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Black women's hair loss tied to braiding, weaving: study

Very tight braiding or weaving may be linked to a permanent type of hair loss that affects many African American women, according to a U.S. study.

Prolonged pulling at the hair strands may cause inflammation of the hair follicle, which has been showed to lead to scarring.

In principle, this could lead to scarring hair loss or central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, a type of balding that starts at the top of the scalp and then spreads slowly to the rest.

“Our survey results suggest there is a high prevalence of central hair loss among African American women,” wrote Angela Kyei, of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, who led the study.

Though the findings couldn’t prove that hair grooming was at the base of the problem, women might still want to take them into consideration, she added.

The study, published in the Archives of Dermatology, is based on health questionnaires and scalp examinations of 326 African American women.

Nearly all of them straightened their curls chemically and about one in six had scarring hair loss. More than half the women with this condition said they had braids, weaves or hair extensions, as compared to only a third of those with less severe hair loss.

Kyei did note, however, that there could be other causes for the balding. The researchers found that women with type 2 diabetes were more likely to have scarring hair loss, as were those with bacterial scalp infections.

“If there is any take-home message from this study, it is that hair grooming is not the only thing you should look at in these patients,” she added.

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What is Traction Alopecia?

Traction Alopecia is a disorder causing hair loss due to stain put on the hair, tight ponytail, pigtails, or braids or other unusual hair styles. It is seen more commonly seen in women, particularly in Black Afro-Caribbean and East Indian women.

Traction alopecia is also known as traumatic alopecia.

The 2 types of traction alopecia are marginal and nonmarginal.

Causes of Traction Alopecia

Telogen conversion
Long term hair pulling and breakage due to very tight hair braiding, hair weaves and cornrows
Over use of hair softeners such as permanent wave solutions
Repetitive application of hot combs
Chemical treatment of hair with dyes, bleaches, or straighteners

Symptoms of Traction Alopecia

Itching and dandruff
Cicatrization (scarring) of the new hair follicle and permanent hair loss
Patchy areas of hair loss
Perifollicular erythema, scales, and pustules on scalp

Traction Alopecia Treated see below:

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

Ne-Yo Reveals He Lost His Hair When He Was 13. The star says he can be 'sexy without hair'…

US R&B sensation Ne-Yo has revealed that he started to loose his hair when he was only 13-years-old.

The Sun has reported Ne-Yo admitting that he found his hair loss difficult to deal with when he was a teen, but has since come to terms with it.

The 30-year-old revealed:

“My hair started thinning when I was 13. it runs in the family.

“I initially started wearing hats to cover up my shame. Now I don’t give a damn.

“I can be sexy without hair.”

We don’t care if Ne-Yo has no hair, we just love him and his music!

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

Hair relaxers can cause baldness

Research reveals hair-raising findings

A NEW medical research report from the University of Cape Town says using hair relaxers on children and younger women can lead to total baldness.

Dermatologist Nhlanhla Khumalo, who works at the university and at Groote Schuur Hospital, found that chemical relaxers cause irreversible damage to the scalp.

NEW KNOWLEDGE: Research has found that chemical relaxers cause irreversible damage to the scalp.

Khumalo published her research in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology last month.

She wrote that “the link between relaxers and hair loss was becoming clearer”. The highest risk of hair loss happens when hairstyles and braids are done on relaxed hair.

Based on a study of school girls and young women in Langa, Cape Town, Khumalo’s research found that up to 70percent of schoolgirls and adults were using hair relaxers to straighten their hair.

“For black African women, the most worrying cause of hair loss is traction alopecia (TA) – the loss of hair which is most common in the hairline as a result of pulling hair into a tight pony tail, braids and weaves,” she said.

The highest risk occurs when the hairstyles are done on relaxed hair which is already soft, she said.

Hair relaxers change the level of cystine – a protein responsible for strengthening the hair.

“The end result is that the hair is fragile and brittle compared to the original unrelaxed hair,” Khumalo said.

She said adding hairstyles like braids and extensions onto the hair puts pressure on the relaxed hair, which results in hair breaking or falling out.

Lucy Mibey, hairdresser and owner of Braids Sensation Hair and Beauty Salon in Mowbray, Cape Town, said “the problem is that the majority of African black people have no proper knowledge and education about hair grooming”.

Mibey said many people who had lost their hair had passed through the doors of her salon and that even dermatologists had not been able to help some of them, she said.

“The hair products industry is a booming one, and unfortunately quality hair products and relaxers are expensive and many people cannot afford them.”

In her opinion, many hairdressers have “no knowledge at all” about the dangers of chemical hair products.

Khumalo said: “If you do use hair relaxers, stay away from braids and extensions which will add more weight to the hair – or else go natural.”

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help