Traction Alopecia, a hair loss condition caused by constant pulling or tension over a long period generally occurs in persons who wears tight braids, especially "cornrows" that lead to high tension, pulling and breakage of hair. This condition can lead to temporary or permanent hair loss due to damage to the hair follicles. This condition is most common in African-American women and men who braid their hair too tightly, it is reversible if diagnosed early on and the abuse stops. In Traction Alopecia, hair loss is often in the frontal and temporal regions, when the hair is constantly pulled back in a ponytail, bun or cornrows. Although, it can also appear where ever the hair is pulled to tightly; for example in the areas were plaits or cornrows are tight. Traction Alopecia can also occur due to over processing the hair with dyes and relaxers, so it’s imperative to follow instructions closely and to do a strand test to make sure the hair is strong enough to withstand these types of treatments. The obvious way to stop traction and traumatic alopecia is by wearing styles that aren’t too tight and be sure to switch up your hair style. Do not be afraid to stop your braider if they are pulling the hair too tightly and again, be mindful of the chemicals you are having applied or are applying to your hair. Alopecia is detecting it early. Hair styles that put unnecessary strain on the hair root must be changed for "looser, gentler hair style. Unfortunately, no medical treatment is available to reverse late-stage traction alopecia. Hair grafts have been identified as the only practical solution, but this can be very expensive and in some cases painful.For more information on growing Black Hair; check out www.fabulousblackwoman.com o check out my book
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