These popular hairstyles might be causing hair loss

As kids (and as parents of kids) the fear of head lice is real. As a result, we’re often told to keep hair tightly pulled back and discouraged from letting it flow freely. So after years of nit anxiety (yes, it’s a thing ok?), paired with dance recitals and swimming lessons, many of us have rocked the tightest buns known to man from a young age.
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Fast forward to our adult life and our love for a high pony or slicked back bun for a chic and quick hairstyle has too come to haunt us. It’s now time to face what dermatologist, Dr Lauren Knight, has called: ‘the truth behind the tight bun’.
Recalling her own experiences in an Instagram post where she distinctly remembers “the discomfort of a misplaced hairpin that had been jammed into my head to hold the bolla in place”, and a side of headache, Dr Knight has come to learn that our hair care and styling practices are in fact a common cause of hairloss.
“Traction alopecia is a type of hair loss that results from prolonged or repetitive tension on the scalp hair,” she says, referring to the common styling occurrence of a tight bun, ponytail, dreadlocks, braids and hair extensions.
While Dr Knight says it is reversible at first, eventually the damage can’t be undone.
The first warning signs of traction alopecia present themselves in the form of itching, redness andscaling, and overtime it can be seen as a receding frontal hairline, with only hairs in the original hairline left. She calls this the “fringe sign”.
To avoid this, Dr Knight recommends switching from tighter styles that cause tension on the scalp,to lower traction options.
And, despite our fears of head lice, leaving the hair natural and untied will give you time to recover from any previous damage.
39 Member Comments
My hair is way to long to wear pony tail (just to weighty), so miss it! Wearing tight styles are not easy now even if I wanted.
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Working from home has made it easier not to need to do much with hair :D
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I often wear my hair in a ponytail or a top knot but doing so does not seem to be causing hair loss.
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I usually have my hair in a bun but its never tight. I wear pony tails occasionally but also never pulled tight. I can definitely see how consistent pulling of the hair can cause hair loss but I never thought it be permanently damaging! I've experienced a bit of hairloss before but from a nutritional deficiency.
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I have to wear my hair up for work so it’s a rare day when I don’t wear a ponytail. I don’t like them tight but it’s a pain if it’s too loose and bits fall out at the front.
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I have my hair up most days. Some pull their hair back as it gives them an instant face lift. Most of my hair loss has been hormonal or health reasons. I can see that having it pulled back so tight could cause trauma.
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I remember seeing an elderly lady with a tightly pulled back pony. Her hairline was unnaturally too far back.
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I wish I could wear my hair in a tight style!
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I wear a long tail most work days , I don't do tight buns.
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I wear my hair like this a lot and still have heaps of hair
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I used to have to wear my hair in a tight bun for ballet classes when I was a child, and that gave me headaches then. I haven't worn my hair tightly tied back in years, I wear it in a pony tail very occasionally now.
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On the subject on nits- this is one good thing about all the lockdowns in Melbourne. No nits on the kids this year!!!
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Interesting... But don't agree...
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Its a great look, maybe just for occasional use
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I used to wear my hair up in a high pony tail wrapped into a bun while running and working out but found that I had handfuls of hair breaking so now I wear a low ponytail that is slightly loose and that has helped a lot. It's not as practical, but I'm trying to save what little strands I have left at this point!
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I do wear ponytail most of the time.But always make sure it's not too tight.
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I don’t wear my hair in tight styles, I use to in summers but I don’t bother with them any more
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I tend to put my hair back in a tight bun so I'll have to stop doing that
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I don't wear my hair tight as it gives me a headache so I'm good!
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If I'm at home or exercising I always wear my hair up in a ponytail.
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I have short hair now but even when it was longer I never tied it tightly
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Short hair here, no tight hair styles
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I don't use hair pins anymore, thank goodness for working from home! It is just messy.
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I know a lot of women who this has happened to but it isn't a problem for me because I had my hip length hair cut off when I was 13 and I've had short hair ever since. Mind you, there have been loads of occasions over the years where I would have loved to put my hair in a ponytail.
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I wear a pony most days. My hair falls out but I have heaps of it. I have thyroid problems.
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