AFTER watching her flash her long silky stresses on the catwalk for years, hardly anyone pondered what exactly famed supermodel Naomi Campbell had hidden underneath the wigs and extensions she regularly sported.
That was until recently when photos of the model on a photoshoot indicated that she suffered from what some experts say is a serious case of traction alopecia, as a result of her extended use of weaves. The photos show Campbell sporting a severely balding hairline, after the wind blew her hair during a grooming session.
The images have been making the rounds in cyberspace, and have had tongues wagging and keypads clicking, as many speculate about the severity of her well-hidden condition. It also brings home the point of what many doctors consider the cause — traction alopecia, which is an all too common problem in black women who wear wigs, weaves and braids over an extended period.
“A lot of black women suffer from it and this is due to how they style their hair; they pull their hair back and it pulls on the root of the hair and the hair comes out,” explained skin specialist Dr Neil Persadsingh.
“I have lots of patients over the years who had extensions who now have no hair on their head,” he pointed out.
In addition to the constant pulling of the hair which occurs when braiding and putting in cornrows, traction alopecia can occur as a result of the over processing of the hair which weakens it. This makes the hair fall out much easier when brushing and combing.
“How the scalp in some black people tend to be, is that the fibre holding the hair root down in the dermis are not as strong as they should be, and therefore it is easy for those hairs to come out,” said Dr Persadsingh.
Traction alopecia occurs over a period of time. In the beginning, patients usually notice small bumps on the scalp and a thinning of the hairline as a result of stress to the follicles. It is at this stage that the individual needs to act, by either removing the braids from their hair or loosening the tension that is being placed on it.
“In the early stages, we educate the patients and tell them not to use that hairstyle and it will recover,” said Dr Persadsingh. “However, very often we style the hair very tight, especially the braids and the extensions and that puts a lot of tension on the roots of the hair and because of that, the hair comes out and after a while they can’t do anything about it.”
The hair can take anywhere from between three months to a year to be restored, provided that the individual starts wearing different hairstyles that doesn’t create much tension. However, if the individual continues to ignore the hair loss, then it will become permanent.
The doctor suggests that those affected by traction alopecia visit a dermatologist for treatment which can help to restore the hair. These treatments vary, but can help to restore hair.
“I inject the scalp with steroids to try and get it to grow, then the last thing is Rogaine, which is minoxidil which encourages your hair to grow,” Persadsingh said, adding that Vitamin E is also prescribed for hair loss.
Those receiving treatment are encouraged to wear wigs to hide their receding hairline or let out their hair to ensure that their scalp is free from tension. A monthly deep conditioning scalp massage is also a good idea as it helps to stimulate follicles, leading to a healthier hair growth.
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