Edges and traction alopecia - Hairstyles?

**Wusel** · April 26th, 2020, 07:30 PM

Hi

I have edges since childhood, my mom said, and, yes, I remember I always had them.
They got better a bit since I take supplements.
But I don't want them to get bigger.
From what I have read you can even get traction alopecia from your hair being too long and too heavy.
I have very thick,heavy hair and want to grow it to hip minimum.
Which hairstyles are okay to not get a receding hairline?
Did any of you experience that?
I have read pretty much anything is bad: Braids, buns, ponytails... so, how can I wear my hair?
Thank you

**Iyashikei** · April 26th, 2020, 09:13 PM

I think that as long as you don't make your styles too tight you'll be fine. A good friend of mine got a receding hairline because of always having an extremely tight ponytail and since she loosened it up and switched to wearing her hair down every now and then it halted. Of course when you actually have alopecia it won't be that easy but it'll help.

**akurah** · April 26th, 2020, 10:03 PM

I don't have traction alopecia, but I did have alopecia areata that sometimes pops up from time to time. One of the techniques I use to keep the buns from being too tight is that before I insert the hair fork to hold the bun, I make the bun and while holding the bun in place with a hand, I insert the fork under the scalp hair just behind my hairline and give it a good wiggle to loosen the hair pulled into the bun. I usually have to do it 3 or 4 times to get all "sides" between my bun and my hairline. I then secure it with a fork after the wiggle routine.

**Wusel** · April 27th, 2020, 03:10 AM

Originally Posted by Iyashikei

I think that as long as you don't make your styles too tight you'll be fine. A good friend of mine got a receding hairline because of always having an extremely tight ponytail and since she loosened it up and switched to wearing her hair down every now and then it halted. Of course when you actually have alopecia it won't be that easy but it'll help.

Thank you

What do you think is too tight?

**Wusel** · April 27th, 2020, 03:12 AM

Originally Posted by akurah

I don't have traction alopecia, but I did have alopecia areata that sometimes pops up from time to time. One of the techniques I use to keep the buns from being too tight is that before I insert the hair fork to hold the bun, I make the bun and while holding the bun in place with a hand, I insert the fork under the scalp hair just behind my hairline and give it a good wiggle to loosen the hair pulled into the bun. I usually have to do it 3 or 4 times to get all "sides" between my bun and my hairline. I then secure it with a fork after the wiggle routine.

That sounds like a good method, to loosen the front hairs so that the bun doesn't pull on them. Thank you

**Wusel** · April 27th, 2020, 03:21 AM

The problem is I can never wear my hair down. In my job it has to be up, not even a loose ponytail or braid is possible.
I haver read somewhere that you should sleep with your hair down to avoid traction alopecia but I can't do this. I'd wake up all the time from layig and pulling on my hair. I sleep with a side braid and change it often, left or right side.
I have hair on my edges, but it's always short and fine compared to the rest of my hair. It's all like a bit longer babyhairs (1-3 inches) and they never grow long and full enough to cover the edges. It's always been like that. Even when I had a short bob and wore my hair down 24/7, they never grew in.

**Sarahlabyrinth** · April 27th, 2020, 04:00 AM

Originally Posted by Wusel

The problem is I can never wear my hair down. In my job it has to be up, not even a loose ponytail or braid is possible.
I haver read somewhere that you should sleep with your hair down to avoid traction alopecia but I can't do this. I'd wake up all the time from layig and pulling on my hair. I sleep with a side braid and change it often, left or right side.
I have hair on my edges, but it's always short and fine compared to the rest of my hair. It's all like a bit longer babyhairs (1-3 inches) and they never grow long and full enough to cover the edges. It's always been like that. Even when I had a short bob and wore my hair down 24/7, they never grew in.

It's normal for the edge hair to be like that, everyone has shorter hair on the edges. Really, it is normal.

**MusicalSpoons** · April 27th, 2020, 05:21 AM

Originally Posted by Sarahlabyrinth

It's normal for the edge hair to be like that, everyone has shorter hair on the edges. Really, it is normal.

Yup - if it's growing consistently, it's not alopecia!

**Iyashikei** · April 27th, 2020, 06:36 AM

Originally Posted by Wusel

Thank you

What do you think is too tight?

Typically when it becomes uncomfortable it is too tight. I never had hair that was long enough to do ponytails so I can't really give you any advice on that but getting headaches seems like a red flag to me.

**lapushka** · April 27th, 2020, 09:05 AM

If it's that thick, and you want hip in the first place, I would hold off on bunning until you are in fact hip. I needed to wait until hip to bun with my iii hair. So I'm guessing it's going to take more length than BSL+!

A log roll is a pretty style and it's one I did at around BSL, with a nice big claw clip.