How many ladies out there love the feeling of getting their hair done? I know I can’t be the only one. The only thing that sucks about getting your hair done is when you get that one stylist who is just a little too rough and cause traction alopecia to take over your tresses. Maybe you’ve heard of it and maybe you haven’t. Today, we’re going to give you the scoop on what exactly traction alopecia is and how you can go about treating it.

What is Traction Alopecia?

First, what exactly is alopecia? Alopecia is the term used to describe when a person is experiencing hair loss. Some naturally have alopecia and have to use certain medication or even topical creams to grow their tresses. Other times, which is the case with many women, they suffer from something called traction alopecia. Traction alopecia is when that hair loss is occurring because of too much tension or pulling on your tresses. While regular alopecia tends to be natural, traction alopecia is not.

What Causes Traction Alopecia?

Traction alopecia is caused by putting too much stress on your hair for long periods of time. For example, if you are one of those people who gets full sew-in, you could potentially be putting yourself at risk for traction alopecia. Having braids or stitches that are too tight puts a lot of pressure on your hair follicles. Too much pressure causes stress and tension. Just like a rubber band, too much stress will make it break. 

Traction alopecia isn’t limited to only those people who wear sew-ins. High ponytails, puffs, and other edge snatching hairstyles can also do the trick. Virtually any tight hairstyle can cause you to experience traction alopecia. 

How To Prevent Traction Alopecia

Preventing traction alopecia is as simple as keeping your tight hairstyles to a minimum. If you’re in the salon chair and your stylist is hurting you, you must stop her. Remember, this is your head, and if you don’t want your hair super tight, you don’t have to have it tight. Make sure that your stylist is gentle on the edges and doesn’t have you feeling cross-eyed when you leave. They say beauty is pain, but that doesn’t need to be the case with your hair. Allow your hair some time to breathe and take a break from any pulling, tugging, or tightness. 

How Do I Treat Traction Alopecia?

You have a couple of steps you need to take to treat traction alopecia. Firstly, determine that your hair follicles are still intact. If they are, most likely the hair can recover. The next step is to select a loose hairstyle that will keep your hands out of your head. A low-tension protective style would be best without weave so as not to weight down your tresses. The second step would be to apply something to regrow and nourish the area that has been affected by the alopecia. We recommend the Shedavi Elixir which is lightweight and contains over a dozen essential nutrients that you need to regrow healthy hair.