Can hair pulling cause alopecia?

Author: Lilliana O'Kon  |  Last update: Thursday, December 25, 2025

Traction Alopecia is a type of hair loss caused by constant pulling (“traction”). The pulling is usually on some hairs more than others leading to the development of bald patches. Often, this type of alopecia is due to the hairs being pulled repeatedly by tight hairstyles.

What damage can hair pulling cause?

Constantly pulling out hair can cause scarring, infections and other damage to the skin on your scalp or the area where hair is pulled out. This can permanently affect hair growth. Hairballs. Eating your hair may lead to a large, matted hairball that stays in your digestive tract.

What is the biggest cause of alopecia?

This type of baldness is not usually caused by a disease. It is related to aging, heredity, and changes in the hormone testosterone. Inherited, or pattern baldness, affects many more men than women. Male pattern baldness can occur at any time after puberty.

Can you damage hair follicles by pulling hair?

While hair that is pulled out may grow back in some cases, repeated pulling can damage the hair follicles over time, potentially leading to permanent hair loss in the affected areas. If hair follicles are severely damaged, they may not be able to produce new hair.

Does hair grow back after hair pulling?

Yes, plucked hair can regrow. Hair follicles have the ability to regenerate, and plucking a hair removes it from the follicle but doesn't necessarily damage the follicle permanently. However, consistent and aggressive plucking may lead to follicle damage over time.

Trichotillomania: Treating BFRB's like Hair-Pulling Disorder and Skin-Picking Excoriation

Can hair pulling cause permanent hair loss?

Skin and tissue damage sometimes need repair or skin grafting to fix. Damage to skin caused by hair pulling can also cause permanent hair loss in affected areas.

How to tell if hair follicles are dead?

So dead hair follicles can look like a smooth, bald patch of skin or like a scar. A trichologist may be able to get a better view of your follicles by using a microscope or other trichological tools.

How to reverse traction alopecia?

How can traction alopecia be treated?
  1. Stop tight hairstyles. ...
  2. Topical Minoxidil solution or foam. ...
  3. Topical corticosteroid preparations. ...
  4. Steroid injections. ...
  5. Wigs and hair pieces. ...
  6. Cosmetic camouflage. ...
  7. In cases of permanent hair loss:

What happens if you pull too hard on your hair?

Over time, the pulling can lead to hair loss. The medical term for this type of hair loss is traction alopecia. Your hairline is one of the first places you can see traction alopecia.

What hairstyles are good for alopecia?

To reduce your risk of traction alopecia or stop existing symptoms worsening, avoid hairstyles that pull tightly on your scalp. Choose loose braids or ponytails if you need to tie your hair back, and consult a hair doctor if you notice any new hair loss.

How to reverse alopecia?

There is no cure for alopecia areata—only treatment. In mild cases, hair usually grows back, sometimes on its own. However, if treatment is necessary, steroid injections and topical medications may be recommended. But there have been no reliably effective treatments for severe cases of alopecia areata until recently.

Why do I keep getting alopecia?

Overview. Hair loss (alopecia) can affect just your scalp or your entire body, and it can be temporary or permanent. It can be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions or a normal part of aging. Anyone can lose hair on their head, but it's more common in men.

What happens if you constantly pull your hair?

If trichotillomania is left untreated, hair pulling can cause permanent damage to your skin and hair follicles. If trichotillomania is associated with anxiety or another mental health issue, this can cause problems later in life.

When is it too late to reverse traction alopecia?

Generally speaking, it's never too late to fix traction alopecia. The condition can be treated at any point – whether you're in the early stages or a more advanced phase.

Do hair follicles grow back after plucking?

Yes, pulling out the hair follicle doesn't stop hair growth. On average, most people have anywhere from 100,000 to 150,000 hairs on their heads and naturally lose around 100 to 200 hairs per day that naturally grow back.

What are the symptoms of traction alopecia?

People may feel tenderness, stinging, or pain in the area of hair loss. Acne-like pimples or bumps are common in areas of the highest tension. More long term, there is increased hair loss along the frontal hairline, often with fine hairs remaining.

Can hair follicles grow back?

If you damage your hair follicles after an injury, they can repair themselves and your hair will grow back. It could take up to four years before you see new hair growth out of damaged hair follicles, depending on the severity of your injury.

How to regrow hair after pulling it out?

Use essential oils

Essential oils, like lavender oil, are used by many people as they supposedly help to stimulate hair growth. Applying a small amount of oil to the areas where you experience hair loss daily can help you on your journey to regrow your hair.

What does scarring alopecia look like?

Scarring alopecia usually appears as a bald patch where there's typically hair. There might be one bald area or several. The skin where hair used to be tends to look smooth and shiny. Scarring alopecia can look different on different people.

Does alopecia go away?

Some have bouts of hair loss throughout their lives, while others only have one episode. Recovery is unpredictable too, with hair regrowing fully in some people but not others. There is no cure for alopecia areata, but there are treatments that help hair grow back more quickly.

How to wake up hair follicles?

Several factors can contribute to reviving dormant hair follicles, including:
  1. Scalp massage.
  2. Essential oils.
  3. Supplements and vitamins.
  4. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT)
  5. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.
  6. Dietary changes.
  7. Stress management.

Does shiny scalp mean dead follicles?

Dead hair follicles are most evident when the scalp's skin (where the hair once grew) becomes smoother and shinier in appearance.

How to tell if hair is regrowing?

  1. What Does New Hair Growth Look Like? Understanding the signs of new hair growth is crucial for anyone concerned with hair health, whether dealing with hair thinning or loss. ...
  2. Texture Changes. ...
  3. Increased Volume. ...
  4. Darkening Of Hair Follicles. ...
  5. Growth At The Hairline. ...
  6. Itchy Scalp. ...
  7. Shiny, Strong Strands. ...
  8. Rate Of Shedding.

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