Are trendy man buns causing acute baldness?
Jared Leto, Orlando Bloom, Chris Hemsworth and Harry Styles are some of Hollywood’s most good looking men who share one common trait – the man bun.
The long, luscious locks slicked back in a tight bun has become a trendy hairstyle for some men, but the new-do can cause serious damage called traction alopecia, or acute baldness.
“Traction alopecia is the gradual hair loss caused by repetitive pulling on hair follicles,” says Dr. Amy Derick, dermatologist at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, Ill. “Typically, you see this happen around the front hairline and temple from hairstyles like the man bun, top knot or slicked back braid worn over a long period of time.”
Normally, the condition has been seen in women, especially African American women who wear weaves or tight braids, but recently it has been reported to be just as common with men.
“I see it probably once or twice a week,” said dermatologist Sabra Sullivan, who first reported the news to Mic. “It’s really, really common.”
Dr. Derick recommends giving hair a break.
“Any behavior that applies physical stress to the hair should be avoided to minimize breakage,” she says. “Furthermore, hair loss can be exacerbated when a patient wears their hair in a wet ponytail at night causing inflammation to the hair follicles.”
Dr. Derick suggests both men and women should keep one simple rule in mind – keep it loose.
“Once the damage has occurred, it’s hard to reverse,” she says.
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health enews staff is a group of experienced writers from our Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care sites, which also includes freelance or intern writers.
I think thats awesome, but I honestly don’t know a man that would even try and pull off that look, but good for them.