Sara-Jayne Makwala King9 October 2024 | 9:33

Are your braids too tight? Here's why you should loosen up!

Tight braids can cause various health problems from alopecia to headaches warns a hair restoration surgeon.

Are your braids too tight? Here's why you should loosen up!

Braids hair black woman african

Africa Melane is joined by leading hair restoration surgeon Dr Kashmal Kalan.

Listen below

We all love a sleek, stylish braid, but did you know that rocking braids too tight can be a bit risky? 
When braids tug at your roots for too long, your hair could start thinning out.
Moreover, tight braids can also lead to scalp irritation, headaches, and even infections if hair follicles get too stressed out.

Kalan says these are common problems experienced by those who braid consistently from a young age.

"With our African female patients, culturally having these sorts of hair styles becomes quite common from a very young age."
Dr. Kashmal Kalan, hair restoration surgeon

And the damage of braiding too tight, too young, starts to show on the wearer's hairline, explains Kalan.

"Because we are utilising these sorts of hair styles from very early on in life, from 2, 3, 4 years old, by the time these individuals get to early 20s, they've already experienced hair loss to the hairline."
Dr. Kashmal Kalan, hair restoration surgeon

While they may look great, as Kalan explains, super tight braids can, over time, cause traction alopecia (that's a fancy term for hair loss caused by pulling.)

"You are losing your hair because of this constant pulling action on your hair follicles."
Dr. Kashmal Kalan, hair restoration surgeon
"It can eventually bald away and that's what we often see when those hair lines have receded, sometimes all the way back to the mid-scalp."
Dr. Kashmal Kalan, hair restoration surgeon

Kalan says education to prevent the damage occurring is the first step to combat braid and scalp-related issues, but says there is help available for those who have experienced traction alopecia.

"When it comes to the medical therapies, we do PRP therapy which stands for Platelet-Rich Plasma to help treat traction alopecia where the hair has thinned out considerably."
Dr. Kashmal Kalan, hair restoration surgeon