Late autumn and early winter are the seasons when some of us start experiencing increased hair loss. It is caused by a few factors, including our natural predisposition to losing hair in this time of the year (similar to what all animals experience in autumn and spring), poorer nutrition, weather changes, and increased stresses linked to so called SAD (seasonal affective disorder). Autumn hair loss brings a lot of negative emotions and stresses to women, though this kind of problem is considered normal and should not be worried about too much. Experts point to one more cause which can possibly weaken our hair in autumn and make it thinning. That is the hairstyles we are choosing. American hair care specialists has named one more reason for hair damage and hair loss: hairstyles like too tight ponytails, braids, and others, which bring to hair damage and can have quite long-term effects.

A group of scientists and dermatology experts from the University of Texas have published the findings of their research. The main objective was to study the effects of using one or another hairstyle, as well as possible links between hair loss and the ways women choose to style their hair. As a result, a few “hair loss hairstyles” were found out, mainly those involving too tight styling (pony tails, braids, etc) causing physical damage to our hair, and also the kinds of styling using chemicals like styling hair gels, mousses, volumizing products, and so on. It turned out that there are very strong links between the mentioned factors, and as the report says, “regular and sometimes even occasional use’ of certain hair styles ‘may lead to hair breakage and hair loss from the root”.

Dr Josephine Quintanilla-Dieck, a study leader, suggests all women who experienced sudden hair loss pay proper attention to their hair styling. In particular, she recommends to avoid using any kind of styling and leave the hair down. “Pulling hair into tight ponytails or braids, using hot rollers, curling irons, or straightening irons and applying chemical relaxers can all lead to structural damage of the hair shaft as well as thermal and chemical damage to the skin of the scalp,” she wrote in the report. If it is impossible to avoid using “hair loss hairstyles” or stop using chemicals for styling, Quintanilla-Dieck calls to make something like “hair holidays” and free your hair from extra load for at least a few days every week. If hair loss persists, it is necessary to pay a visit to an expert: a dermatologist or a trichologist who can assist in pinpointing the causes and solving the problem in the fastest and the most effective way.

At the same time, some experts believe that using “hair loss hairstyles” alone can not be a key cause for hair loss in a long-term perspective. They say that other factors like improper nutrition or a lack of certain proteins in our body can play more important role and should be checked out first. If you can not figure out what can be a reason for your thinning hair and do not know what to do to stop hair loss, the first thing you need to do is to calm down. Hair loss in women is not a something that can not be stopped and reversed. Try to find a way to see a hair care specialist or another professional who can estimate the possibilities of one or another factors bringing you to hair loss.  Remember that brittle or thinning hair can be a sign of some serious health conditions, and in order to avoid those, check in with a specialist to prevent possible serious health problems.