Can Over-Styling Lead to Hair Loss?

This question, asked by a member of our Hair Loss Social Community and Discussion Forums, was answered by Coalition hair transplant surgeon Dr. Glenn Charles:

I am someone who liked (yes, all in the past…when I had a head full of beautiful hair) to try different styles on my hair. Some used to come out good while some didn’t look good. I experimented with different types of hair parting, styles and lengths. All along, I had many friends advising me that too much change in terms of combing hair and the changing angles affects the hair roots in a negative way and that there could be too much pressure on the roots causing them to become weak and resulting in balding.

Now, the simple question is…how much of such a claim is true? Can too much styling (I am not even referring to hair products here, just the way you comb and style your hair) lead to hair loss?

I do not think changing hairstyles and hair directions actually causes hair loss. If extreme pulling of the hair is used to create a specific hairstyle that could potentially cause a type of traction alopecia.

Over use of chemicals, dyes, or excessive heat can cause damage and have a negative effect on the quality of a person’s hair. These types of traumas, occurring over extended periods of time, could cause irreversible damage. In the short term most of the damage would be temporary.

Dr. Glenn Charles

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David (TakingThePlunge) – Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant for the Hair Restoration Forum and Social Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.

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