In our times, hair loss has turned into a problem of both genders though the causes for male and female hair loss patterns are different. Recently, the findings of a study were published suggesting that certain hairstyles like weaves, tight braiding and others may also be a reason behind female type hair loss. It is reported that the hairstyles which are dominant in modern African-American women can cause special scarring on the scalp leading to various inflammations and hair weakening and loss.

Specialists from the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio invited 326 women as volunteers for their study. The participants were asked to answer questionnaires regarding their hair styling habits and hair health. Also, the experts thoroughly examined various data on family history of hair loss, medical history and health condition, eating habits and other factors of every each participant. Finally, qualified dermatologists examined scalp of every woman in order to evaluate current condition and the degree of hair loss.

It was found out that 60% of women displayed clear signs of central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, or central hair loss, at that 57% of women with the most serious problem regularly wore weaves and braids. At that, over 17% of those women had type 2 diabetes, and every one out of five had a type of dermatitis.

Many women tend to believe that weaves and braids can be used to hide hair loss, but it is the first time when the connection between these hairstyles and their role as causes of hair loss was discovered. Wilma Bergfeld, one of the leaders of the study and a senior dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic says: “Women with hair loss are deserving of a workup. Let’s think of this as a signal of a possible underlying medical problem.”

The experts from the Cleveland Clinic point on the importance of understanding this issue. “Given the fact that many African American women pay hundreds of dollars to have their hair braided and weaved, they often maintain these hair styles for weeks to months at a time to justify the money spent. The resulting prolonged traction can produce chronic folliculitis, which can eventually lead to scarring.” The findings of this research were recently published in the Archives of Dermatology.