The ponytail is sometimes the easiest and most practical hairstyle. You can wear it at home, in your pajamas, hanging out with friends in a casual outfit, or even on the red carpet in a beautiful dress and high heels, as our favorite celebrities have often done.
But it is important to be aware of how often you wear your hair like this. If you have a habit of pulling your hair too hard and keeping it that way all day, you may face some nasty problems down the road.
We want you to be healthy, which is why we think it is best to inform you about the side effects of this common hairstyle.
You Might Develop Migraines
The ponytail headache is as real as it sounds. It is a type of allodynia, which means that something normal causes pain.
Your hair is not sensitive to pain, but under the hair follicles are nerves that can be activated by strong tugging and you can feel pain.
Your Scalp May Start To Hurt
As with the ponytail headache, the nerves that are triggered by pulling too hard will make your scalp sore.
It actually comes from the skin and the perifollicular area of the scalp, that is, the region around each hair, pore, or follicle.
Therefore, the nerve endings attached to each hair are really affected. You will probably notice the pain immediately after the hair is released.
You Could Experience Back Pain
Your scalp can be under a lot of stress, especially if you have thick hair. The pain appears and can spread to the neck and back.
This is because you activate your sensory nerves, even more, forcing all that hair to stand on end. And we usually use a little hairband to do that.
The Skin On Your Face Might Stretch Out
Excessive ponytails are definitely not good for the skin because they lose elasticity. In time, you will look older.
If you keep your hair tied up every day, your skin may stretch for a long time.
Your Hair Might Get Tangled
Wearing a tight ponytail for an extended period can cause friction and tension in the hair. Be prepared to spend a lot of time detangling your hair from ties, headbands, and more if you do.
You Might Develop Alopecia
Traction alopecia is a specific type of hair loss along the hairline and occurs when tension is applied to the hair. Look for small bumps on the scalp.
You may also experience tenderness or a crusting sensation. Fortunately, you can grow your hair out normally if you change the habit of wearing pigtails for so long.
Have you experienced any of these symptoms? How often do you keep your hair in a ponytail? What hairstyle is your favorite?
