It’s nothing new that women spend a lot of time and money taking care of  their hair, and there’re some very valid reasons for that: A person’s hair and hair style is a huge way to express personality, and projecting your personality is one of the many ways to gain confidence and feel good about yourself.

And that’s exactly why losing your hair sucks so much. It directly impacts and changes the way you look, therefore changing the way you feel about yourself.

And the worst part is that hair loss affects people of all cultures and races.

Sure, there might be some people that are more or less prone to develop a case of hair loss, but if there’s one group of people where hair loss is more prevalent, it’s gotta be African American Women.

African American Women are known for extensively styling and changing their hair, this styling includes straightening, coloring, braiding, weaving, and much much more. So it’s no wonder that hair loss affects black women the most.

Curly and kinky hair (that is hair ranging from the 3C category to the 4C category) despite its sturdy appearance, is extremely fragile and should be treated with extra care.

With that established, we can get into the nitty gritty of hair loss in African American Women. Some of the times hair loss is linked to natural reasons such as genetic heritage and hormones. But more often than not, it is the immediate result of the type of treatment given to the hair itself. Constant chemical processing, hairstyling, and diet all play a huge role when it comes to hair loss in African American Women.

In this article we’ll briefly cover the 4 most common causes of hair loss in women of color, starting with:

Traction Alopecia

Traction alopecia is defined as the gradual loss of hair due to direct damage to the hair follicles by various hairstyles which stretch the hair for long periods of time. These types of hairstyles are extremely popular among some groups of black women, so it’s more than safe to say that this is one of the principal causes of hair loss in African American Women. This type of alopecia is normally seen around the hairline, around the temples, and above the ears.

Avoid overly tight ponytails, hairstyles and hair extensions in order to reduce the risk of losing your hair due to traction alopecia.

Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA)

Also once known as “hot comb alopecia”, this type of hair loss first starts as hair thinning at the crown area of the head before eventually spreading to the rest of the head.

What causes it and how can you prevent it? Well, more often than not, CCCA is usually caused by an excessive use of chemical processing (like hair relaxers) and heat-based styling techniques. This excessive use of chemicals and heat causes inflammation in the scalp, which in turn leads to thinning hair in the top part of the head. How to prevent it? Well, that’s an easy one, cut on the amount of chemical and heat you apply on your hair and you should be good to go.

Androgenic Alopecia

If you follow our blog entries you’ll know we recently dedicated one to the issue of male pattern baldness, and in that one, we briefly mentioned it’s equivalent in women: female pattern baldness, also known as androgenic alopecia.

This kind of hair loss also starts in the crown area, with the main difference being that chemicals and heat might not form a part of the equation at all this time. So “what causes it?” you might ask. Well, this one is kind of tough to put a finger on because just like male pattern baldness, it is a hereditary condition. If the women in your family have a history of hair loss, be on the lookout for this one.

Hormonal Hair Loss
As the years go by, our bodies age and change, and the same thing goes for our hair. It’s 100% natural to experience some hair shedding and slow growth when we reach certain age milestones.

But in some cases, these milestones and their associated hormonal changes can cause some unexpected and unhealthy hair loss issues. Some of these hormonal changes include but are not limited to pregnancy, thyroid conditions, and menopause.

This type of hair loss usually warrants the need of professional help, as the treatment often includes hormone therapy and thyroid medication.

Yes, hair loss sucks big time, we’ll never get tired of saying that. But the good part is that it’s a solvable problem! There’s one universal solution to hair loss regardless of what type you have: a Remy hair, high-quality, custom-made, hair system.

Good hair replacement providers can match the exact color, texture, density and length of the sample you send them. So pairing a high-quality human hair wig with a good stylist can ensure that your system blends right in with your natural hair and looks.

If you’re thinking about making a purchase on a hair system but you still have some doubts, feel free to check our Women of Color Buyer’s Guide out, it’ll answer all of the questions you might have about hair replacement options and the industry as a whole.