If your hair style of choice is to wear your hair in a pony tail or bun up high on your head then you could be contributing to your own hair loss. I have to admit, while looking up information on this subject it freaked me out so much I pulled my bun out, (my daily look,) right at that moment. I have enough beauty problems to worry about then to have to worry about going bald. My routine of getting out of the shower and keeping my hair up until I get back in the shower the next day needs to stop. Getting ready? Yeah, I miss all the hours I lost in my 20’s just getting ready for work. I can’t believe I woke up 2 hours before work to get totally ready. I wouldn’t be caught dead with my hair not primped and curled. Those days are long gone, hence the pony/bun look I have been rockin as of late. I have even been sleeping with it at times. Well this post has scared me straight.
Ladies with long or thick hair may notice thinning hair on the top of their head, or that their hair has gotten thinner. Pulling can actually cause alopecia, another form of hair loss. A common misconception is that women think their hair has stopped growing, when in fact it is just the hair breaking off from the tight rubber band.
- Wear your pony lower on your head. No higher than the height of your ears.
- Try a a more elastic rubber band, it will put less stress on your hair and roots.
- Change up your hair style. Even once a week will make a big difference.
- Wearing a loose pony or bun at the nape of your neck will be the least stressful for your hair.
- Once you stop wearing tight pony tails the hair loss will halt and will not be permanent
Kimberly says
I’ve been wearing ponytails pretty much since I had long enough hair to pull back into one and I definitely have thin hair at my temples. Any research on being able to reverse it?
My Thirty Spot says
I have been wearing them more often lately, and even just having my hair up in a bun. I have noticed the whispy thin hair at my temples too that has never been there before. The last point says to stop wearing it so tight and it will halt, but I need to find out if there are other ways too since this has never happened before and I don’t like it!
Djjdbxb says
You can just search up different types of hairstyles on YouTube and it will show lots of them but I just can’t find the right one for me!
Lucy says
Yikes! I wear my hair pulled back all the time. It’s hard to chase after a toddler with hair in your face. But god knows, I don’t want to lose all my hair. Hmmmm, keep my hair and leave my toddler to his own devices or be able to see him and go bald??? Not good choices. :)
Deana@ says
Iv’e been thinking about cutting my hair….this helped me make my decision
easier….thanks love your site…..
atvchick95 says
I have worn my hair in a pony tail daily and sometimes to bed for the last 27 years, about 10 yrs ago I found out I had a thyroid problem, I’ve done a lot of damage to my hair in the past started bleaching and dying it at 13. Hair spray out the wazoo. But I stopped all that when I was 21 minus the dying my hair After I had my daughter I had no time to mess with my hair any more, so a Quick hair dye job at home and that was about it. well having a thyroid issue my hair falls out in clumps(never did before even with all the heck I put it through) long story short about 8 months ago I was taking a pic of my hair to show a friend on FB how long my hair had gotten even though it falls out so much, well when I uploaded the pic I noticed a bald spot. I thought It was just how my hair was laying on my head, Well tonight I sat in my bathroom balling my eyes out, Again taking pics of my hair This time for Smiley360.com which is a website I’m a member of and get free products to test and review, Today I went and got my Aveeno Nourish + dandruff shampoo and conditioner to try, I took a before pic – which I had just taken my “bun” out and used my fingers to “comb” it, then got my bath and brushed my hair, and took a After pic IN both pics I have that same bald spot only much larger No one has ever noticed it because my hair is up ALL the time and the bald spot is right where my bun or when I have it in a pony tail(very seldom) sits on the top of my head I am devastated I am 37 years old and I should NOT have a bald spot, My mom is a beautician and I will be calling her in the AM to find out for sure if wearing my hair up all the time could be the cause of this ugly bald spot, I just know in the last 8/9 yrs wearing it all up (I used to only put half up or A normal pony tail (not pulled tight) has made my hair grow much longer used to never get past my shoulders 3 yrs ago my daughter and I had a Mother/Daughter day at the hair dressers and I got my hair cut to my shoulders I haven’t had a hair cut since and it’s well below my bra strap when I wasn’t wearing my hair up 24/7 (or at least not all of it) my hair would never grow but maybe 1 inch past my shoulders, Now it is, my biggest issue is I HATE MY HAIR, It’s semi curly(used to be very very curly) when it dries it’s a Bush on my head I look like I put my finger in a light socket no matter if i use gels or not. lol so I hate my hair down, I hate it up, I hate it short and I hate it long- What on earth am I supposed to do LOL don’t say shave it bald I have considered that ! LOL
Jen says
Hey, go to your doctor you need something for your thyroid and yeah wear your hair down for a while and try and let it dry natural and don’t wash it every day let it get dirty.
