The current fashion of securing hair with claw clips is reportedly leading to an increase in cases of female baldness, as noted by a leading trichologist. These clips, available in numerous designs and sizes, have become essential fashion accessories in recent months. However, their frequent use appears to have unintended repercussions, with some women observing a receding hairline or visible thinning patches.

Trichologist Rachel Valentine took to TikTok to share her observations, revealing that she recently encountered two clients experiencing similar hair breakage around their crown areas. The culprit? Consistently using a claw clip in the same spot every day, leading to noticeable damage.

“The widespread use of claw clip hairstyles is the reason for the breakage you’re noticing around your crown area,” Valentine explained.

While she acknowledged that claw clips can be gentler on hair compared to traditional hair bands, she emphasized the importance of varying hair placement. “The problem arises when hair is styled in the exact same manner daily,” she cautioned.

‘We understand these clips are better than hair bands, and yes, they are. 

‘But what isn’t good is wearing your hair in exactly the same place every day.

‘There’s a lot of tension in that same area, which causes repeated stress and breakage.’ 

Repeating a single style, especially tight updos or clips positioned in the same spot, can create ongoing tension on hair’s fibres, and over time this can cause a condition called tension alopecia.

Traction alopecia usually affects the hairline and crown 

This happens when the hair follicles – the tiny pores that hairs grow from – are put under so much excess tension they become inflamed and damaged, which in some cases leads to permanent baldness.

Ms Valentine advised her followers to keep using the clips but to ‘move it around your head each day’ or to alternate having your hair tied back with wearing it loose. 

She said: ‘Unfortunately, any repetitive hairstyle will cause breakage because it’s the tension on the same area that causes damage.

‘Change your hair up and wear it differently every day. 

‘So, claw clip one day, maybe a silk scrunchie the next, wear it high or low, and then wear it down, you’ll spread the tension around the hair, so it doesn’t cause stress just on one area.’

Echoing her advice, the team at UK Hair Transplants said that that many hair conditions can improve if caught early and some are even reversible – but the key is not to wait until it’s too late.

When it comes to traction alopecia, prevention is the best cure, so make sure that you mix up your hairstyles – and if you can’t because you need your hair pulled back for work or sports, alternate where the clip sits, high, low, or off-centre.

They also suggest swapping the clip for a silk or non-snag hair tie which will reduce the amount of pressure being put on the same spots. 

If you like wearing a clip every day, try to position it in different places 

It also pays to be mindful of tension, if a style causes tugging or scalp soreness, it’s a warning to change it.

Traction alopecia can also be triggered by weighty hair extensions and tight braids. 

If you have noticed the early warning signs of traction alopecia – which is most usually in the form of thinning or snapped hair around the crown and hairline – it might not be too late to reverse the damage. 

The British Association of Dermatologists say that if the tension to the hair is stopped quite early on then the follicles have a chance to heal and regrow as they once were. 

However, the only cure for traction alopecia is a hair transplant, a procedure in which hair is taken from the back of the scalp and implanted in the affected areas. 

It’s estimated that no more than 15 per cent of hair transplants are carried out on women, but their success rates are incredibly high, hovering around the 85 to 95 per cent mark. 

Other reasons for female hair loss include hormonal changes – for instance during menopause or after pregnancy, vitamin deficiencies and genetic reasons.