But unfortunately, braiding hair does not speed up growth rate. Your hair grows at a rate determined by genetics, while lifestyle factors like your diet and stress levels can cause thinning and breakage. But the way you wear your hair is not a factor in your hair growth rate.
The bad news is that regularly wearing your hair in a high, tight pony can result in hair damage – and in some extreme cases, permanent hair loss. Luckily, there are a few tips and tricks our stylists love for keeping your ponytail healthy and preventing damage. Read on to find out what they are!
Tight ponytails, cornrows, buns, chignons, twists and other hairstyles that pull on the scalp for prolonged periods can result in irreversible hair loss, a medical condition known as traction alopecia.
While tying up your hair doesn't necessarily lead to hair loss, tying up your hair tightly for long periods of time in hairstyles like braids, buns or ponytails could be the reason for the noticeable hair loss.
"Never go to bed without tying your hair up (for long hair), as loose hair can tangle. Removing tangles later can cause breakage," says celebrity hairstylist Fallon Toni Chavez.
When hair is pulled back in a ponytail, the hairs at the margins of the scalp tend to receive the greatest tensile force and hair loss becomes most noticeable on the scalp margins and the outermost hairs of the braid. These hairs are lost first, producing a receding hairline and widening of the part lines.
"Hair is the most delicate when wet. When the hair is in a wet ponytail as the hair is drying in an updo it pulls even more. This could result in thinning hair/hair [loss]," says Bergamy. You should never tie up your hair when it is wet.
Ponytails and braids -- "Ponytails and braids can cause hair to break, especially if your style is pulled tightly," Mirmirani says. "If you wear it that way every day, permanent hair damage can occur." Braiding or putting your hair in a ponytail when it's wet can cause damage sooner because wet hair is more fragile.
Although braids can last anywhere between two to eight weeks depending on which kind you go for and how you wear them, you should be prepared to cleanse roughly every two to three weeks.
Hair can stop growing or grow slowly for a variety of reasons including age, genetics, hormones, or stress. You may notice your hair stops growing in one spot or seems to be growing slowly on one side. There are plenty of treatment options for slow-growing hair, including: medication.
Pick a Braid, any Braid
Braid your hair before going to sleep. This old trick works every time and is one of the best ways to wear your hair when sleeping. It not only protects your hair – stopping it from tangling and breaking – but also gives you gorgeous beachy waves the next day and cuts down on frizz.
It's generally recommended to use a pillow if you sleep on your back or side. However, what's most important is that you feel comfortable and pain-free in bed. If you have neck or back pain, or if you have spine condition like scoliosis, sleeping without a pillow may be unsafe.
For the average person, every other day, or every 2 to 3 days, without washing is generally fine. “There is no blanket recommendation. If hair is visibly oily, scalp is itching, or there's flaking due to dirt,” those are signs it's time to shampoo, Goh says.
In other cases, thinning hair is triggered by something going on inside the body — for instance, a thyroid problem, a shift in hormones, a recent pregnancy, or an inflammatory condition. Hair loss may also be genetic. The most common genetic condition is known as female-pattern hair loss, or androgenic alopecia.
The bottom line. Knowing how to brush your hair the right way can help prevent breakage and damage. It can also keep your hair healthy, shiny, and free of tangles. Hair care experts recommend brushing your hair twice a day — morning and night — to help distribute your scalp's natural oils through your hair.
Age: Hair grows fastest between the ages of 15 and 30, before slowing down. Some follicles stop working altogether as people get older. This is why some people get thinner hair or go bald.
The looser twists minimize your child's discomfort compared to some braiding techniques and put less stress on the hair. Protective, looser twists promote healthy hair, allowing for more hair growth.