Can you scar/permanently damage hair follicles physically?

[Eas693]

So a year ago my then 2.5 yr old son threw a rock at me while we were playing in the garden. I got a big old goose egg on the right side of my head right in my front hair line.

Due to a hair accident (toddlers and my head don't mix) I was shaving that side for a bit. Now that I am growing it out ( just hitting a solid hub length) I realize the hair from that spot feels different. If I hold strand between my fingers and run my fingers down the length they feel bumpy. The entire area is like that even all my new growth (getting a frizzy hair line).

I should probably mention that I do have a few pieces of hair feeling like this is other places on my head but it is usually one or two pieces not a whole section. Could my hair be changing textures? I always thought I had straighter hair (1b-c) or so I thought? A lot of these bumpy pieces have curls...

Any insight or advice is very much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Rebeccalaurenxx]

I believe hair texture does and can change with age. Hormone changes also can reflect that. I have certain spots that grew funky that didn't grow funky when I was younger.

Follicle damage can be permanent from what I've experienced but it depends on the extent of the damage.

[lapushka]

I think it might just be a normal difference in texture. Don't freak out. ;)

Have you ever done a hairtyping picture?

[Eas693]

I believe hair texture does and can change with age. Hormone changes also can reflect that. I have certain spots that grew funky that didn't grow funky when I was younger.

Follicle damage can be permanent from what I've experienced but it depends on the extent of the damage.

Interesting, maybe with age my hair is getting a bit more character. Thank you for your response.


I think it might just be a normal difference in texture. Don't freak out. ;)

Have you ever done a hairtyping picture?

My hair is just now at a solid chin length. I thought it would be too short to type properly? When I do wash and let it sit dry without brushing it does seem to be a bit more wild than I am used to. Maybe I am in the 2 range. I think a bit more length might be needed to tell because right now my ends are all flippy. I'm very curious to see what they do.

Really happy to hear this is notmal and not damaged follicles from the accident.

[LadyCelestina]

The hair at the temples, nape and very front of head can have different texture. I have almost 3c curls at the nape :D and they do feel different, also a bit bumpy.

[lapushka]

My hair is just now at a solid chin length. I thought it would be too short to type properly? When I do wash and let it sit dry without brushing it does seem to be a bit more wild than I am used to. Maybe I am in the 2 range. I think a bit more length might be needed to tell because right now my ends are all flippy. I'm very curious to see what they do.

Really happy to hear this is notmal and not damaged follicles from the accident.

Yes, maybe it's a good idea to wait a while then. :flower:

I don't think a rock superficially on the skin can do that much damage (if the skin wasn't busted open badly at least).

[hayheadsbird]

I believe hair texture does and can change with age. Hormone changes also can reflect that. I have certain spots that grew funky that didn't grow funky when I was younger.

Follicle damage can be permanent from what I've experienced but it depends on the extent of the damage.

I'd agree with hair texture changing with age and hormones. After having 2 babies in 3 years mine has!

[Anje]

Could definitely just be a texture change, which happens frequently enough anyway. That said, I have heard of people getting spots of white hair where they had gotten nasty blows or cuts.

ETA: I do think that hairs that have been repeatedly yanked are more likely to come back white before the rest of the hair does. I've heard some speculation to this effect, that you get an average X growth cycles from a given follicle before the melanin production cuts off, but I'm getting that secondhand and don't have a citation. I have noticed it in my eyebrows, though, where the middle region (which I'm letting get a little narrower) is sprouting more and more pure white hairs while the main brows stay off-black.

[HairPlease]

Age and hormones, as I preach to the choir. Almost nobody has a uniform texture throughout their entire head of hair. Don't panic, it's normal!

Plucking and yanking hair from follicles, especially repeatedly, is more likely to cause permanent damage than most other types of trauma.

[spidermom]

Could definitely just be a texture change, which happens frequently enough anyway. That said, I have heard of people getting spots of white hair where they had gotten nasty blows or cuts.

I've personally seen this, but it had to do with a burn, not blunt-force trauma.

