Six-plus hours in a salon chair and a couple hundred dollars are the up-front costs for a trendy protective style that will last weeks and cut down your hair routine. Compromised hair health, however, ...

I Need to Know: Are Tight Ponytails and Braids *Truly* Ruining My Hair? Learn how to recognize the signs of traction alopecia, what causes it, and how to avoid it for hair and scalp health.

Hair has always been more than just a style—especially in the Black community, where our coils, curls, and protective styles ...

Any hairstyle that pulls on your scalp or hair can cause traction alopecia over time. Common causes include ponytails or certain styles like hair weaves, extensions, cornrows, and braids. Chemical ...

Traction alopecia is hair loss caused by continuous styling that strains the hair follicle. These styles can include anything from tight braids to buns, ponytails, and hair extensions. It can also ...

Johns Hopkins researchers are urging black women to avoid weaves, braids and hair extensions because of the risks of permanent hair loss.. Researchers say that these hair styles, which can pull on ...

Welcome to It’s Textured, a column where we untangle the joy, trauma, confusion, and frustration that can come with Black hair. For this edition, associate beauty editor Annie Blay-Tettey speaks with ...

Traction Alopecia Treatment Steps . Stop Tight Hairstyles Immediately: Switch to loose braids, low ponytails, or natural styles. Topical Treatments: ...

Alicia Carter, 37, shared her experience with traction alopecia after years of wearing tight micro braids. “I noticed my edges thinning, but I ignored it because I loved my braids,” Carter said.

Hairstyles that put pressure on your hair, like dreadlocks or braids, can damage the hair follicles and cause traction alopecia, a type of hair loss most common in people with tight, spiraling hair.