1. Protective hairstyles help preserve the hairline
You’ve probably heard of protected styles. The overall intended benefits of protective hairstyles are to keep your hair ends healthy by keeping them safe from the damaging UV sun rays, wind, and friction, locking in moisture, preventing split ends and breakage, and putting less stress on your hair from combing and brushing. These may be effective ways to keep your hair healthy. Buns, braids, twists, and locs, to name a few, are some of the styles associated with protective hair styling. With a little imagination, you can convert any of these hairstyles into versatile sassy looks that will have everyone stopping to stare.
I am completely sold on the fact that protective hairstyles are stylish, time-saving and can maintain if not improve your hair health. But how often do we consider the long-term repercussions of trendy protective hairstyles on our hairline? “I’ve tried everything, yet despite simply using protective styling, my hairline continues to recede and is not growing back.” This is a common sentiment among a good number of us who wear or have worn these gorgeous styles.
Although these hairstyles may be termed as protective, the frequency with which they are used and the tightness with which they are applied to the hair will determine the effect they have on the hair. If the hair is pulled so tight that the pain and soreness induced by the strain applied lasts for days. be it braids, extensions, cornrows, twists, weaves, pulled back styles or ponytails may cause traction alopecia. As much as protective hairstyles may help preserve the hairline, they can be a source of unending havoc if done tightly and kept for long periods of time.
2. All hair loss along the hairline is genetic and there’s little we can do about it.
Hair loss around the temples or along the entire hairline isn’t always caused by some inevitable coding in your DNA. Although genetics do play a significant role in some types of hair loss, the majority of the hair loss issues that curly or coily-haired women experience can be traced back to their styling habits.
So, why do we think hair loss at the hairline is inherited? Here’s why: we watch our grandmothers, aunts, older cousins, mothers, and nearly everyone around us with receding hair lines as we grow up. As a result, it’s no surprise that when we notice our hairline receding we link it to a genetic propensity. However, it’s possible that we’ve all been wearing hairstyles that inflict stress along the hairline. We, like past generations, braid, twist, or weave our hair firmly, making us all vulnerable to traction alopecia, the most common kind of hair loss among women of African descent.
3. A receding hairline always happens after breastfeeding
A few months after having a baby, many new moms notice considerable hair loss. Postpartum alopecia is a kind of hair loss that is characterized by significant hair shedding. Hair loss can occur diffusely across the scalp, with more thinning particularly noticeable at the temples. Excessive shedding is caused by a drop in estrogen levels, which occurs after birth. The good news is that the excessive shedding will only last a short time. By their child’s first or second birthday, most women’s hair has returned to its natural fullness.
There are instances when the thinning along with the temples and the hairline does not resolve. One of the reasons for this could be if there was previously hair loss along the hairline as well as along the temples. If this is the case, the diffuse shedding following childbirth may have exacerbated the underlying hair loss. We may link this receding hair line with postpartum alopecia, but the truth is that the hair loss occurred prior to the birth of the baby and may require treatment to correct as it may not resolve on its own.
4. Shaving your hair will make a receding hairline grow back
We’re open to trying everything and anything to reclaim our hairline and restore those edges. Hair oils are used by some of us, while hair vitamins are used by others. There are still a few people who believe that shaving the hairline will help it regrow. This one drew my attention instantaneously. Is it true? Hair that has been damaged by heat styling, chemical processing, or colouring can be removed by shaving your head. It will not, however, impact the hair’s growth cycle. The quality of your hair is determined inside the hair follicle during hair development. Conditions such as stress, hormones, genetics, and a lack of the proper nutrients may affect hair quality but shaving your head will not always address a receding hairline or any other sort of hair loss.
Trichologist Celestine Gitau IAT
