The slicked back bun, a signature of the viral “clean girl” aesthetic that emerged on TikTok in the early 2020s, is under scrutiny as experts warn of a serious consequence: Traction alopecia. Dermatologists say the repeated tight styling of the bun can cause hair loss at any age due to severe stress placed on the hair follicles. Across social media, women in their early 20s are complaining about thinning edges and bald spots after years of emulating celebrities like Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber.
Experts say that you can reverse milder forms of the condition, but if you spend too long refusing to switch up your style sometimes, the balding could become permanent.
Slicked back bun TikTok discovers traction alopecia
Experts have been warning about this problem ever since the slicked back bun became so trendy in the early 2032s, but women keep freshly discovering the problem themselves every year. Concerns about bald spots are trending on TikTok once again, as are requests for hair regrowth methods and cover-up videos.
“Live footage of me realizing how thin my hair is getting from all the slick backs,” reads the caption in a video by @lindseyteaches.
“POV: my stylist notice that I have a bald spot in my head for wearing my natural hair in a slick bun for a week,” wrote @pretty.melxnin.
Both asked followers for recommendations on how to grow that hair back, which might be possible if the traction alopecia is in its early stages. Continuing to wear your hair in a tight bun can make the hair loss permanent, but some love the slicked back bun so much that they’d rather find ways to cover it up.
In 2024, TikToker @addie.beckman showed how she had what looked like a bald spot on one side. Instead of looking into why that might be happening, she showed how to use mascara to fill in the thinning hair.
According to senior hair transplant surgeon Dr. Daniel Ness, who spoke to Metro in 2022, you’ll have to use that mascara trick forever if you keep wearing the slicked back bun after developing traction alopecia.
“Traction alopecia can be reversed, but only if it’s caught early enough, and the hair follicles have not been permanently damaged,” he said. “If traction alopecia is left untreated and continues, this may lead to permanent hair loss which would require hair transplantation to remedy.”
What other hairstyles can cause hair loss?
It’s not just the slicked back bun. Any style that pulls on your hairline like that can result in traction alopecia. If it’s so tight on your scalp that it hurts and leaves you with a headache after you take it out, don’t wear that daily.
TikTokers like @natalia_butalsonatt are predicting that the next balding panic is going to come from the claw clip trend.
“Putting my hair in this claw clip every single day is making my hair thin out in the back,” she said in a video posted on April 21.
She also has concerns about the AirPod Max.
“I only wear them to gym after hearing about the constant AirPod use resulting in front hair breakage,” she wrote two days later.
How to prevent traction alopecia
As concerns about this problem surged again in 2025, Dr. Joyce of @teawithmd offered her advice as a dermatologist. In a post from May 18, she explained the cause and presentation of traction alopecia and provided a simple preventative solution—give the clean girl aesthetic a break.
“You don’t have to stop doing this style altogether,” she explained. “What if it’s your favorite hairstyle? Just give your scalp a break from time to time. Go looser, change up your part, and avoid tight elastics.”
@teawithmd #Stitch @aaprilcam Slicked-back buns on repeat can cause traction alopecia from constant tension on your hairline. If your part looks wider or your edges seem thinner, that’s your scalp telling you it’s stressed. Loosen it up when you can. #teawithmd #hairtok #tractionalopecia #slickbackbun #dermreacts #scalptips ♬ original sound – Dr. Joyce Dermatologist
“Make sure not to wear this to bed, as well.”
In addition to letting your hair follicles rest, she advises viewers to avoid styling wet hair, because that’s when it’s in its most fragile state.
Hairstylist and certified trichologist Shab Caspara also gave this advice to StyleCaster in 2023.
“Wet hair is more vulnerable as it stretches more, and the cuticle is not as strong as when it’s dry,” she said. “Repeated tension to the hair cuticle can cause micro-tears, with possibility for traction alopecia, which is a type of hair loss caused by continued tension in the same area. Baby hairs and chemically treated hair are especially at risk.”
Traction alopecia impacts one third of women of African descent, according to University of Miami School of Medicine dermotologists Victoria Billero and Mariya Miteva.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @teawithmd for comment via TikTok.
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