Why does my ponytail hurt

And when that structure gets pulled in a direction it's not used to for a long period of time, it almost gets stuck. Mirmirani warned that the problem can be worse for people who have long, thick hair. Unfortunately, there's no fix once that "hair hurt" sinks in. In fact, in severe cases, it might be a warning sign for something more problematic, said Dr.

Shani Francis, a hair loss specialist in the Chicago area. And sustained or chronic inflammation can turn into what we refer to as traction alopecia. In other words, hair loss. So what's a long-haired girl or guy! Try to rotate the height of your ponytail throughout the day, and save the tightest styles for special occasions.

Mirmirani and Francis, both board-certified dermatologists with the American Academy of Dermatology, said many of their patients suffering from hair loss had warning signs all along, but ignored them. If you have a pain disorder and regularly suffer from ponytail or any other type of headache, seeking treatment for the underlying disorder may be the most important step.

There are also more common risk factors to consider. Some studies have linked that sensitive scalp sensation to sleep deprivation, the menstrual cycle and other hormonal changes.

Rajneesh, too, noted that over-the-counter meds like ibuprofen or acetaminophen can help. But his main suggestion was to rethink the traction of your ponytail and go for a looser style. Greater hair weight or denseness and ornamental hairpins can be a factor as well. Sometimes changing how you part your hair can help. And even if you need to have your hair up tight for an event, you can alleviate the pain by taking your hair down as soon as possible afterward.

News U. Politics Joe Biden Congress Extremism. Special Projects Highline. Another notorious cause of hair pain may be your regular date with hair dye or bleach, which Jaliman knows all about firsthand. Hair pain is actually a more common — and peculiar — occurrence for those who suffer from migraine headaches.

For those afflicted with this excruciating headache condition, the cause is different. With allodynia, normally nonpainful stimuli — like brushing your hair, wearing a hat or a loose ponytail, and feeling water wash over your hair in the shower — become painful. Lying down on the side of the headache can make the scalp feel especially sore and tender, too. Tight hairstyles can certainly be a first contributing step to migraines, though hair that hurts can also happen separately, as part of a migraine attack that is brought on by other triggers.

Data has shown that the best chance of giving migraine sufferers relief with triptans — a class of migraine-specific medications — is taking them early in the attack, before the process of allodynia becomes established, says Grosberg.