Bandanas & Hair Health: What You Should Know

Our hair goes through a cycle of growth, rest and fall to allow new hair to grow. The fall phase is also called the shedding phase, and on average, a healthy individual sheds about 50-100 strands that are considered normal by hair doctors. If someone is shedding more than that and the area is getting bald, it’s a matter of concern.

Bandanas are like scarfs tied on the head with knotting at the back of the head. Bikers mostly wear these to secure their head under the helmet. Girls also wear this unisex headband to hide a bad hair day or as a fashion accessory. But repeatedly wearing a bandana can make your hair break around the hairline. Wearing a tight headband daily adds stress on the scalp and hair follicles which can gradually lead to traction alopecia.

The fabric of your bandana is not the reason for the traction but the hairdo that is being done under the bandana is. Generally, hair is pulled back tightly to secure it under the bandana, and this stress can cause weakening of the hair follicles and leads to hair loss, thinning, and speeds the process of balding by reducing the anagen growth cycle.

Traction alopecia, if caught early, can be reversed through hair treatments. To avoid the stress on the hair under the bandanas, try setting them loosely and use your bandana to secure your hair instead of a bobby pin, which pulls the hair and adds pressure to the scalp and hair follicles. Give hair breather days by not covering them with any hair tie.

Get a hair loss evaluation at HairMD to determine the stage of alopecia or any other hair problem you face. The hair doctors can help you reverse your traction alopecia via various treatment options.