What do you think about clippers causing traction alopecia?

[Guest]

Most interested to hear gillenator's opinion on this, but everyone can chime in of course. Dr. Armani claims in this link as his associates have before that shaving your head and/or using clippers persistently can over time damage and reduce your donor supply.

Here's the link that I'm quoting from:

http://hair-loss-news-online.com/blogs/ ... 06/02.aspx

"Certain hair cuts are not healthy for the hair. If one uses clippers all the time for hair cuts, they pull the hair out. Over time, they also pull out the roots of the hair.

I often see this in consults when a patient has been shaving the hair on his head for 5-10 years. By this time, he is often a poor candidate for a hair transplant, because he has depleted his donor tissue.

This type of hair loss is clearly TRACTION ALOPECIA. In other words, by mechanical trauma from the hair clippers and persistent shaving, and the subsequent shock to the scalp, many roots or the genetic material falls out.

For this reason, I always recommend scissor to cut the hair on you head, even if the style is short hair. Do not deplete your donor density and accelerate your hair loss by TRACTION ALOPECIA.

--Dr. Antonio Alvi Armani"


What does everyone think of this? it doesn't really make sense to me and he seems to be the only person who's said this. Maybe if the hair is on its way out already then the clippers could cause this, but if you're on a 5ar inhibiting drug that's protecting your hair, I don't see how clippers or razors could cause permanent loss in the donor area.

 

[Cassin]

I live in a hot and humid climate so quite a few people here shave their heads. I know a couple people who shave their head often and are fine.

Wouldn't the people with this loss have patchy thin spots all over their head?

I dunno....sounds like an odd theory...

 

[Guest]

It does sound odd and if any normal slob was saying it I'd say he's full of it. But it's a reputable transplant surgeon so it should be discussed I guess.

 

[Lucky_UK]

Hmm I dont know if I can agree with this, before my transplant I used to buzz my hair and I never noticed any more baldness than when I didnt, I think Dr Armani should clip his own hair for a couple of years to see if this is actually the case, but it didnt with me, I never noticed any follicles trapped between my clipper blades anyway.

 

[sphlanx2006]

Actually this article scared the hell out of me. I have been buzzing the sides of my head down to a 2-3mm length for the last 6-7 years. And some parts of it appear to be diffusing especially the area above the ears. It is not a visual problem when my sides are short but when they grow out it looks patchy.

I think i will start cutting it with a scissors but i dont think i could find a style to suit me.

 

[Guest]

Bump for gillenator. He knows a lot of hair transplant docs and people in the biz so I wanna hear what he thinks

 

[Cassin]

PM so he sees this. He comes and goes in bunches.

 

[Guest]

Sorry I did not catch this earlier, but actually, posting is a small part of what I do as an advocate.

You're sharp Jayman. After seeing thousands of patients in person over the last three decades, I can indeed explain this phenomenon. Both sides are correct. Please let me first explain exactly what potential damage traction alopecia can and will do to the hair roots and follicles.

First off, I physically see this in more cases involving women, and especially African American women who braid their hair. I have also observed this in black men who have braided their hair for years. IT"S A BIG NO NO!!! Why?

Because essentially the long term tension is what does the damage. It's the continual unending tight pull of the hair and this puts the hair follicles and roots under damaging strain. The hair follicle is pulled and stretched until eventually it damages the dermal papilla inside the hair follicle which is unrepairable. Nerves and even blood vessels can repair themselves, but not hair follicles. So once the permanent damage is done, NO MORE HAIR PRODUCTION!

Please allow me to expound on this issue just a little further regarding the use of hair clippers. IMHO, the use of clippers for buzz cutting is fine, AS LONG AS YOU USE ONE THAT IS SHARP, NOT DULL. There is far less tension using cutting instruments that are sharp. Think of it for a moment. Have you ever used a razor to shave and then keep using the same blade until it gets real dull? It literally will drag across the skin surface pulling what stubble it can because the blade is too dull to cut it. Facial hair is almost always a much higher degree of coarseness than scalp or other BH.

Here is the other factor. It's how men use the clippers when they buzz. Most guys buzz their own heads. Yet they cannot see the back (donor) area, so sometimes they tend to scathe the clippers across the area in an upawrd pull direction. If you have been using the same dull clippers for years, your causing additional strain from those forceful movements.

Let the instrument do the work. You don't have to pull IF the cutting instrument is sharp. Another thing. If you buzz, have a significant other do it for you, possibly ask them to cut that back area for you in an even direction that won't pull the hair as the cut is made.

In my professional opinion as a layperson, I believe what the doctor is seeing are guys who have used dull cutting instruments. Although it was not specifically mentioned, I would bet anything that he also sees guys who do not have the traction alopecia and yet buzz cut their heads. See the difference?

One last comment about traction alopecia. If the patient male or female also has male pattern baldness, and braids their hair, they will potentially lose this hair at a much faster rate than someone who does not. I have observed this in many, many patients.

Hope this has been of some help...

 

[Guest]

thanks gill, i thought it was a bit hard to believe myself.

 

[skotya]

Sorry to bring back this thread but this article is interesting although it don't make sense to me at all .