When you search “slicked-back bun” in TikTok, you’ll get near 600 million outcomes. It’s not only a celebrity-favorite coiffure. The girlies love the search for day or evening. Nevertheless it seems, the model won’t love you again. In actual fact, it’s doable slicked-back hair causes hair loss, however don’t stress. When you can’t dwell with out pulling your strands again right into a ponytail or a bun, there are a couple of methods to maintain from going bald. (Sorry.)
Lately, Sofia Richie Grainge‘s slicked-back bun tutorial went viral on the app. She calls it her “modern lazy woman bun.” Allow us to offer you a fast run-down. On clear, moist hair, she applies a ton of a protein-enriched hair masks. Severely, she soaks her hair in it. Then, she provides some cream and sections her strands, tying off one half with a skinny elastic. She finishes by tightly pulling again the remainder of her hair and secures the bun with one other elastic. “As a result of it began moist, it’s so secured onto your head,” she says. She finishes with extra cream and hair oil for shine.
She appears to be like beautiful. There’s little question. So do Bella Hadid, Kim Kardashian, and Hailey Bieber once they do a slicked-back coiffure. However there are some main purple flags with the best way Grainge does her model. The primary one is tying your hair again in any respect — particularly this tight — whereas it’s moist.
“Moist hair is extra susceptible because it stretches extra, and the cuticle just isn’t as robust as when it’s dry,” says NYC hairstylist and licensed trichologist, Shab Caspara. “Repeated rigidity to the hair cuticle could cause micro-tears, with chance for traction alopecia, which is a kind of hair loss brought on by continued rigidity in the identical space. Child hairs and chemically handled hair are particularly in danger.” Yup, we’re you, bleach blondes.
Helen Reavey, board-certified trichologist, hairstylist, and founding father of Act+Acre agrees. “Along with potential injury, break up ends and breakage, constantly placing the hair in tight hairstyles like slick-back buns can even trigger traction alopecia, which happens when the hair follicles are steadily pulled, leading to thinning or bald patches, particularly across the hairline and temples,” she says. That is true for moist or dry hair.
“Persistently styling your hair in tight hairstyles can put extreme stress on the hair, leaving it extra liable to breakage and scalp irritation,” Reavey provides. “Doing this model as soon as every week or as soon as each two weeks is completely okay, however in the event you’re doing it every day it could really result in hygral fatigue. This happens when extreme moisture penetrates the hair, inflicting repeated swelling and injury to the hair follicles.”
Black girls have recognized about traction alopecia eternally, as many protecting kinds, extensions, and wigs, could cause that hair loss, particularly across the temples. As an increasing number of hair sorts strive tight, slicked-back hairstyles, it’s turning into much more prevalent on extra hair sorts.
Sadly, that’s not the one difficulty with Grainge’s tutorial. It’s the hair masks. Now, the one she makes use of is nice in your hair whenever you comply with the instructions on the packaging. However leaving a “reparative,” bond-building masks in for too lengthy can do extra hurt than good. That’s why Reavey recommends utilizing a strictly hydrating masks in the event you’re going to maintain it in for a very long time. Search for moisturizing components and butters. “When you do add a hair masks to your modern again bun, all the time guarantee to rinse it out on the finish of the day,” she provides.
Along with placing an excessive amount of protein in your hair, presumably making it extra brittle, the masks might irritate your pores and skin in the event you depart it on all day. “Merchandise that weren’t meant to be left on the pores and skin or the scalp could cause scalp injury, so you’ll be able to encounter pores and skin irritation or clog your hair follicles and sufficient publicity to this sort of product use could cause hair thinning and hair loss,” Caspara says. Sure components in merchandise are simply meant to be rinsed out of the hair.
So, you’re keen on your slicked-back bun and also you aren’t going to retire it. That’s OK! Small modifications could make a giant distinction. You now know to model your hair when it’s dry. It’s additionally useful to make use of a mild hair tie made out of silk or satin to scale back breakage on the ends, Caspara says.
When you’ve already began to see thinning at your temples, or another bald patches, go see a dermatologist to rule out another causes. Then, skip the slicked-back bun in favor of the free, messy bun. Perhaps we should always carry that look again into model. Our hair will love us for it.