Man buns have become the new face of hipster, and the fact that Hollywood celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio love to wear it only adds to its growing popularity. But can it cause some problems, say, male baldness?
The answer seems to be yes, according to one Canadian doctor, Jeff Donovan. In an interview with Globalnews Canada, Dr Donovan, who is a board-certified dermatologist specializing in hair loss and hair transplantation, it may trigger traction alopecia.
Alopecia is the general term for hair loss. One of the most common types is alopecia areata, which causes the hair to naturally fall off. An autoimmune disease, the body's immune system attacks the follicles, preventing the hair from growing.
Traction alopecia, however, is not an autoimmune condition. However, it can still cause gradual hair loss due to the amount of force applied to the hair. Although the hair can withstand a certain amount of force, constant pulling and the application of a much greater force can be potentially damaging.
Another dermatologist, Dr Sabra Sullivan, speaking in Mic, tends to agree with Dr Donovan's explanation. The said article also shared that although traction alopecia is more associated with women based on the studies conducted many years ago, the same effect may still happen to men. Dr Sullivan said she had already seen the condition in men wearing man buns.
A New York hairstylist, Dennis Zuniga, also mentioned in Mic that once the follicles have already been damaged due to regular pulling, the hair may no longer grow again.
The good news is that men don't have to stop wearing the man bun altogether. The general rule agreed by both doctors and other experts is to make the knot a little bit loose to reduce the force applied on the hair. It may also help to avoid wearing the hairstyle constantly.
Aside from man buns, traction alopecia may happen for those who regularly wear in braids.