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View Full Version : traction alopecia and very scared!! help



LoveLongHair
November 23rd, 2009, 09:24 PM
hello everyone, please give me some advice or input, i am like supper panicking out righ tnow.

i been having long hair, really long hair. so when i sleep, i put them put in a clip ponytail like. for long time, years......... recently my hair been shedding alot, i mean alot.......more than usual, when i brush my hair alot come out and i can see the root, so definately i am shedding.

i think i have traction alopecia from the prolonge clip my hair in ponytail when sleeping.......i stop though, but i'm still shedding. i am very scare that i go bald, i heard that traction alopecia can't be reverse and once your hair fall out, it can't be regrow..

have anyone sleeping with ponytail before? and experience shedding, i am soooo scareeeeee, please give me some inputs, thankx

spidermom
November 23rd, 2009, 09:31 PM
I sleep with a top-of-head ponytail almost every night. I don't pull it tight, though. If you're pulling yours tight, then yes - your problem could be traction alopecia. Don't do it anymore. If you don't pull it tight, try not to worry. It's perfectly normal to shed hair, especially when the seasons change. All mammals do it. New hair will grow back.

LoveLongHair
November 23rd, 2009, 09:38 PM
i'm scare, let say i do have traction alopecia, does that mean i am going bald?
i have my ponytail tight though, since i use a clip, those hairclip to clip the hair to ponytail, oh my god!! what going to happen, it is going to continue to fall out until there no more hair left? hic

LoveLongHair
November 23rd, 2009, 10:17 PM
oh and i been sleeping with the metal barrette clip in ponytail like, maybe that is why it cause my hair to fall out?
i'm scare i'm going bald....

LoveLongHair
November 23rd, 2009, 10:22 PM
this type of clip, can this be why my hair been shedding alot since i sleep with this for like couple years...
http://polymerclayprojects.com/images/product-images/big/baretteclips80mm.jpg

KatanyaG
November 24th, 2009, 03:27 AM
Try very very loosely plaiting your hair and securing the end with a fabric-covered ponytailer before going to sleep.

Might help. :)

florenonite
November 24th, 2009, 04:54 AM
I don't think what you use to secure the hair will affect whether or not you could cause traction alopecia. The metal barrette likely breaks hairs, but it wouldn't pull them out at the root unless you're pulling the hair tight to put it in.

It's very common to simply shed at this time of year, too, as spidermom said.

Kuchen
November 24th, 2009, 05:00 AM
Calm down, sleep with your hair loose or loosely braided, and give yourself lots of scalp massages. It'll be ok.

Othala
November 24th, 2009, 05:13 AM
Remove the problem i.e. pulling your hair roots every night, and your hair will recover. You might want to give your poor scalp some TLC in the form of some soothing scalp cream. I suggest Nexxus vitatress biotin scalp cream. A bit pricey but worth it IMO.

Above all, don't stress yourself out with fear and panic. Stress in itself may cause you to lose hair, so as Kuchen wisely said, calm down.

zule
November 24th, 2009, 06:41 AM
Your hair will probably grow back. I actually had a bald spot on my head, but it's nice and thick now.

Yes, tweezing, plucking, etc. over years can cause permanent loss of hair. But I've never heard of it happening from an episode traction alopecia, unless it's gone on a long time.

Hair can go through big sheds in the fall, but you're seeing the root bulb, too. It's a good idea to stop with the clip. You don't want to risk anything with such very long hair.

spidermom
November 24th, 2009, 08:43 AM
Oh ick! Don't use that clip anymore. They break hairs. I use a small satin or velvet scrunchie for my night ponytail - very hair friendly.

Your lost hairs will grow back; try not to worry.

Anje
November 24th, 2009, 09:12 AM
Relax -- traction alopecia isn't usually permanent, and it shouldn't keep getting worse if you stop pulling your hair tight. (Consider that many people go through a bit of a shedding cycle in the autumn, too, which might be contributing to some of the hair loss you're noticing.)

For the time being, wear your hair fairly loose, in a low braid, or similar. When you wear it up, do it gently and use more hair-friendly tools (like smooth hairsticks) to put your hair up when you do.

Try braiding your hair for bed or wear a silky satin sleep bonnet to protect it.

metalgypsy85
November 24th, 2009, 09:14 AM
Try not wearing it up for a while? Or super loose ponytails. I know if you're used to it being up and tight, it might feel weird, but it'll probably be good to just let your hair relax and see if it starts growing back.

Darkhorse1
November 24th, 2009, 02:17 PM
I used to always braid or clip my hair up at night and never suffered from any excess shedding.

Are you going through a stressful period in your life right now? If you are overly stressed, THAT can cause your hair to shed. I went through this ages ago and it terrified me. I couldn't phathom how much hair I was losing on a daily basis (I could pick up hand fuls of hair off the floor daily). I'm lucky I have a lot. My doctor said it was due to mega high stress (I had a LOT going on), and that it would grow back. I also had very bad dandruff, the kind that itches and inflames/is painful. Once that was treated, the shedding reduced and I had new growth, which grew very quickly.

Take a deep breath. The only person who can diagnose you with alopecia is a dermatologist. :)

longhairedfairy
November 24th, 2009, 03:00 PM
Don't panic.:) I think it's probably just the barrette causing damage. Stop using that and it should improve.

plainjanegirl
November 24th, 2009, 03:45 PM
Your hair will probably grow back. I actually had a bald spot on my head, but it's nice and thick now.

Yes, tweezing, plucking, etc. over years can cause permanent loss of hair. But I've never heard of it happening from an episode traction alopecia, unless it's gone on a long time.

Hair can go through big sheds in the fall, but you're seeing the root bulb, too. It's a good idea to stop with the clip. You don't want to risk anything with such very long hair.



So what did you use to get your bald spot to fill in?