Can hairstyles cause headaches?

The way you comb your hair can affect your head. A ponytail that is too tight can tighten the connective tissue of the scalp and cause a headache in the hairstyle. Headbands, braids, and tight hats can do that, too. If this is the cause of your headache, you'll usually get quick relief if you let go of your hair.

However, stretching your hair in the form of a tight elastic band can put pressure on your scalp. Over time, this pressure can even cause a rather painful headache. Anyone with long hair has had a headache related to their hair at some point. However, it is not the length, which directly causes the headache.

So, the answer to the question “Can long hair give you a headache? it's yes and no. The easiest remedy that Chou suggests is to simply relax your hairstyle, avoiding tight bows, pigtails, headbands, and anything that constricts the scalp. Getting your hair out of the way with a braided hairstyle that ties at the end is an alternative you could consider. If your headache isn't directly related to the hairstyle you're wearing and the pain is more at the roots of your hair, most of the time the solution is to simply wash it off.

Changing your hairstyle from time to time and the way you separate your hair can also provide some kind of relief to the scalp and roots, thus preventing headaches. Long locks allow you to experiment with different hairstyles and flaunt your hair in a crowd full of people. Medical News Today defines traction alopecia as “hair loss caused by tight hairstyles.” While this hairstyle is making a comeback, there are certain drawbacks that can stem from having such long hair.