Leigh says
I just noticed a huge bald thin spot on the back of my head, and I wear my hair in a bun all the time. I mostly noticed this because I got a bad sunburn on the part in my hair. I am so embarrassed it’s a fairly large bald spot. Maybe to me it’s bigger but it’s making me paranoid. I have been losing hair a lot in the last few years, like every time I brush huge strands come out. Could this all be caused by my scrunches? Help!
My Thirty Spot says
Hi Leigh,
I think having your hair up could be part of the problem. Try a hair supplement. Viviscal – extra strength. It promotes hair growth. Take once a day. Takes about 4 – 6 weeks to notice a difference.
Good luck!
Reina says
I don’t think I would have any way around this. Even with a low ponytail or bun I have tie my hair tight. My hair’s too thick and heavy and a lot of times 3-4 elastics don’t work well enough to keep it secure.
Shania Lloyd says
If I wore my hair down all the time would my hair grow back in the bald spot on the top of my head ?? Please help
My Thirty Spot says
It would help if you stopped wearing tight ponytail. Also, start taking Biotin. It is a vitamin that helps hair growth. This is just advice. My girlfriend found good results with biotin. This is not medical advice.
Shania Lloyd says
Great thanks
Seqi says
Well, that makes exactly no sense. Wearing a ponytail lower on your neck is going to pull the front / bang hair even harder. It might not be pulling it as tight, but the tension from the ponytail being pulled all the way down like that will obviously make it even worse. Any actual helpful suggestions? A backwards ponytail maybe?
Erin Kennedy says
Nope, you’re wrong. If it lays on your lower neck, it is not pulling at your roots as much. It does not pull harder, it barley pulls at all. Just make sure the elastic is not too tight also.
Jen says
Hey front of my hair seems to be all breaking off and under my ears. ive just started taking biotin viviscal and some others. drinking lots of water trying to wear my hair down as much a poss. conditioning avoiding stress. I don’t not else to do. anymore advice?
Natalie says
I used to tie my hair in a tight high pony, but then i realized how much damage it causes.. so i’ve started tying low ponys. But i still have a lot of baby hairs sticking out, also at the sides of my temples whispy thin hair sticks out. why does that happen and what should i do??
Erin Kennedy says
The baby hairs are from when you did wear high pony tails. It takes months for those baby hairs to grow, and now you are seeing the results of the high pony. You can still wear pony tails, but they do need to be loose. You can start taking the vitamin Biotin to help with hair growth. Here is another post with more tips: https://www.mythirtyspot.com/15-tips-to-grow-long-thick-healthy-hair/
Sara says
I have very thick and very curly hair. The only way to make it look good is to mouse it. I started doing my hair with mouse five years ago and I always put in in a pony after except for once a week or so. In 17 now and for the past five years I have been wearing tight ponytails night and day. I just realized that the left side of my hairline goes way further back than my right. Now I try wearing my hair in a braid more often because b/c down everyday would be so annoying. Fortunately my hairline looks straighter. But whenever I try wearing a pony it looks crooked again. Will my hairline go back to normal? Will I ever be able to wear a ponytail again? I really need an answers.
