Quantifying the impact of braiding and combing on the integrity of natural African hair

Abstract

Background Afro hair breakage is most commonly attributed to grooming practices such as braiding, hair extensions and weaves, both for chemically treated hair and natural Afro hair. These grooming practices are also frequently associated with traction alopecia in clinical studies. However, there is little to no quantitative scientific data on the surface and internal hair fibre damage caused by grooming, including combing, on Afro hair. Methods Qualitative and quantitative techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, cuticle cohesion and tensile testing were used to determine the effects of frequent braiding on the integrity of female Afro hair in 15 frequent braiders and 15 occasional braiders (control group) in Johannesburg, South Africa. Frequent braiders were women who braided more than 8 times per year, while occasional braiders typically limit braiding to only twice 2 per year. The severity of traction alopecia was quantified in both groups using the standard Marginal Traction Alopecia Scoring system. Surface damage on naturally curly Afro hair, that was combed but not braided, was assessed as another hairstyle option. Results All measurements showed a relationship between surface and internal hair fibre damage and braiding frequency. Frequent braiders had thinner hair, with more cuticle damage as shown by SEM and cuticle cohesion assessments. Their hair fibres were also significantly weaker (p < 0.05), as shown by the tensile testing. In addition, they also had higher traction alopecia severity scores. In the combing impact assessment, a linear trend was observed between surface hair fibre damage and the number of combing strokes. Cuticle damage from 480 combing strokes was more severe than that from frequent braiding. Conclusion Frequent braiding and combing damage natural Afro hair. Quantification of damage caused by different grooming practices identifies a need to develop products that could help mitigate specific hair damage associated with grooming practices. The degree of damage and subsequent hair loss could also be minimized by education on best braiding practices to protect the hair fibre and avoid hair follicle miniaturization caused by high traction hairstyles.

Reimagining Hair Science: A New Approach to Classify Curly Hair Phenotypes via New Quantitative Geometric and Structural Mechanical Parameters

“…Hair breakage and damage from mechanical manipulation have been widely reported and commonly experienced by people with curly and kinky hair. These conclusions remain true for hair fibers that are dry, wet, or coated with products. ,− These reasons motivate research and development by the cosmetic industry of new products to strengthen and fortify the structure of curly hair. , The results in our current study display similar trends and also a few other mechanical parameters that are unique to curly and kinky hair.…”

“…Several other geometric parameters have been reported in the literature, and several comparative studies across phenotypes have been conducted . There have been a few studies that have measured “fiber-to-fiber” interactions in “African” and “Caucasian” hair fibers in the context of braided hair styles. , “Emergence angle from the scalp” is the angle at which “living hair” inside the skin polymerizes and grows out of the follicle away from the scalp. , The shape of the follicle dictates the shape of the cross-section of each hair fiber (ellipticity, scripte ). , It is also an indication of the “degree of curl”, although there are additional major contributors, i.e., cortical cell density and distribution, that play a major role in curl morphology. , As descriptive as these geometric parameters are, many of the present studies reported in the literature have deemed the differences in phenotypic morphology as inconclusive. The reason may lie in the geometric parameters that were selected for comparison.…”

“…36 There have been a few studies that have measured "fiber-to-fiber" interactions in "African" and "Caucasian" hair fibers in the context of braided hair styles. 28,45 "Emergence angle from the scalp" is the angle at which "living hair" inside the skin polymerizes and grows out of the follicle away from the scalp. 13,25 The shape of the follicle dictates the shape of the cross-section of each hair fiber (ellipticity, ).…”

Redefining the “crown”: Approaching chemotherapy‐induced alopecia among Black patients with breast cancer

“…Although seemingly out of the realm of expertise, oncologists may consider discussing hair styling with Black patients. New hair growth may be fragile and may not initially support hairstyles that create significant tension in the scalp (such as cornrows or braided extensions) 43,44 or chemical treatment of the hair (such as relaxers and hair dye) 45,46 . Despite the increased levels of melanin in many Black individuals, utilizing sunscreen with SPF and covering the scalp can provide protection against sunburn and skin cancer 47 …”

Reimagining Hair Science: A New Approach to Classify Curly Hair Phenotypes via New Quantitative Geometrical &amp; Structural Mechanical Parameters

“…37 There have been a few studies that have measured "fiber-to-fiber" interactions in "African" and "Caucasian" hair fibers in the context of braided hair styles. 29,46 "Emergence angle from the scalp" is the angle at which "living hair" inside the skin polymerizes and grows out of the follicle away from the scalp. 14,26 The shape of the follicle dictates the shape of the cross-section of each hair fiber (ellipticity, 𝓮𝓮).…”