Traction Alopecia: Causes, Prevention, and Therapy

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 vegetation—or strands, on this metaphor—are hardy, it is solely to a degree. For those who pull something by its roots—you danger damaging the plant and the soil. 

The identical goes to your hair and your scalp. A wholesome scalp results in robust hair, however repeated stress and pulling can harm the entire system. For those who’re a devotee of braids, tight ponytails, or weaves—you could be noticing hair loss or alopecia. Alopecia is available in many kinds, however traction alopecia (Key phrase: traction—referring to pulling) is particular 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. For those who catch traction alopecia early sufficient, you’ll be able to stop additional harm. And when you’re already experiencing it, you continue to have a number of choices. To crack the case, we requested Goren, board-certified dermatologist Sheila Farhang, MD, and trichologist Zoe Passam how you can determine traction alopecia and cease it in its tracks (no pun meant). 

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 frame, can result in everlasting hair loss.” 

Whenever you pull tightly in your hair, the follicles turn out to be infected, broken, and ultimately scarred. “Within the early phases, hair can develop again. Nonetheless, persistent kinds over a number of years can turn out to be 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. For those who’re repeatedly placing your hair into tight kinds 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 also can 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, nevertheless it might happen wherever 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 might happen and soar proper into prevention. 

It’s additionally often pretty straightforward to inform traction alopecia other than one other type of hair loss. For those who’re shedding hair however don’t have a historical past of sporting it in tight kinds, you in all probability don’t have traction alopecia. You’ll need to see a dermatologist as quickly as potential about different causes. 

Learn how to Keep away from Traction Alopecia

To keep away from traction alopecia, you’ll need to rethink any tight kinds (or not less than give your scalp a break from these kinds once in a while). “Traction alopecia is most regularly induced by hair styling, so avoiding hairstyles that harm hair follicles equivalent to ponytails, tight braiding, flat ironing, and hair extensions cut back the chance of growing traction alopecia,” says Goren.

“Avoiding chemical therapies, equivalent to coloration and relaxers, will assist to make the hair much less vulnerable to breakage, and due to this fact preserve as a lot hair size as potential,” Passam provides. “Sustaining a superb weight loss program, with loads of protein, may even assist to assist wholesome hair development.”

How Traction Alopecia Can Be Handled

Prevention is the secret for traction alopecia. “It often develops over a number of years and is commonly irreversible except handled at an early stage,” says Goren. That’s why you need to deal with your scalp as kindly as potential and cease the tight styling when you’re forward. In case your scalp is sore, now is an effective time to provide your hair a break. 

For those who’ve already misplaced hair, recovering will probably be a bit more durable, if not unimaginable. “The potential of the hair recovering from traction alopecia relies upon very a lot on the time for the reason that onset of the hair loss,” says Passam. “If that is more moderen, it’s potential that some restoration will likely be potential, but when it’s extra long-standing, it’s seemingly 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 the perfect wager (though not assured) at regrowing a number of the hair. 

The Ultimate Takeaway

The excellent news? Carrying your hair in a decent ponytail sometimes won’t trigger everlasting hair loss, and also you’ll seemingly discover some soreness and irritation earlier than you expertise irreversible harm. For those who keep away from these kinds or not less than give your scalp an extended, wholesome break, you could possibly stop traction alopecia and presumably even regrow a few of your misplaced hair. “You need to see your dermatologist ahead of later,” says Farhang. 

The unhealthy information is that when you’re already experiencing hair loss from tight kinds, you’ve seemingly scarred the follicle, which means it could not develop again. At that time, your only option is to see a dermatologist about prescription topicals or steroids.