Traction Alopecia in Men —
When Dreadlocks & Braids Cause Permanent Hair Loss

Dr. Arslan Musbeh

Haartransplantation Surgeon · Afro Hair Specialist · Founder, Hairmedico
Mitglied der FUE Europe · Ministry of Health Accredited · 17+ Years · 3,000+ Cases

What is traction alopecia?

Traction alopecia is hair loss caused by sustained tension on the hair follicle. In men, the most common causes are tight dreadlocks (especially heavy or long locs), cornrows that are worn continuously over years, tight braids, and tight athletic headbands or du-rags worn for extended periods.

The mechanism is straightforward: repeated mechanical tension on the follicle causes inflammation at the follicular bulb. Over time — typically after years of continued tension — the follicle permanently ceases to produce hair. The loss is often first noticed as thinning at the temples, frontal hairline and nape.

Traction alopecia is reversible in its early stages — if the tension is removed before follicle damage is permanent, hair may return. In advanced cases where follicles have been permanently scarred, the only option for restoration is hair transplant surgery.

✦ Afro-Haartransplantation Specialist

Dr. Arslan Musbeh — Afro & Textured Hair Expert

Dr. Arslan Musbeh has treated patients with Afro-textured, Type 3C–4C and tightly coiled hair from West Africa, Central Africa, the UK, France and the Caribbean. His adapted FUE technique accounts for the C-shaped follicle curvature unique to Afro hair — minimising transection rates that conventional punches cannot avoid. As a FUE Europe Full Member with 17+ years and 3,000+ personal cases, Dr. Arslan is one of the few Istanbul surgeons with documented expertise specifically in Afro-textured hair restoration.

✓ Mitglied der FUE Europe ✓ Curved follicle extraction ✓ Type 4 / 4C hair ✓ Traction & CCCA cases

Reversible vs permanent — how to tell

The definitive assessment is a trichoscopy examination — Dr. Arslan performs this at every consultation to identify whether viable follicles remain or whether the zone is permanently bald.

Hair transplant for traction alopecia — what it achieves

FUE hair transplant for traction alopecia in men can restore the hairline, temples and nape to their natural position. The procedure uses hair from the donor zone (back and sides of the scalp) — follicles that are genetically resistant to both DHT and traction damage.

Critical requirement: the offending hairstyle must be discontinued before surgery. Transplanting into a zone that will continue to experience traction tension will damage the newly placed grafts. At Hairmedico, Dr. Arslan requires a minimum of 6 months of style change before proceeding with traction alopecia cases.

For men with significant temple and frontal recession from dreadlocks or cornrows, 600–1,500 grafts typically achieve substantial restoration of the hairline frame. Larger sessions may be required for more extensive loss.

Dr. Arslan Musbeh — traction alopecia experience

Among Dr. Arslan's Afro hair transplant patients, traction alopecia is the second most common presentation (after androgenetic alopecia). He has treated patients with traction alopecia from dreadlock damage, cornrow damage and chronic cap/headband use — from patients based in the UK, France, West Africa and the Caribbean.

His assessment protocol for traction cases is specific: trichoscopy to assess follicular viability in the affected zone, donor assessment to confirm adequate supply, and an honest consultation about which areas can and cannot be restored given the follicular damage present.