Traction alopecia is different from other types of thinning hair. It is topical other than patterned. It appears along the scalp where the hair is being tugged or pulled. At first, it may appear like male pattern baldness more so if you wear man ponytails, buns or braids. These hair styles tend to tug the hair along the front and sides of the hairline. Traction alopecia affects both men and women. The best thing is it can be treated using emu oils.
Before you start using emu oils to treat traction alopecia, you need to be certain you are not dealing with another cause of hair loss. If you suspect traction alopecia, the first thing to look for is small bumps on the scalp. Male pattern baldness doesn’t have this. Small bumps will appear at points where the hair is being tugged tightly by your hairstyle. The small bumps will be visible in the front and at the base of hair strands. If the bumps are inflamed, your hair follicles are under too much pressure and that may limit the growth of new hair.
Other signs of traction alopecia include:
- Blisters or pimples
- Itchiness, soreness or redness of the skin
- Flakiness that looks like extreme dandruff
- Inflammation of hair follicles. This is a medical condition known as folliculitis.
If you are certain the condition is as a result of traction alopecia, the first thing you must do is take a break. You need to avoid hairstyles that strain your hair follicles. Experts recommend giving your hair a break of at least 2 weeks. Giving the hair a break will give the hair follicles and hair room to recover.
Changing your hairstyle every two weeks is also highly recommended. Turn to looser hairstyles. Switch from hair elastics or rubber bands to ribbons, strips of cloth or wrapped hair bands. You should also turn to thick dreads and braids as they put less pressure on hair follicles.
Another thing you must do is avoid harsh chemical hair treatments and heat. Blow dryers, dyes, straighteners and perms will worsen the condition.
Using emu oil
Emu oil is a great natural remedy for traction alopecia because of its high levels of fatty acids more so palmitic acids and linoleic acids. The oil is also rich in vitamin E which helps improve blood circulation to the scalp and follicles. Emu oils also have high antimicrobial and antibacterial properties which prevent infections and improve healing on the scalp and hair follicles.
Emu oil has been proven clinically to be effective in awakening dormant hair follicles. To get the best results, you should apply a few drops of the oil on your clean palm and rub it gently on your scalp section by section. Once you cover all the hair with the oil, cover your hair in a clean towel and allow the oil to rest for at least 5 minutes. Wash your hair using a gentle shampoo then a gentle conditioner. Doing this regularly with pure emu oil will lead to remarkable results when treating traction alopecia.