Originally Published on August 24th, 2017 Almost everyone plays with their hair. Most of the time we don’t even notice we’re doing it. Harmless, right? Maybe not. Find out whether or not touching your hair can cause hair loss. In the fight against hair loss, every little action matters. So can playing with your hair cause baldness? Seems a bit dramatic, but there
could be some truth to it. To answer this question, we need to look at what causes hair to fall out. Normal hair loss is due to weak or damaged follicles, with a larger number of hairs than normal in the shedding phase. Losing 100-150 hair strands per day is normal. You’ll start to notice a problem (more hairs in the sink, on your clothes) when you’re losing 200+ per day. Hair
loss can also be accelerated by a bad growth environment. When your scalp has dirt, grime, and product build-up, the hair follicles can’t grow and the hair cycle goes out of whack. Also, tight ponytails or similar hairstyles can cause a strain on your follicles, leaving them weaker and more prone to damage. Combing your hair back too often
may not cause hair loss directly, but it can have the same effect as wearing tight hairstyles too often. So with all this in mind, can running your hands through your hair really cause your hair to fall out? Yes and no. If you’re taking proper care of your hair, regularly touching it throughout the day shouldn’t be a big problem. But it certainly can have a negative effect over time. No matter how clean you think you are, your hands are dirty. They touch a lot of things throughout the day so naturally they accumulate dirt and oils that your hair doesn’t like. If you have a habit of pulling your hair with your fingers, then external dirt and oils can mix in with the natural oils in your hair and hair product to create build-up. We mentioned it earlier, but it’s worth repeating: If your scalp environment isn’t clean, your hair won’t grow very well… and it might even cause hair loss. When you touch your hair, not only are you putting foreign dirt and oils into your hair, you could also be removing natural oils that make your hair look good. This can disrupt your hair’s moisture levels. When your hair is less moisturized, it’s less elastic. Less elasticity means it’ll be more prone to breakage when you run your hands through it. Running your fingers through your hair is not going to be the difference between thick, luscious hair and going bald. But if you’re starting to see hairs fall out when you run your hands through it, there’s a bigger problem, and playing with it is not the issue. How to Protect Your HairRather than being afraid to touch your hair, strengthen and protect it. Here are a few things you can do right away to strengthen your hair:
If you’re taking care of your hair the right way, you shouldn’t have to worry about the effects of touching your hair. Just be conscious of when your hands are extra greasy or your hair already has products in it. You don’t want to add in any foreign oils that could cause problems, or take out the natural oils that are giving your hair that good moisture. If you can’t help it, just make it a point to wash your hands more often! What is Compulsive Hair Touching? Compulsive touching is one of the lesser-known groups of symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Compulsive hair touching may be a ritual to help reduce stress or anxiety usually brought about by obsessive thoughts. OCD is a common, chronic, and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and behaviours (compulsions) that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over.1https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-when-unwanted-thoughts-take-over, National Institute of Mental Health For others, these rituals are driven by distinct urges, described often as tension or pressure throughout their entire body that they cannot control or alleviate. When we think of OCD, we often think of handwashing, flicking light switches on and off, and obsessive cleaning rituals. This is most commonly how the media has portrayed OCD. For sufferers, it can make its presence known in many different ways. One of the lesser-known groups of symptoms includes ritualised hair touching, twirling, pulling, and picking at split ends.2https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/trichotillomania/symptoms-causes/syc-20355188, Mayo Clinic How can compulsive touching lead to hair loss? Excessive hair touching can harm the ends of your hair. When we say excessive hair touching, we’re not talking about the harmless hair feeling such as swishing, lightly stroking, and flicking your hair. However, excessive touching including twirling or rubbing the hair can lead to hair loss. Especially with dirty or oily hands can transfer grime onto your hair and scalp. Twirling tangles hair which is usually difficult to detangle. Twisting your hair roughly worsens the situation because the hair can snap and fall out. Another way hair touching damages your hair is through picking at split ends and physically pulling out strands of hair. This can lead to permanent damage to the follicle; and the trauma can cause it to stop producing new hair. Some sufferers have reported an obsession with counting the strands of hair that come out when they brush or wash their hair. Others experienced an urge to count the number of hairs in a certain patch where they may be experiencing hair loss. So, what can you do if you feel that compulsive touching, picking, and pulling at your hair is taking over? There are several incredible support groups available. The positive news is that once OCD is diagnosed by a professional you can seek treatment and support. Most patients respond well to CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy),3Kathleen Davis, FNP, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/296579, Medical News Today and some of the most effective treatments include Habit Reversal and Stimulus Control.
Getting diagnosed can help you access the therapy needed to manage your OCD. You might also want to tell people you trust about your condition as they can provide the support you need to surmount your compulsive touching. Confide in a friend or family member you can trust. Speak to a licenced therapist or councillor who will be able to help you identify the cause of your OCD and recommend suitable treatments.4Rebecca Joy Stanborough, MFA, https://www.healthline.com/health/therapy-for-ocd, Healthline
Knowing the cause of a problem is usually the half-way to solving it. You need to become aware of the condition and track it. You can use a diary to note every day you find yourself touching your hair as well as possible triggers that promoted the compulsion to play with your hair. By doing this, it becomes easy to design a plan with a therapist that will help you reduce and eventually stop touching your hair excessively. Remember to reward your progress when you don’t touch your hair for long periods. Remember to start with little goals and challenges and increase the momentum as you see visible changes.
Completely covering your head is an excellent reminder that you shouldn’t be playing with your hair. Each time you touch the silk scarf, head bonnet or any other head cover, it will remind you that you are trying to make a positive change. More so, think about the benefits that silk head covers give. For example, they promote hair growth by conserving hair moisture and protect your scalp and strands from friction from your pillowcase, which will help with regrowth. Bearing this in mind can further convince not to take the head cover off your hair for times when the urge seems insurmountable. If you find you subconsciously pull your hair out in your sleep, wearing a silk headwrap will certainly help with this.
Finding ways to keep both hands busy also helps. Distractions such as playing instruments, writing, knitting and any other activity or hobby you find interesting, can help take your mind off your hair and onto even more productive things. All treatments can take time and patience, but the good news is that your hair can grow back. If it’s been going on for a long time, less will do so, or your hair may grow back a different texture – but you will see an improvement. Footnote Links:
Hollie ShirleyHair & Skincare EditorHollie Shirley is SILKUP’s hair and skincare editor. She’s obsessed with all things hair care and results-driven skincare, that is kind to the environment and your wallet. She has a weakness for limited edition eyeshadows and is always testing out the newest and greatest deep conditioners. Hollie has a passion for hair and is studying Trichology, working towards becoming a Member of the Association of Registered Trichologists. Related Blog PostsDoes hair fall out when you touch it?Alarming as it may seem, the amount of hair that falls out every time you touch it is actually small — and this shedding is likely just a normal part of your hair's life cycle.
Does touching your hair a lot damage it?Over scrunching your hair and touching your hair too much actually causes frizz and breakage. When your fingers touch your hair too much, they can actually steal away essential oils, leading to dry and easily broken hair strands.
Why does hair fall out when I touch my hair?Using too much shampoo, brushing or combing your hair when it's wet, rubbing hair dry with a towel, or brushing too hard or too often can all strain your strands and make them break. Two big causes of breakage include braids that are too tight and weaves that weigh down the hair.
Does playing with hair damage it?Every time you fiddle with your hair, your locks rub against one another and get twisted and tangled. This repetitive yet minor damage can have repercussions on the hair fibre. Its natural protection becomes fissured and thus less effective. As a result, your hair is more damage-prone.
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Does touching your hair make it fall out
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