Can braiding your hair tight make your hair follicles weak?

Haircare is a serious business, especially since there are plenty of us who love to experiment with different types of hairstyles. We all love our well-organized and tight braids, but did you know that your adorably chic hairstyle could be hurting your hair? Yes, damaging hairstyles most definitely exists and can be causing some serious hair loss and damage without you even realizing it.

But don’t worry, because the key to protecting your hair is just to not go overboard with these hairstyles and allow our hair days to recover and rest. As we all know, everything in moderation is the golden rule.

Scalp Stress is Real - Hairstyles and Techniques which Cause It!

When your hair is in pain making you feel all sorts of things is not the best thing for your hair. Itching, burning and soreness in the scalp, especially when you move your hair is more than just uncomfortable. Your hair tries to tell you that it's being pulled too tightly or set in a way which causes the follicles to experience stress at the root making your scalp feel sore.

This sensation is called traction alopecia which is a result of stress on strands while styling. The condition starts around the temples and front of the hairline in most people since this is the area where the pulling starts. Tracked and sewn in hair extensions, intricate braids, man buns and high ballerina buns all play a major role in permanently thinning hair. The hairstyles that cause the most hair loss are high, slicked back and tight bun, cornrows and anything that pulls hair back from your crown.

Teasing the hair is another common practice that we all participate to create texture and the illusion of volume when you have fine hair. However, if you’re rough with your tresses as you tease, then you’re only adding stress the root of each hair follicle. The problem here is that when the hair follicle becomes weak and stops responding to hair regrowth. Avoid rough styling. Treat your hair with respect and style with a conscious, gentle hand.

What to do When Scalp Soreness is Persistent

Traction alopecia isn’t a permanent hair condition, but you should pay attention to the early warning signs. It’s not only tension with tight hairstyles that can cause your hair loss, but it’s also how much product you put in your hair daily and if you’re using hair treatment with ingredients that can get trapped in the hair follicle, causing follicle blockage and further inflammation. Advanced Hair Studio always recommends you to take out time to check out which ingredients are found in your hair care to make sure they’re nourishing your scalp as required.