The trend in cosmetics has been linked to migraines, hair loss, and allergic responses.
A social worker in her forties visited my office because she was experiencing severe headaches. She had already undergone an expensive evaluation that included an MRI of her brain and cerebral arteries, costing several thousand dollars. In this case, the MRI was able to rule out some very serious potential causes of the headaches.
She groaned in pain as I touched the area of her head over her left temple that she said hurt the most. I felt the rows of tightly braided extensions for hair near me and realized that they had been put in approximately two weeks prior, around the time her symptoms first appeared.
Tightly pulled ponytails, braids, and chignons can also trigger headaches, so it wasn't the first time I'd encountered a patient with this complaint. Although those hairdos are easily undone to relieve stress on the scalp, my patient was hesitant to have her extensions cut. She spent eight hours in a salon chair getting them put in, so she was prepared to endure the discomfort.
Hair extensions are all the rage because they can make even the thinnest head of hair look full and long. They are said to be worn by hordes of famous people. Hair extensions can be clipped on, sewn in, or applied in strands (weft) or individually, and can be made of human hair, synthetic materials, or a combination of the two. Using the strand-by-strand technique, wefts of synthetic hair are sewn onto chunks of the client's own hair. The weft technique involves attaching a horizontal curtain of hair. Bonding, gluing, heat fusing, metal tube clamping, or sewing are then used in both techniques to secure the hair to the scalp. Many hours and hundreds to thousands of dollars are required for a full-head application of extensions to lengthen short hair.
Traction alopecia is the medical term for hair loss and balding brought on by the technique. Both persistent inflammation and a dislodging of the hair shaft from the follicle are suspected contributors to hair thinning. Besides the pain my patient experienced, other side effects of using extensions include itching, tangled and matted hair, and a loss of shine. Sensitization to glues, rubbers, or other chemicals used for extension application and removal can also induce contact dermatitis and, in extremely rare situations, life-threatening allergic reactions.
A small brunette named Randee Bank who frequents the hair shop I frequent remarked that the look of extensions had been so appealing to her that she wore them every day despite the accompanying headaches. Finally, she stopped when she saw multiple bald places where the extensions had yanked out strands of her hair. Due to irreparable damage to her hair follicles, her doctor has informed her that she will never again have healthy hair growth.
The different approaches Bank has attempted over the years have all failed, she said. If you pull them out, you'll appear like a rat chewed your hair, so you'll be compelled to put them back in to cover up the damage they've done.
Perhaps even famous people are having second thoughts. The tabloids have published photos of bald spots on Britney Spears and Naomi Campbell, while Jennifer Aniston has stated that the use of hair extensions has caused her hair to shrink.
0
