Tight braids, sleek ponytails, edge gels and wigs might be staples - but they could also be stealing your edges. In her new weekly column, renowned aesthetic doctor and founder of Aesthete Medical Aesthetics Dr Fawzia Salie makes her debut on Cape town Etc with an in-depth look at traction alopecia and how her holistic hair restoration programme is tackling it head-on, one strand at a time.
Renowned aesthetic doctor, Dr Fawzia Salie, founder of Aesthete Medical Aesthetics in Cape Town, has unveiled a comprehensive hair restoration programme aimed specifically at treating traction alopecia - a common yet preventable cause of hair loss, especially among women who regularly wear protective hairstyles.
Combining in-clinic Platelet-Rich Plasma PRP procedures, topical Human Growth Factor therapy, customised supplementation and protective style education, the protocol is a groundbreaking approach to reversing hair follicle damage and restoring healthy hair growth cycles.
With traction alopecia, its not just about restoring hair - its about restoring the scalps natural ability to produce healthy hair long-term. And that starts with understanding how styles, tension and scalp care all affect follicle health, says Dr. Fawzia.
Traction alopecia: A condition rooted in tension and neglected scalp healthTraction alopecia is hair loss caused by repeated tension on the hair and scalp, often resulting from styles that pull tightly at the roots. While protective hairstyles like box braids, cornrows, wigs, buns, faux locs and two-strand twists are meant to shield natural hair from manipulation and environmental stressors, improper technique or neglect can backfire.