WEAVING YOURSELF BALD

By: Lapaka A Kaimbi

A woman’s hair is her crowning glory and for years her hair has always been an important factor in her appearance. One popular trend is by attaching a weave/hair extensions, this is done by using Brazilian hair, Indian Remi or synthetic hair to enhance ones appearance. As much as hair extensions makes one look good by adding volume to thin hair or adding length to short hair there are negative aspects to it that so many ignore.

TRACTION ALOPECIA, it is a condition that many don’t know about but it is one that frequently occurs in children and young adults. Traction alopecia is defined as a hair loss condition caused by damage to the dermal papilla and hair follicles by constant pulling or tension over a long period. This occurs where hair is thin in areas like the front of the head and around the temple. The causes of traction alopecia are hair extensions fitted in badly, are too heavy, left in the head for a long period, pulled tightly when drawn into a ponytail, overprocessing with chemical like dyes, bleaches and straighteners, clip on extensions that dig into the scalp, twists, locs and lastly by cornrows that are braided too tight and/or are too thin. This results to severe hair loss.

 Famous supermodel Naomi Campbell and tennis star Venus Williams have both been seen with bald patches which could be due to traction alopecia. This condition starts with mild scalp irritation and swelling of the follicles which can be felt as dumps on the scalp then finally hair breakage will be evident.

Traction alopecia is reversible if it is caught in early stages. This is done by avoiding styles that stresses the scalp and leads to the swelling of the follicles, having loose braids also reduces stress on the scalp. Other ways of preventing/treating traction alopecia is by taking the following steps that promote hair growth like drinking a lot of water, eating healthy, minimizing heat applied on hair, keeping your hair clean and reducing the use of harsh chemical that damages hair follicles. Choosing to incorporate essential oils in your hair treatment like peppermint oil, rosemary oil, and thyme increases circulation on the affected area, and encourages the flow of nutrients from the blood to the follicles leading to the nourishment/restoration of the follicles. Getting a scalp massage and deep conditioning treatment with added castor oil as castor oil is also known to thicken hair and promote regrowth. If the hairstyle is not changed to mitigate the stress on the follicles could result to detrimental effects, follicles becoming permanently damaged and stop producing hair, one would resort to having hair transplant for a long term solution.

So before you get that hairstyle that looks good but leaves you with excruciating pain that you can’t even put your head on a pillow at night, consider the damage you are doing to your crowning glory.