Dreadlocks are becoming more popular throughout the years, due to dreads becoming a fashion statement. Dreadlock go back thousands of years for many different reasons, being a big part of many cultures and religious beliefs.
Now it has become a trend to follow, they are being used more by both males and females, and unfortunately, both males and females suffer from the same amount of hair loss.
Do dreadlocks cause hair loss and thinning? Absolutely. Although it’s a problem side effect of wearing dreads, you can follow steps to help prevent hair loss and care for your dreads to maintain them as well as you can. This will help to try to stop any type of hair loss or thinning from happening.
Find out what is causing or contributing to your dreadlock’s thinning and what steps you can follow to help get your hair back to its full health and glory.
Dreadlocks Causing Hair Loss?
It can be daunting when you’ve been growing your dreads for years, and you start to notice your dreads are weak at the scalp and begin to pull your hair tight.
It is stressful that dreadlocks take years to grow and create a work of art and it’s essential to maintain them to prevent any damage to them or your scalp.
If you have noticed your dreads starting to weaken, become thin and shred in large volumes. Then it is possible that you could also be suffering from hair loss conditions due to your dreadlocks.
You may be suffering from traction alopecia or centrifugal cicatricial alopecia which are both types of conditions that can be triggered by wearing dreadlocks.
Keep reading to discover how you can stop the hair loss and thinning and regain the healthy dreadlocks you love.
Read Here: Why Do Dreadlocks Smell So Bad?
Symptoms of Dreads Balding
Many different types of symptoms come from suffering from thinning or hair loss due to your dreadlocks. Take a look at some of the possible symptoms you could suffer from –
- Thin Roots
- Bumps and Itching
- Scalp Blisters
- Red Scalp
- Dreads Becoming Weaker
Dying Your Dreadlocks –
It’s vital to avoid coloring your hair too much as this helps make you feel more attractive. It’s causing more damage to your hair long term and often leads to dry and brittle hair.
Using Bleaches, dyes and tints regularly on your hair does cause a tremendous amount of damage to your hair.
Chemical treatments cause our hair to become weak and thin. So remember if you are suffering from thinning avoid anything but natural products on your hair.
Steps To Follow When Dreadlocks are Causing Hair loss –
- Seek Treatments for Hair Loss or Thinning
There are a few treatments out there to help with this type of hair loss, so here are our top suggestions –
- PURA D’OR Scalp Therapy Shampoo & Healing Conditioner Set– This is a treatment pack that you use for up to three months, which helps to encourage your growth cycle great for regrowth. It increases the rate at which blood flows around your scalp, which restores hair growth and stops hair loss.
- The Patented Formula – This is a formula that contains all the nutrients your hair needs to be thicker and more robust, which will encourage natural hair growth.
- Be Sure to Be gentle When Caring for Your Dreadlocks.
It’s essential to follow a hair care routine when it comes to caring for your dreadlocks. You need to regularly watch your hair, but dreadlocks are delicate. This needs to be done gently and not too often because this could undo the structure of the dread you have built.
When you wash your dreads, avoid rubbing the scalp and merely rub the shampoo or conditioner gently stroking each dread, which avoids undoing the dreads. Make sure you pat your hair dry never use a hairdryer as this will cause too much heat damage.
2. Consider The Length of Your Dreadlocks
When you choose to let your dreadlocks get longer, there is an increased possibility that hair loss will occur due to the heavyweight the dreads are causing to the scalps.
It may be better to keep them shorter rather than longer to prevent the weight.
3. Styling Dreadlocks loosely
Anyone who is pulling their dreads up into a tight hairstyle will cause thinning at the roots. But even more so for people who have natural European hair types as this is just additional weight added to the scalp.
Overall, your hair’s repetitive pulling does cause tension around the hair on your scalp. This leads to hair loss and thinning, so it’s essential to consider your go-to style.
4. Find a Professional
It’s essential to find a professional (a loctician), to use the correct techniques to start and maintain your dreadlocks. The technician you choose will depend on your hair type, so they understand which method is best for your hair.
5. Avoid Re-Twisting Frequently
Twisting your dreadlocks is normally to freshen up the tops of your dreads attached to the scalp, helping to tighten them back up. If this is done too frequently and it’s too tight, this can cause breakages and thinness.
Therefore, this can cause the hair loss conditions we have discussed above, so although twisting is necessary, remember not to do it too often and too tightly. Read here to find out more about alopecia.
Traction Alopecia
Traction Alopecia is not only caused by tight dreads but tight hairstyles can cause this too. However, dreadlocks are heavy and are more likely to cause traction alopecia.
Situations that cause any stress on your scalp are intensive root maintenance, dreadlocks that are too heavy or very long and styles that lead to your dreads pulling too tight to the roots.
How to Save Your Thinning Dreads –
Your thinning dread can be prevented and reversed it is just essential to take proper care of them. Below are some ideas on how to save your thinning dreads –
- Vitamins – Regular vitamins A, C, E and biotin will help scalp issues and reverse hair thinning from your dreads.
- Try not to allow too many UV rays of the sun onto your dreads; just try using an umbrella or a hat to avoid having excessive UV.
- Ensure the go-to style you choose for your dreads is not causing much tension or tightness in your scalp.
Read Here: How Often Should you Retwist Your Dreads?
Conclusion
We now understand how dreadlocks can cause hair loss, along with a few hair loss conditions which can be brought on by dreadlocks. It’s essential to follow the steps above to avoid causing any thinning or hair loss.
You can also follow the steps above to try and avoid this becoming a problem for your dreads. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.