{"id":22298,"date":"2025-07-25T06:02:46","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T04:02:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/?p=22298"},"modified":"2025-08-18T19:52:05","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T17:52:05","slug":"what-is-traction-alopecia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/what-is-traction-alopecia\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Traction Alopecia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pulling your hair back tightly can instantly add professionalism, style, and a sense of cleanliness to your look. However, done too often, these sleek ponytails, cornrows, tightly pinned head coverings and intense updos can come at a cost. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The constant pulling at your hairline can result in damage to your hair. If such hairdos are constantly putting pressure on your scalp, the pulling can end up in a receding hairline and hair loss in that area. This type of hair loss is known as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aad.org\/public\/diseases\/hair-loss\/causes\/hairstyles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">traction alopecia<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Traction alopecia can affect anybody who regularly wears tight hairstyles or puts repeated stress on their scalp. Certain cultures or professions may favor or require tight hairstyles, making traction alopecia more common in these groups. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While anybody can experience traction alopecia, it is more commonly found among girls and women of African descent due to the shape of their <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC4857843\/#:~:text=Hair%20and%20scalp%20disorders%20are,groups%20%5B6%2C7%5D.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hair follicles<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as well as the prevalence of weaves, head coverings, and tight braiding. Traction alopecia is also more prevalent among ballet dancers, waiters, military personnel, and anyone who must pull their hair tightly back for work many hours a day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hairstyles That Can Cause Traction Alopecia<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some common hairstyles that, when worn too tightly, can result in traction alopecia include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tightly braided hair<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Locs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cornrows<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hair extensions or weaves, particularly if worn on relaxed hair<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Up-dos that are tightly pulled like buns and ponytails<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Styles involving wearing rollers to bed a significant amount of time<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tight hats, head scarfs, or other hair coverings can rub on the hair and scalp, which over time can result in traction alopecia. This stress is exacerbated if you pull your hair back tightly previous to covering it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is Traction Alopecia Reversible?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If this condition affects you, that is probably the first question on your mind. The answer lies somewhere in the middle \u2013 traction alopecia <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">can<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> become permanent if it is left untreated for a long period of time. The best way to stop hair loss is to prevent it in the first place, which is what we will touch on below. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But if you\u2019re reading this article because you\u2019re affected by traction alopecia, take heart; partnering with a board-certified dermatologist when you start noticing symptoms may help your hair grow back. If you notice hair loss, an experienced dermatologist can help you diagnose the kind of hair loss you have and formulate a treatment plan accordingly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most often when somebody is diagnosed with traction alopecia, the dermatologist will advise them to immediately stop wearing tight hairstyles that stress their scalp and hair follicles. Instead, it will be recommended to wear hairstyles that are less stressful on your scalp, such as looser braids and natural styles, as well as reducing the amount of chemical products and heat treatments used on your hair.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When swapping out your hairstyling habits isn\u2019t effective, there are certain <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamadermatology\/fullarticle\/2804567\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">medications<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> your dermatologist may prescribe to help regrow your hair, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Antibiotics<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Corticosteroids<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Minoxidil<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In certain cases of severe hair loss, the dermatologist may be able to restore your natural hairline or increase the amount of hair in thinning or bald areas through a hair restoration procedure like a hair transplant.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Preventing Hair Loss Caused By Traction Alopecia<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are ways that you can protect your hair while still wearing your preferred head coverings and hairstyles. The following tips can reduce the damage to your hair follicles when wearing tight hairstyles:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Switch up your hairstyle once in a while:<\/strong> It\u2019s okay to wear your hair pulled back tightly, but afford your scalp some relief by giving it some time off from tight hairstyles when you\u2019re able to. Loosen your hairstyle to reduce the constant pulling by:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Looser braids, particularly around the hairline<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Longer hair is heavier and pulls on your scalp more, so consider keeping braids\/locs a shorter length.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thicker braids or locs that provider more support<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taking your braids out every 6-8 weeks<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>When wearing a weave, take certain precautions.<\/strong> Some dermatologist recommendations to prevent weaves from causing hair loss include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Immediately removing the weave if it tugs on your scalp enough to cause pain<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Only wearing them for limited periods of time<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making sure cornrows aren\u2019t too tight<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Opting for sewn-in weaves rather than the ones that employ bonding glue, as the glue can irritate and tug on your scalp even more<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The key to preventing or reducing traction alopecia is giving your scalp some relief every once in a while. Change your hairstyle up regularly in order to give your hair some breathing room to recover from tight styles. If you wear cornrows for a ew weeks, you can try going natural for a few months or wear looser braids. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Give your hair a break from any kind of styling at least a few times a year to let it naturally recover from stress. Remember: Take good care of your hair and scalp so it continues to look and feel good! Prevention is the best cure.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pulling your hair back tightly can instantly add professionalism, style, and a sense of cleanliness to your look. However, done too often, these sleek ponytails, cornrows, tightly pinned head coverings&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":21717,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[224],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.12 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Traction Alopecia: How Tight Hairstyles Can Cause Hair Loss<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Wearing braids, weaves, or tight ponytails can lead to traction alopecia, or hair loss caused by scalp tension. Learn how to prevent it before it becomes permanent.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/what-is-traction-alopecia\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Clara Wang\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/what-is-traction-alopecia\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/what-is-traction-alopecia\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Clara Wang\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/bbe3f8278393bf7331406726c01dc98c\"},\"headline\":\"What Is Traction Alopecia\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-25T04:02:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-18T17:52:05+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/what-is-traction-alopecia\/\"},\"wordCount\":835,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"women's health\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Women's Health\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/what-is-traction-alopecia\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/what-is-traction-alopecia\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/what-is-traction-alopecia\/\",\"name\":\"Traction Alopecia: How Tight Hairstyles Can Cause Hair Loss\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-25T04:02:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-18T17:52:05+00:00\",\"description\":\"Wearing braids, weaves, or tight ponytails can lead to traction alopecia, or hair loss caused by scalp tension. 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