A mother appealing for advice about her young daughter’s hair care has provoked strong reactions online after sharing concerns about tight braids and repeated canceled hair appointments.
In a post on the parenting forum on Reddit, user Realistic-Village258 explained that she is attending school out of state while her daughter lives with the child’s grandmother.
The girl spends occasional days with her father, but the mom says those visits have led to unexpected hair styling decisions that she worries could harm the child’s scalp.
“On more than one occasion, my mother and I have scheduled hair appointments with someone we know and trust to braid her hair, but we’ve had to cancel because someone else had already done it,” the original poster (OP) explained.
‘Bald spots’
The mother said the problem is not simply scheduling conflicts. She fears the braids are sometimes done too tightly and could damage her daughter’s hairline.
“I have seen some bald spots especially when I FaceTime and visit her regularly,” the OP revealed, adding that she wants to protect her daughter’s hair and scalp from long-term harm.
In a follow-up comment, the OP suggested the father may not pay close attention to who is doing the child’s hair, “Which is probably why he just lets anyone in her hair without knowing her hair texture.”
Several Reddit contributors sympathized with the mother’s concern, pointing to the medical risks of tight hairstyles.
“Traction alopecia, as a hairstylist this is real, you can cause permanent damage to the follicle and as a result not have hair ever grow back,” an individual warned.
“OP, you are NOT over reacting with being upset about this! Not only can someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing cause issues to the hair itself, but also long term damage result.”
‘They regret it so much’
The individual flagged that tight braiding can cause hair loss that persists into adulthood.
“I have seen traction alopecia in elderly women from years of being braided too tight and they regret it so much and wish they could go back and change that.”
Other pundits advised the mom to approach the issue calmly and focus on coordination rather than confrontation.
“As long as the reasons you are providing are legit, I’d tell him honestly what’s going on,” reasoned a commentator.
“Say something like, I appreciate you trying to help out with DD’s hair. The braids have been a little tight and we have another braider we’ve been using who is more familiar with her hair texture.”
The commentator recommended offering a solution rather than a complaint.
“Then, ask if they can take her there instead and coordinate with their schedule,” they offered.
Medical research backs up concerns about tight hairstyles in children.
A 2021 dermatology paper titled Braids or Pony-Tail-Associated Traction Alopecia in Female Children explains that traction alopecia, “is a type of mechanical hair loss that is provoked by constant tension on the scalp.”
The study notes that early cases may reverse once the hairstyle changes, but prolonged pulling on the hair can lead to scarring hair loss.
Permanent Damage
Guidance from the Society for Pediatric Dermatology also warns that styles such as tight braids or ponytails can cause thinning and permanent damage over time.
“In time, the hair becomes thinner and wispy. Eventually, the hair may not grow back,” according to the society’s patient guidance on traction alopecia.
The mother who appealed for advice said she plans to follow the suggestion of speaking directly with her daughter’s father and proposing a shared plan for hair appointments, hoping to protect her child’s hair while avoiding conflict.
Newsweek has reached out to Realistic-Village258 for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
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