Can Hair Loss Occur from Pony Tail?

Do you love to wear your hair in a tight pony tail or bun up high on your head? If your answer is yes then you may be contributing to your own hair loss. Yes, wearing tight hairstyles can cause a special type of hair loss known as Traction Alopecia. As is obvious from its name, this type of hair shedding or hair thinning occurs due to continuous traction and stress caused to the hair strands due to unhealthy hair care routine.

Tight pony tails, high buns and other similar hairstyles pull every single strand of hair around your scalp. This not only makes your hair strands prone to breakage but also damages and weakens the roots of your hairs. Over the time the hair starts falling off and you notice it in the form of either a receded hairline or generalized hair thinning or hair thinning in specific areas – around the temples, bangs and sideburns. This happens due to the pressure exerted to the roots of your hairs.

Ladies with thick, long hair also sometimes complain about hair thinning at the top of the head, this is quite rare though. This happens because of their hair’s weight. As stated above, pulling causes hair breakage, and at times hair shedding as well, a type of alopecia called Traction Alopecia. Tying your hairs up tightly using rubber bands also causes hair breakage as you remove rubber band. This leads to a common misconception that hairs have stopped growing, when in fact they are breaking or falling out due to traction alopecia.

How To Avoid Traction Alopecia:

You can easily avoid hair loss from pony tail and other tight hairstyle by following these 5 simple tips:

1. Say no to high pony tails: Always wear your pony lower on your head. Lower than the height of your ears. Wearing pony or bun at the rear of your head is least stressful for your hair shafts as well as roots.
2. Use good quality, more elastic rubber band: Poor quality, less elastic rubber bands cause more stress on your hair and roots, causing more hair breakage.

• Keep altering your hairstyle: Wearing one hair style for long can also cause traction alopecia, no matter how natural and loose it may be. Change your style every month or two.

1. Avoid hairstyling tools: Hairstyling tools are among the main culprits of hair damage and hair loss. Wear your natural hair confidently if you wish to retain your mane for long.
2. Go natural: Wear your hair in natural, loose styles. Learn different elegant hairdos that do not require much manipulation.

How To Reverse/ Treat Hair Loss From Pony Tail?

If wearing tight pony tails has already damaged your locks, don’t fret. Change your hairstyle as soon as you notice the damage. Start wearing loose hairstyles that cause least stress to your scalp and roots of hairs. Most of the times traction alopecia reverses automatically and do not need any special treatment. Hairs will start to regrow within 3 to 4 months.

However, if you have seriously damaged your hair follicles, this may affect their ability to regrow hairs. In this case a medical treatment may be needed. Doctors usually recommend Minoxidil application for moderate hair loss. But if your hair loss is permanent, a hair transplant surgery may be recommended.

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