Beautiful supermodel Naomi Campbell has graced the covers of the world’s top fashion magazine for decades. Having an incredible shape, smile and skin, the 44-year-old beauty makes it look easy. But it was a photo of Campbell vacationing in 2012 that showed what appeared to be a receding hairline. Florida hair surgeon Dr. Alan Bauman, who never treated Campbell, said the former supermodel appears to be suffering from traction alopecia — hair loss due to extensions.
“Extensions, weaves, anything artificial hanging on hair — no matter whether you attach it with glue, special magnets, tape — it’s going to cause damage over time,” Bauman told ABCNews.com. “And unless you give your hair a break from those extensions, it won’t rebound.”
Bauman said the weight from extensions pulls on a person’s natural hair over time, causing it to rip out by the root.
The hair follicle can be damaged or destroyed — in some cases, permanently. In the latter case, the only option is a hair transplant, which involves moving healthy hair follicles from one part of the scalp to the damaged area.
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“Being in the public eye and beauty business, her hair has to look amazing 24-7, and she’s worn extensions for many years — decades even,” Bauman said. “I guess you could call it a hazard of the job.”
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With the decades of damaging hair treatments, products, that black women undergo, it’s more than likely that many could suffer from some severe form of traction alopecia by middle age.
In fact, various haircare experts have estimated that two-thirds of black women will
