July 13, 2007, Newsletter Issue #9: Some NY Styles: Hair loss from Braiding and Corn-rows

Tip of the Week

Bernstein Medical Tip: Many women in New York City and around the world have done some spontaneous albeit not well thought out things in the name of fashion. Often, when walking down the streets of NY City, you can see women with various styles of braids and hair extensions – some of which they have worn for years.

Contrary to popular belief, tightly braiding your hair doesn’t stimulate growth. In fact, the continuous pull of tight braids and corn-rows cuts off the circulation to the hair follicles and may cause permanent hair loss, a condition referred to as traction alopecia. When it occurs around the hair line and temples, the condition is called “alopecia marginalis”.

If the person has had this condition for a long period of time, then the hair will rarely come back, even if the braiding is stopped. In this case a hair transplant may be indicated, but that would be determined by how much of the donor hair supply on the sides of the scalp has been lost. In the case where a large amount of hair on the sides is gone, surgical hair replacement may not be possible. This can be best ascertained at a consultation through careful examination and the use of densitometry to evaluate your hair loss.

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