While we all love a great accessory, especially one that’s easy to throw on, we need to be careful of the damage that those accessories could do to our hair.
This is especially true if we’re trying to make our hair grow a certain way.
Headbands As a Training Aid:
Headbands can be a great tool to train hair to grow away from the face, but going overboard with headbands can cause damage to your hair at the roots. Some people may get traction alopecia, a type of acquired hair loss caused by excessive pulling on the hair.
Can You Train Your Hair to Grow Backwards?
Absolutely, but you must be willing to put in the time to get it to change its growth direction.
Patience and consistency are the most important thing to consider if you’re trying to change the direction of your hair growth. Using various techniques over time will ensure that you healthily train your hair.
First, when you get out of the shower, spend some time while your hair is damp, brushing it back and away from your forehead. If you don’t want to let it air dry, you can use the cool setting on your hair dryer to blow the hair backward, away from your forehead.
You may also consider growing out some length in your hair. The weight will help train your hair, and once it’s growing in the way you want, you can always trim the length back.
To ensure that your hair growth happens healthily, vary your techniques as you attempt to train your hair. That will lessen the overall negative impacts on your hair follicles while achieving the desired effect over time.
Do Headbands Affect Hair Growth?
Headbands won’t stimulate hair growth, but they can have other effects, especially when shaping and damaging hair.
Hats and headbands are great ways to get your hair on the right path, but excessive and incorrect use of headbands can damage the hair.
Can Headbands Push Back Your Hairline?
Yes, headbands can cause receding hairlines, especially if you wear them too tightly or wear them all the time without giving your hair a break.
However, if you normally wear your hair in a ponytail or bun, using a headband can be a great way to leave your hair down (to give the area under the hair tie a break) but also keep it out of your face.
You’ll want to do so gently and over time while training your hair to grow backward. If you always secure it back as tightly as possible, you can damage your hair at the roots. Eventually, the roots and follicles become damaged, and you’ll notice that your hairline is receding.
This condition is called traction alopecia, and while it can affect anyone, it’s prevalent in women of African descent. According to studies, about one-third of women of African descent will suffer from traction alopecia.
Luckily, many hairstyles have a low risk of causing traction alopecia. There are also ways to reduce your risk even if you want to wear styles that create a lot of tension on the hair, such as not using chemical treatments or dyes in conjunction with those styles.
Do Tight Headbands Cause Hair Loss?
Conditions like traction alopecia are caused by various factors that cause a lot of pressure on the hair at the root.
A headband that is too tight can certainly contribute to this problem, especially if you have also chemically treated your hair with straightening agents or dyes.
As with most things, it isn’t necessarily that a headband will cause hair loss, but rather that overuse and incorrect application of a headband can contribute to hair loss.
Can Headbands Permanently Change Your Hair Shape?
Headbands can permanently change your hair shape, depending on your methods, and this change can be either positive or negative.
Think of it this way: If you tie your shoes with the right tension, they are comfortable and secure. If you tie your shoes too tightly, you’ll notice painful pressure in your feet.
Can Headbands Push Back Your Hairline?
This would be considered a negative change for most people.
Using headbands that are consistently too tight can damage your hair follicles permanently, meaning that the hair will never grow back in those places.
However, if you notice that you’re losing hair from styles with excessive pulling or overly tight headbands, you can reverse the hair loss if you change the hairstyle.
You may have to find a different look or style to suit your needs, but addressing the problem quickly and efficiently is much better than continuing and causing irreversible damage.
Does Sleeping in a Headband Impact Your Hair?
Using headbands while you’re sleeping can help protect your hair, or it can create prolonged strain on your hair follicles.
Let’s start with the positive. Especially for people with curly hair, using a headband at night can ensure that your hair isn’t crushed underneath your head.
A headband or scarf to create a pineapple style can ensure that your curls aren’t damaged or broken on your pillow. A satin or silk headband can help reduce frizz, especially around the hairline.
A clean cotton or linen headband can help prevent oils in your hair overnight and keep your pillowcase cleaner.
On the flip side, re-using headbands can cause your hair to be greasy and oily since you’re depositing the oils back onto your hair. If you wear the headband too tight, you can also damage your hair.
However, you may prolong the damage since the tightness may not be uncomfortable to wake you up.
Sources:
All Hairstyles are Not Created Equal | Johns Hopkins Medicine