Study: Braids and Weaves Lead to Balding

While it’s fun to switch up your do, be careful which style you choose. A new study found that nearly a quarter of Black women suffer from baldness and scalp scarring, possibly because of hair-yanking braids and weaves. The study surveyed 326 black women about their hair care and of those that experienced hair loss, 59% had worn braids, weaves or other so-called traction hairstyles that tug at the scalp.

While the study doesn’t confirm if Black women’s hair choices play a major role in balding, the findings are enough to suggest Black women be cautious, said study lead author Dr. Angela Kyei, a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic.

Kyei suggests Black women carefully examine their hair health before jumping to a new style. “If you’re relaxing your hair, if you’re having tight braids, I would just put that on hold until you find out what’s going on with your hair.”