Hairstyles that could cause traction alopecia

Having a full head of hair is a bigger blessing than many recognize. Just being able to comb your hair and walk out without having to cover it up is something that many don't get the chance to enjoy.

There are different reasons why people stay bald or wear wigs and scarves daily. And one of them is having traction alopecia.

Traction alopecia is hair loss that is triggered by improper hair maintenance or hairstyles that stress the hair follicles. It commonly happens to women of African origin and part of the reason why is that we tend to manipulate our hair a lot into different trendy and "protective" styles.

With traction alopecia, prevention is certainly better than cure. Because once it reaches a severe stage, the only option is to try expensive procedures like a hair transplant.

To steer clear of this problem, we need to learn how to treat our hair right. To help you with that, let us address some of the hairstyles you shouldn't do often, or even better avoid.

Tight and heavy dreadlocks

Of late, more people have been embracing natural hairstyles like dreads. There's a culture shift where people are ditching the wigs and synthetic braids for more natural dreadlock hairstyles like twist dreads and wicks.

Dreads are beautiful but, they aren't always friendly to your scalp. The tension of tight styles and the weight of heavy dreads can pull back your hairline and cause bald spots.

Tight buns

Tight buns were a hit this year. People favored this clean and sleek style as part of 2022's hairstyle trends.

These top, side and low buns might look harmless but they're one of those styles that could cause problems in the long run. If you choose to wear a bun, always tie it loosely.

Tight cornrows

Tight cornrows are a huge risk as well especially because this is a go-to style that parents choose for their kids. When the rows are tightly fixed, the hairline starts to recede and irreparable damage is done.

Always make sure that the cornrows are loosely installed even if it means wearing this hairstyle for a shorter time. Double check with your kids when they're being braided as well to make sure they don't end up with hair loss at a young age.

Heavy braids

Braids have always been that hairstyle that we go for when we need to give our hair a break. But as different trends come, the risk of hair loss grows.

When choosing braids, stick to a thickness and length that your hair can handle. Even if your hair seems to be fine with jumbo braids, take precaution and do lighter versions instead that won't stress your scalp.

Heavy ponytail extensions

The internet was flooded with many ladies rocking cute curled and straight ponytail extensions this year. They look nice and sophisticated but they're not the best if you want to save your hairline.

People often choose the long and heavy ponytails which aren't a good choice. They are also often installed tightly and that also puts a lot of tension on your edges.

It would be best to just do these occasionally if you want to switch up your look and choose lighter extensions.