Erin Kennedy says
Yes, your hair will grow back. The same thing happened to me when I would wear my hair in a pony or bun and had my hairline brushed to the right. My hair started to recede where I would split my part. I stopped doing that and stopped making it so tight. It took about a year, but that part of my hair grew back. I don’t part my hair there as much, and if I do, it is loose. I wear my hair up at night every night, but loose. You will be fine. You can also look into taking the vitamin Biotin that is for hair growth. Good luck.
Kymberly says
I’m biracial, and I have very thick, heavy hair. It’s slightly past shoulder length… Well I’m 26, & for the most part have always worn my hair up, in either a pony tail or a bun. I have put maybe 8 relaxers in my hair since the age of maybe 17.. Trying to make it more manageable. But I hardly use them anymore bc I read how damaging they can be, but the last one I did put in my hair was about 5 months ago. I then noticed I had spike like hairs coming from my scalp in different places. I’m assuming these spike like hairs are actually broken hairs they are more apparent to me now since they are straight. Not only that, I have noticed over the past year or so that I have a very thin spot right in the middle of my head where the bun usually lays. I am so upset about this. It’s not noticeable as I always wear my hair up, but just knowing it’s there upsets me. When I was younger (since I’ve always work my hair up) my grandmother would tell me “wearing your hair up will make your hair fall out”… Now I see she was right, bc it’s definitely thinner right in the middle. Is this from my hair not breathing, or is it from the bun moving around in one spot all the time? Or both? I really need some advice. I feel overwhelmed with the lack of knowledge I seen to have about my own hair! Through info on the web I found out you shouldn’t brush your hair while wet, they your hair is at its weakest.. But that seems to be the only time my hair is easier to manage, when it’s wet. Please, any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you
Jordyn says
I’m a dancer and I have to wear either a ponytail or bun almost everyday. Only one side of my hair has thinned a lot but the temples on both sides are starting to thin too. What do I do?
Erin Kennedy says
This is a hard one. Try taking Biotin a vitamin supplement that helps hair growth, another help is adding some coconut oil to your diet. When brushing your hair after you get out of the shower, make sure you use a leave-in conditioner before brushing or drying. Don’t wear your hair in a pony when not dancing. Hope these will help.
Alexis says
Hi I’m 15 and ever since I was like 11 or 12 I always wore the same hair style which was the Bun. And my hairline is far back, and I’m trying to grow a hairline so I can get a haircut so I don’t have to wear it in a bun and have my hair go back further. will my hair grow back after that long?
Sarah says
What if you wore you hair in a tight bun for over a year will your hair still grow back?
Erin Kennedy says
Yes, I wear one every day and I used to have to have a tight bun and my hair still grew out. Try Biotin vitamins. That helps hair growth.
Alison Remy says
Hi my hair is falling out at the side beause i was tieing my hair up for 2 or three years what shall i use on my hair can you remmend a whai should buy to make it grow back im very worried about my hair. Woul biotin vitamin help and coconut oil hep can you email me back asap thankyou i never you use tie my hair up tight.
Jennifer Medlin says
My hair has been getting thinner and thinner around the nape of my kneck (for the past few years). I have been wearing a ponytail or bun most days for 3 years or so, but it doesn’t seem to be causing my hair to thin anywhere else. Could the ponytail/bun be the culprit? I’m 49 and expected my hair to thin out, but the way it’s happening is just weird.
Erin Kennedy says
It is absolutely the ponytail or bun. That is where your hair is pulled from when it is up. Try wearing it in a loose pony or bun. Not so tight and start taking the vitamin Biotin and/or collagen.
Riley kimball says
My hair has always been very… Fine. For me I have to either wear it down or wear my hair tie super tight , because other wise I have no lick with hair ties (one with rubber doodads to help them grip your hair are pain to get out , any other hair ties either has to be super tight or falls out with any… Physical activity (sports pe etc.)what do I do