Article Spotlight 101: Understanding Traction Alopecia

 

Let’s talk about traction alopecia, or loss of edges.

Traction alopecia is a type of hair loss that occurs when too much force on the hair shaft causes loss. It usually is at the frontal hairline, or edges. It can also occur on other parts of the scalp, such as the crown or back of scalp if braids or ponytails are worn. In early stages the loss is reversible, but it becomes irreversible over time. There is often >10 years of a delay between the start of tension and noticeable hair loss.

An article published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology from 2016 by Alessandra Haskin and Dr. Crystal Aguh: All hairstyles are not created equal: What the dermatologist needs to know about black hairstyling practices and the risk of traction alopecia (TA) discusses high risk styles.

What is meant by high tension? Any style that is putting pulling force on the hair is considered ‘high tension’. Pain, tenderness, itching or pus bumps at the pulled edges are clues that the force is too great for the hair shaft. However, often you may not feel any symptoms at all and yet still there is too much tension.

This study suggests that the highest risk styles for traction alopecia include 1) using a relaxer in combination with high tension styles 2) using the same style repeatedly (braids in the same direction, high ponytail) 3) any style that results in pain, sensitivity redness or bumps is potentially damaging.

To summarize:

  1. Natural hair serves to protect if you want to also utilize braids or weave.

  2. Long hair is heavy hair and adds force (think about the length of braids, weave, locs).

  3. Loosen it up if you feel any pain, itching, redness or bumps.

  4. Switch styles often, yet give yourself a break between high tension styles. Recommend switch out of braids every 2 months, weave every 2-3 weeks.

  5. Sneaky culprits that apply high tension include tight wig caps and headbands. Opt for a loose bonnet or scarf

Citation: Haskin A, Aguh C. All hairstyles are not created equal: What the dermatologist needs to know about black hairstyling practices and the risk of traction alopecia (TA). J Am Acad Dermatol. 2016 Sep;75(3):606-611. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2016.02.1162. Epub 2016 Apr 22. PMID: 27114262.

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