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Weaves and braids may look good, but you could be causing permanent damage to natural locks, says a recent study.
"I won't tell you not to braid your hair, but I don't want you to braid it so tightly that you need to take pain medication," said Dr. Angela Kyei.
Prolonged pulling at the hair strands may cause inflammation of the hair follicle, which has been shown to lead to scarring. In principle, that could lead to a type of balding that dermatologists call central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, or scarring hair loss.
The balding starts at the top of the scalp and then slowly spreads to the rest. It occurs only in black women. The really bad news? There is no treatment for it. But Kyei has tried to find out what is causing it.
Hot combs vs. weaves
Observations from the 1960s had hinted that the hair loss was related to hot-comb straightening, but little research has looked at other explanations.
The new study 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.
"This is just telling us there is a trend and we need to study it further," said Kyei, adding that it doesn't mean these hair styles are necessarily tied to balding, which could have other causes.
"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," Kyei noted. "If you have hair loss – specifically if you have the central type of hair loss, which is permanent – you need to seek medical attention."
Have you ever noticed any damage to your natural hair after taking out braids or locks? Do you think it could be worthwhile to see a doctor about it or do you just ignore it?
"I won't tell you not to braid your hair, but I don't want you to braid it so tightly that you need to take pain medication," said Dr. Angela Kyei.
Prolonged pulling at the hair strands may cause inflammation of the hair follicle, which has been shown to lead to scarring. In principle, that could lead to a type of balding that dermatologists call central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, or scarring hair loss.
The balding starts at the top of the scalp and then slowly spreads to the rest. It occurs only in black women. The really bad news? There is no treatment for it. But Kyei has tried to find out what is causing it.
Hot combs vs. weaves
Observations from the 1960s had hinted that the hair loss was related to hot-comb straightening, but little research has looked at other explanations.
The new study 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.
"This is just telling us there is a trend and we need to study it further," said Kyei, adding that it doesn't mean these hair styles are necessarily tied to balding, which could have other causes.
"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," Kyei noted. "If you have hair loss – specifically if you have the central type of hair loss, which is permanent – you need to seek medical attention."
Have you ever noticed any damage to your natural hair after taking out braids or locks? Do you think it could be worthwhile to see a doctor about it or do you just ignore it?
