Why Weaves & Braids May Speed Hair Loss (1066 hits)
Weaves and braids may contribute to a type of permanent hair loss that appears to be common among black women, a new study has found.
(BlackDoctor.org) -- Weaves and braids may contribute to a type of permanent hair loss that appears to be common among black women, a new study has found. More than one-quarter of the 326 black women who participated in the study had hair loss on the top of their scalp, and of those women, 59 percent had signs of central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA), a poorly understood form of baldness that begins at the crown of the head and leads to scarring. For many years, CCCA was known as “hot comb alopecia” because it was attributed to the use of hot combs to straighten curly hair. That appears to be a misnomer. Neither hot comb treatments nor chemical relaxers, which were used by more than 90 percent of the study participants, were linked with CCCA in the study, but braids, weaves, and other so-called traction hairstyles that tug at the scalp were.
Black women often maintain these styles for long periods of time, and the stress they exert on the scalp can lead to the development of pus-filled bumps, says the lead researcher, Angela Kyei, MD, a dermatologist and chief resident at the Cleveland Clinic’s Dermatology and Plastic Surgery Institute. “Over time, these bumps can develop bacteria” that can lead to scarring, she explains. Making matters worse, women who are already losing their hair are more likely to favor these hairstyles because they help disguise thinning hair, the study notes. Black women should consider refraining from using these hairstyles on young children, and they need to think about the consequences for themselves, Dr. Kyei says. “If you start to notice this type of hair loss, get evaluated early,” she urges. The average age of the...
Jen, thank you for posting this information. What we don't know hurts us. Doing something about hair loss early in the process plays a big part in your success of every regaining your hair back. I have been a Cosmetologist for 28 yrs and have seen many clients with this problem in the past 10 yrs. In my salon I don't do any hair extension at all, because I strongly believe in having and maintaining healthy hair. Early detection and taking a step to do something about it is the key. As a cosmetologist, I can only address the hair and scalp. We need more Dermatologist and Tricologist who are knowlegable of black hair care.
Tuesday, May 10th 2011 at 12:44PM
Cheryl Booker
Cheryl, How are you educating clients with CCCA? I've never really been fund of braids and the few times that I had braids, I couldn't wait to have thme taken out because they itched and one stylist braided them too, tight.
Wednesday, May 11th 2011 at 7:08AM
Jen Fad
