5 Braid Mistakes That Can Cause Alopecia

Braids are great. They’re a fun way to style your hair, and they can help you rock a new look for a few days at a time. But there’s one thing that braids can do that we don’t like: cause Alopecia.

Alopecia is a fancy word for hair loss, and it’s something that plagues many people—even those who don’t have braids! But if you want to keep your hair looking its best, it’s important to know what you’re doing wrong so that you can fix it before it’s too late.

You’re probably thinking: “Wait a minute… Braids cause baldness?”

Well, yes. If you’re making the same mistakes with your braids that we’ve seen over and over again (and if you’re not, then good for you!), then yes, they can cause alopecia. We know—it sounds crazy! But it’s true. Here are five mistakes you might be making with your braids that could be causing alopecia.

Braiding too tightly.

This one is so common! You see someone with a cute braid going down their back and you want one just like it, but when you try it yourself, it feels like your scalp is being ripped off. If this sounds familiar, don’t worry—we’ve got your back (literally). Just remember that braids are supposed to be stretched at the roots, not pulled tight against them. And if you’re using extensions (which we definitely recommend), then loosen them up! Braiding too tightly can cause alopecia—and no one wants that!

Using too much product.

While it may seem counter intuitive, using too much product can actually cause breakage and damage to your hair over time. When you apply too much product, your hair becomes weighed down and is unable to hold its natural shape. The result is that the hair breaks off at the root as it attempts to return to its natural state of being free from excessive weight or moisture.

Not moisturizing enough before styling.

If you’re going to braid your hair, you need to make sure that you properly prepare it beforehand by moisturizing it daily with a quality moisturizer or conditioner that works well with your unique hair type. This will ensure that when the braids are removed, your scalp will be protected from any potential damage caused by rubbing against the fabric of the elastic band used in most braids.

You don’t protect your edges with a satin scarf at night.

Your edges are delicate—and if they’re getting rubbed against the pillowcase every night by accident (or because it’s just too hot for regular cotton), then those edges are going to start thinning out pretty quickly! So make sure you’re protecting those delicate baby hairs with something soft and smooth like satin or silk scarf at bed time.

You pull too hard when removing them

This is another big one—it seems like everyone wants their braids out as soon as possible after getting them done, but pulling too hard can cause serious damage to your edges. Remember: slow and steady wins the race! Just be patient and wait until you feel comfortable enough to remove.

To sum up, our advice and counsel is to be careful. Don’t just go and do hasty hairstyles that you see online or on TV. Research and see if the hairstyle is doable for your hair texture. There’s no shame in wearing protective styles too; they are better than getting alopecia from your braids!

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