Have you noticed short hairs, thinner hair or loss of hair at the very front of your hair line? Your hair style could be to blame.
Traction Alopecia is a common type of hair loss that results from chronic tension or pulling on the hair follicle as a result of hair practices. As cute as those braids or high pony’s with elastic bands may be, they can cause injury to the hair follicles and potentially permanent hair loss. Although less common, it can even occur with using high heat at the root of the hair in combination with chemical relaxers or excessively brushing the hair.
One may notice headaches, burning or itching in the areas that hair loss occurs. If caught early, tension alopecia can be reversed by decreasing inflammation of the hair follicles through medical means, in addition to adjustments in hair styles. However, if tension is put on the hair for many years without intervention, there can often be permanent scar formation and loss of active hair follicles.
Unfortunately there are no FDA approved treatment for traction alopecia, but there are common medical practices utilized by dermatology providers to aid in relief of symptoms, stop active hair loss and at times, regrow some of the lost hair.
Medical Treatments & Interventions
- Topical Minoxidil (Rogaine)- This is a common treatment for many types of hair loss and can stimulate hair regrowth. Give this product a good 4-6 months before assessing if it is working for you. Unfortunately, this product only works as long as you use it. No, it doesn’t “cause” hair loss, but the gains you get while using the product are lost once you stop it.
- Topical steroids- If there is belief of ongoing or recent inflammation, a course of topical steroids can help decrease the inflammation present at the hair follicle level. These need to be used with caution for short periods of time, because over use can result in pigment changes and thinning of the skin.
- Injectable steroids- Injecting steroids directly into the site of inflammation (ie: into the scalp) every 4-6 weeks for a series of 3-4 months can be beneficial to reducing inflammation and often more impactful than topical steroids alone.
- Antibiotics- This treatment may sound peculiar but there is a class of antibiotics called tetracyclines that are often used for their anti-inflammatory properties that are used off-label to treat many types of hair loss.
- Lastly, procedures such as hair transplantation and restoration may be considered if desired results are not achieved with some of the above therapies.
Key Takeaways
- Opt for looser hair styles that don’t pull on the hair. Avoid tight braids or cornrows, high ponytails with elastic bands, high heat at the root, and excessive brushing. Try looser hair styles that are gentler on the hair such as claw clips, scrunchies, low tension hair ties or silk hair bands instead of elastic bands.
- See a dermatology provider as soon as you notice changes to your hair texture, density or areas of hair loss. Treatment is often reversible in the early stages of traction alopecia.
