Traction alopecia can get better when it has only been present for a few weeks or months if the tension applied to the hair is stopped. However, if there is long-term and repetitive pulling on the hair it can lead to permanent hair loss due to damage to the hair follicles, which produce hair.
Yes, hair loss from stress can often grow back once the underlying stress is managed or resolved. This type of hair loss, known as telogen effluvium, occurs when a significant amount of hair follicles enter the resting (telogen) phase prematurely due to stress, illness, or other factors.
Once you stop pulling your hair, new hair growth can begin. However, it may take several months or even years for the hair to regrow fully. The regrowth may be uneven, and the new hair may have a different texture or colour to the surrounding hair.
Treatments may include topical or injected steroids to reduce inflammation, antifungals or antibiotics for infections, biotin supplements to support hair health, and minoxidil to stimulate hair regrowth. Hair replacement or transplant surgery may also be recommended in severe cases if needed.
Early on, this does not scar and is reversible, but long-term traction alopecia can be associated with permanent scarring hair loss. Tension from various hairstyles with braids, locks, glue, tight buns, gels, nighttime tight hair wrapping, or the combined use of chemical relaxers with braids may increase the risk.
Stop tight hairstyles
Hair regrowth may start around 3 months after discontinuing these hair practices, and once the hair cycle is restored.
The good news is it's never too late to treat traction alopecia. That being said, the earlier you seek help the more likely you are to recover healthy hair. Even when traction alopecia is advanced, surgical treatment is often still possible.
No Visible Pattern. With stress-related shedding, hair falls out evenly all over your scalp instead of in a defined pattern. You'll likely notice more hairs than usual coming out while shampooing, combing, or on your pillow, clothing, and bathroom floor.
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.
For many people, their hair regrows on its own without treatment. This regrowth happens more often when someone has a few patches of alopecia areata, which have been there for less than a year. Hair loss can also stop for long periods or come and go. Sometimes, hair doesn't regrow.
Stress and hair loss don't have to be permanent. And if you get your stress under control, your hair might grow back. If you notice sudden or patchy hair loss or more than usual hair loss when combing or washing your hair, talk to your doctor.
You might be able to reverse hair loss, or at least slow it. With some conditions, such as patchy hair loss (alopecia areata), hair may regrow without treatment within a year. Treatments for hair loss include medications and surgery.
Telogen effluvium is a common type of hair loss that affects people after they experience severe stress or a change to their body. Symptoms include thinning hair, usually around the top of your head. Treatment exists to reverse hair loss, but hair will typically grow back in three to six months without treatment.
In most cases, hair that is pulled from the scalp will grow back. However, repeated pulling or excessive pulling can cause scarring and permanent hair loss.
One of the possible causes of alopecia areata is severe anxiety and stress. Scientists believe that these psychological states can trigger your body's immune system, causing it to attack hair follicles. Consequently, your hair falls out.
Minoxidil will only work if there are hairs roots present in your scalp. On a bald area, this medication will be of no use. If there are no roots on the scalp or there is complete baldness, then minoxidil will not be able to convert the hairs into the telogen phase.
If this pulling on the scalp is stopped early, hair loss may be reversible. However, long-term tension can permanently damage hair follicles, leading to permanent bald spots.
Hair transplant surgery can range from $3,000 to more than $15,000. The average cost is $6,000 to $12,000. Hair restoration surgery can be successful for men and women. Your costs will vary based on the type of procedure, where you have the treatment, your surgeon's fees, and other factors.