More Women Losing Hair Due To Certain Styles
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It is a compliment that will make just about any woman smile: "Your hair looks great."
But is that hairstyle causing hair loss?
Dermatologists say they are seeing an increase in the number of young women whose hair is falling out.
Doctors say it is the result of what patients do to ramp up their appearance.
We found out how those "extras" may leave you with less hair.
For many women, it is their crowning glory. And if there is a way to make their hair bigger and bolder, they will give it a try.
But the latest styles can come with something not so pretty, called traction alopecia. It is gradual hair loss caused by constant pulling on the hair.
Dr. Maria Hordinsky, the chair of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Minnesota, treats patients with this condition.
"You'll see traction alopecia in young adults, people in their 30s and 40s primarily," Hordinsky said. "So if you just think about it, you have something constantly pulling on a structure like the hair fiber. It may eventually break. It may fracture, or you might actually cause so much injury that the hair follicle itself in the skin is destroyed."
Hordinsky says hair loss can be caused by ponytails that are too tight for too long; tight headbands that are worn excessively; braids and cornrows that are too tight; and hair extensions that are too heavy.
"If you pull on a hair follicle long enough, and if you feel pain or itch or some sensation, something is going on around the bulb [of] your hair follicle," Hordinsky said.
She showed WCCO photos of women with traction alopecia from a website called Up To Date, which helps doctors share information with one another. In one photo, there is a woman with a large bald spot on the crown of her head, with hair extensions attached to a surrounding thinning area.
"This is an example of where you have extensions placed, and they're putting that weight on the hair, so just look at those fine, fine hair fibers that are present here. That's not a lot of normal hair to hang something on that's this heavy," she said.
Hordinsky says the best remedy is to stop the behavior that is causing the damage -- change your hairstyle.
"When women lose their hair, it's really traumatic," said Faatemah, director of salon services at Spalon Montage in Edina. "I've been doing hair about 20 years now, and I'm seeing it in women as young as in their early 20s, where as you used to see hair loss in women that were 50 and older because of hormones."
Faatemah was shown the aforementioned photo.
"I've definitely seen this," she said. "I've seen where from excessive brushing, gelling and tight ponytails, the hairline completely be wiped out," she said.
Faatemah says she has seen hair loss from tight cornrows with hair extensions attached to them.
"It's about the weight ratio," Faatemah said. "If you have hair that is one-inch long and you get extensions that are 12-inches long … it's probably really damaging to your hair."
An option she recommends to women with thinning hair is a wig, or extensions that clip on rather than ones that are sewn in or glued on.
"The hair needs a break. You know, these services are not to be guaranteed for a lifetime," Faatemah said.
She also recommends taking hair extensions out after eight to 10 weeks, and says there are products you can spray on your hair to hide thinning areas.
Dermatologists say they can prescribe creams and oils to rejuvenate hair growth. And they also want parents to understand that this kind of hair loss can also affect children.
