RELATED: 5 ways to make your hair grow faster

RELATED: Meet the $20 Kmart hair straightener dupe that’s gone viral

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.

Main image credit: @jessicabielDo you wear your hair in a tight bun? Have you ever experienced hairloss?

Keep reading

What Our Community Really Thinks Of The Biggest Cult Beauty Products

What Our Community Really Thinks Of The Biggest Cult Beauty Products

Makeup — October 5, 2021

Share your thoughts

Comments 41

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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!

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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.