Traction alopecia (tension-induced hair loss)

Traction alopecia is hair loss caused by prolonged mechanical pulling on the hair. It most often affects the hairline and temples, and is most common in people who frequently wear tight ponytails, buns, braids, cornrows, dreadlocks or extensions. Early signs are thinning along the edges, sometimes with small bumps or tenderness in the scalp and broken strands. At this stage the damage is still reversible: if you ease the tension and let the scalp rest, the hair can recover, and PRP can support the process. The problem is that traction alopecia is often allowed to continue for too long. When the pulling has gone on for years, the follicles can be permanently damaged and stop producing hair — then neither rest nor PRP helps. In that situation a hair transplant is the solution: we move healthy follicles to the thinned edges and rebuild the hairline. Because the cause is external (not hormonal), results are often very stable, provided you avoid hard pulling going forward. At a consultation we assess whether your follicles are still active or whether the loss has become permanent, and suggest the right course of action.