male pattern baldness

Man-Buns May Cause Baldness

Leo DiCaprio and his bun.
Leo DiCaprio and his bun. Photo: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images

Earlier this year, there was a panic over our beloved — but much maligned — skinny jeans. Many a story alleged, after a woman was discovered to have sustained nerve damage from wearing skinny jeans for too long, that skinny jeans were trying to kill us. Maybe not, maybe so. We kept wearing them anyway.

In a similar vein, the people of science are here to ruin another unstoppable trend for us all: The despicable “man-bun” may be causing baldness in the fashionable men who sport them. Dr. Sabra Sullivan, a dermatologist from Jackson, Mississippi, explained to Mic that “traction alopecia” is very common among men who insist on “hairstyles that pull the hair over long periods of time.”

Sullivan continued, “They’re putting traction on the hair follicles that the hair is not really meant to take,” an issue that could result in permanent follicle death. “Traction alopecia in men is becoming more common,” she told Mic. Man-buns, despite how chic many believe them to be, are partly to blame for the newfound prevalence of this issue for men.

But there is hope. If you really must pull your unwashed, grubby strands into a bun on top of your head, Sullivan recommends doing so loosely. “The idea is not to pull so tight,” she says. You know the deal: Keep it casual.

Man-Buns May Cause Baldness