Tight Braids and Ponytails Can Cause Your Hair to Fall Out

By ANAHAD O'CONNOR
Published: December 28, 2004

The Facts

Many Americans are quick to plop down large sums of money for trendy haircuts or trips to upscale salons, but some hairstyles can carry unforeseeable costs.

Tight ponytails, cornrows, buns, chignons, twists and other hairstyles that pull on the scalp for prolonged periods can result in irreversible hair loss, a medical condition known as traction alopecia.

There are no figures on how many people in the United States have experienced the problem, but it is probably most common in women and children.

It is also prevalent among African-Americans and East Indians, groups that are more likely to use chemical straighteners and braid their hair, and in the past, was common among nurses, many of whom used pins to secure their caps to their scalps for hours at a time.

The root cause of traction alopecia is excessive tension on the scalp.

The first signs are inflammation of the follicles, thickened or scaly skin, and in some cases small pustules. Over time, people with the condition may notice large amounts of broken strands around their scalps. Their hair, instead of being long and thick, becomes short and thin. The distribution of hair loss varies from one person to the next. In a person wearing a bun, for example, the damage may be confined to the back of the head.

Balding occurs when the problem is ignored long enough. But if detected early, it can be reversed. Or, it can be avoided altogether by limiting the use of tight curlers and chemical straighteners and by relaxing tension on the scalp.

The Bottom Line

Hairstyles that pull too tightly on the scalp can lead to permanent hair loss.