Why Does My Hair Hurt?

April 27, 2017

Why Does My Hair Hurt?

If you don’t shampoo and condition for a while, oils that your scalp produces naturally accumulate around your hair shaft, promoting the overgrowth of yeast on your scalp. “It's not actually that your hair hurts, but the skin and perifollicular area of the scalp—the region around each hair, pore, or follicle,” explains Manhattan-based dermatologist Francesca Fusco.

“The scalp is incredibly rich in blood supply, nerve endings, and oil glands. Additionally, this yeast (pityrosporum) builds up, leading to dandruff. The combination of these factors can cause inflammation, which translates to sensitivity that can feel like your hair hurting.”

High ponytail, cornrows, buns, and braids

The fact that greasy hair is often put up in a tight ponytail—and sometimes swept up in a bun for sleeping—doesn’t help matters. Wearing your hair in the same style, like a high ponytail, cornrows, buns, or braids for days at a time, can also contribute to more pain. “If this happens, I recommend using a pH balancing scalp care shampoo,” says Dr. Fusco. “It will eliminate flakes, yeast, dandruff, and nourish hair.” Also, avoid using elastic hair ties; instead opt for cloth ponytail holders in looser styles to mitigate pulling at the scalp.

Hair needs to be washed on a regular basis

Whether your follicles feeling like they’re hurting is the result of infrequent cleansing, tight styling techniques, or a symptom of a migraine headache, your hair isn’t all that different from your body—it needs to be washed and worked out on a regular basis in order to be the best it can be. So at the end of a long, hard, stressful day, forget about trying to preserve a particular style for as long as possible, and instead, slow down and treat your hair to some much-needed self-care.

Bibliography: Macon, A. (2017, March 22). Yes-Hair Hurting Is a Real Thing. Here's How to Stop It. Retrieved April 27, 2017, from http://www.vogue.com/article/why-does-hair-hurt-pain-shampoo-conditioner



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