Traction Alopecia pictured here is a condition that results in the damage to the hair follicles by tension. Bald areas appear usually around the hairline. There has been a large increase in the number of young African American women and men, some just teenagers, getting this condition which is a worrying trend.
It’s strange to think of a teenage girl getting a hair transplant but it is definitely happening a lot more often and actually younger women are more prone to this condition as their hair is kept braided for extended periods of time.
Causes
The main cause of traction alopecia is having the hair kept under constant tension. African American women and men are very much prone to this condition because of ultra tight braiding methods, particularly cornrows and micro braids. Sikh men and Japanese women will also be prone to this condition due to their traditional hairstyles which pull their hair and damage the follicles.
Chemical services like the application of chemical relaxers on the scalp also aggravate the situation and further damage the follicles.
Tips to prevent traction alopecia
- Avoid tight braiding – If you are wearing hair extensions as a protective style then your own hair should always come first. Avoid tight cornrows at all costs. Braids underneath a weave always get looser as your hair grows, it’s natural. Braiding the cornrows extra tight makes very little difference because they will get looser at the same rate anyway!
- Give you hair a break – Every two months remove the weave, or whichever braided style you have, and let your hair just be. Giving your hair a break from braided styles regularly gives your follicles a chance to regenerate without tension on them.
- Don’t braid the little hairs are the hairline – Baby hair’s were never meant to be braided, always leave them out of your cornrows or braids.
- Don’t weight down your hair – Adding too much extension hair to a small amount of your own hair when micro braiding is bound to add tension because of the weight of the extensions. Be very careful with micro’s anyway, opt for safer styling methods.
- Vary your braiding pattern – If you wear hair extension often then vary your braiding pattern. This serves to avoid getting tension to the same areas frequently.
Treatment
The first point of call should always be to a dermatologist who will make the diagnosis. Traction alopecia is reversible when caught early enough. The dermatologist will prescribe some topical creams to stimulate the follicles to allow hair to grow again.
Some people also speak of success with the use of a combination of a few drops of peppermint oil, a few drops of tea tree oil and some olive oil as the carrier oil. Essential oils should never be used on their own directly on the skin! This mixture can be applied directly on the affected area daily until hair growth is restored. While waiting for hair to grow hairstyles that cause stress to the follicles like ponytails, braiding or any pulled back style should be avoided completely.
Left untreated however and the damage from traction alopecia could become permanent. In instances of late stage traction alopecia a hair transplant becomes the only viable option to restore hair to the bald areas.
