2025-10-28 15:01:46
Experts have warned that tying hair up into a bun – the once-iconic look made famous by David Beckham – could lead to baldness.
Top British hairdresser Rachel Valentine said that regularly pulling hair into tight buns or ponytails can cause traction alopecia – a form of hair loss triggered by repeated tension on the scalp.
She said: “Some of us are probably guilty of doing it every single day. I know that shoving your hair up in a messy bun is sometimes the quickest thing to do to get your hair out of your face, but it’s so damaging in so many ways.”
The “messy bun”, a popular spin on Beckham’s 2000s “man bun”, has gone viral again online – but stylists are urging caution.
Ms Valentine explained that the style causes “super-tight tension around the crown area,” one of the most vulnerable spots for breakage and thinning.
Those who bleach their hair, like Beckham has done in the past, are at even greater risk because coloured hair is weaker and snaps more easily.
US-based “hair educator” Abbey Yung, who has also warned about the trend in viral videos, said: “Tightly pulled, high ponytails can cause breakage of the roots. It’s important to remember that wearing these styles once or twice won’t usually cause much harm, but doing them every day can put constant stress on your hair follicles, potentially leading to permanent damage and long-term hair loss.”
Even supermodel Kate Moss has faced criticism for popularising ultra-tight hairstyles, such as the slicked-back “Croydon facelift” – so-called because it pulled her face taut.
Both stylists, speaking on behalf of UK Hair Transplants, advised alternating hairstyles and loosening tension to protect follicles, warning that constant strain could turn a fashion statement into a hair nightmare.
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