[Anje]

I've personally seen this, but it had to do with a burn, not blunt-force trauma.

It seems like it was the case that the hair shed out after the trauma and came back white, in the accounts I've heard, but that was a long time ago. Is that your experience?

[Eas693]

Thank you all! I feel much better about it. It's been driving me crazy for months with worry. I convinced myself my hair was growing out damaged.

It was a pretty good blow the bump was about 4 inches big and I was in the hospital for 3 days... I think my son may need to be in baseball or football or something.

I'm super hoping my hair as it grows has a lot of character to it. And this could just be some of that. Now all I gotta do is learn to tame it!

[lapushka]

It was a pretty good blow the bump was about 4 inches big and I was in the hospital for 3 days... I think my son may need to be in baseball or football or something.

Huh?! A 2.5 year old did that? OMG. :shocked:

[Eas693]

Huh?! A 2.5 year old did that? OMG. :shocked:

I didn’t get a photo while in the hospital. I couldn’t even remember my name, but here it is about 5 days after the initial hit

http://i.imgur.com/3z7kvswm.jpg

It was all into my hair line and down the side of my head originally. You can see where I was shaving the underside in this pic too. Such a bad time for my head

[lapushka]

OMG what a goose egg! You poor thing! :(

I'm glad you recovered. That seems to be far enough from your hair not to cause damage, if any - I doubt you can actually cause harm to hair follicles this way. :flower:

[spidermom]

It seems like it was the case that the hair shed out after the trauma and came back white, in the accounts I've heard, but that was a long time ago. Is that your experience?

The hair was burned off (fireworks accident), not shed out.

[Eas693]

OMG what a goose egg! You poor thing! :(

I'm glad you recovered. That seems to be far enough from your hair not to cause damage, if any - I doubt you can actually cause harm to hair follicles this way. :flower:

Yeah it went way into my hairline originally. Which is why I was wondering. I'm so relieved it's natural! I was seriously afraid to even ask for a long time

[Alissalocks]

Woooooow!!! :shudder: So glad you, and your hair, but mostly that you are ok!

[Eas693]

Woooooow!!! :shudder: So glad you, and your hair, but mostly that you are ok!

Yeah I survived. Had a concussion for almost 2 weeks. It's been a year now and my son still remembers doing it.

It's post like this that remind me how sweet most people here are and I shouldn't be afraid to ask my questions.

[Alissalocks]

Yeah I survived. Had a concussion for almost 2 weeks. It's been a year now and my son still remembers doing it.

It's post like this that remind me how sweet most people here are and I shouldn't be afraid to ask my questions.

:blossom: I get ready to post things and then delete them because I'm certain I sound quite silly. Isn't random, free floating anxiety fun? :D

[LadyCelestina]

:blossom: I get ready to post things and then delete them because I'm certain I sound quite silly. Isn't random, free floating anxiety fun? :D

Just a question, entirely off topic and mostly towards you Anje since you're a mod - did LHC change their policy on people deleting entire messages, or is it there but not enforced? I noticed some members doing it but a few years ago I got an infraction for that. Just curious in case I write something stupid in the future :flower:

[Alissalocks]

(I "delete" it by not posting it to begin with. I probably shouldn't have said anything. See? I was trying to be funny. I start a problem. Can't take me anywhere).

[Entangled]

(I "delete" it by not posting it to begin with. I probably shouldn't have said anything. See? I was trying to be funny. I start a problem. Can't take me anywhere).

Don't be--I've seen posts that have been wiped save for the words "deleted post" while browsing dead threads. But I have noticed most people who do that have been banned.

[LadyCelestina]

(I "delete" it by not posting it to begin with. I probably shouldn't have said anything. See? I was trying to be funny. I start a problem. Can't take me anywhere).

Oh nooo :lol: Don't worry! I didn't mean to cause trouble :D I was just curious if we can do it now in some cases (like when you post something really really stupid) since I noticed some people doing it :D I just remembered that I wanted to ask this because of your post, so really don't worry! :)