The Hair Tie Habit That May Be Doing Damage To Your Scalp

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Many of us with hair long enough for a ponytail are guilty of wearing hair ties on our wrists. It's an easy way to ensure we can put our tresses up at a moment's notice, it stops our bands getting lost, and it's even become somewhat of a trend. Remember when Dakota Johnson walked the red carpet with a scrunchie (one of the retro hair accessories that took over in 2023) on her wrist at the 2019 Independent Spirit Awards? But, unfortunately, a hair tie on the wrist carries a health risk.

As Dr. Brendan Camp, double board-certified dermatologist of MDCS Dermatology, exclusively explains to Women, "When worn on your wrist, a hair tie may pick up environmental pollutants, sweat, oil, product residue, and bacteria." That can be transferred to your hair and scalp, and Dr. Camp notes you can be particularly susceptible to problems if it goes from your wrist to tightly around your locks. "If too tight, a hair tie may irritate or abrade skin and potentially predispose it to infection," he says. That's particularly bad if your tie's full of germs.

To minimize the risk, Dr. Camp recommends keeping your hair ties as clean as possible. Scrunchies can be soaked in cool water with detergent for between 10 and 20 minutes. They can also be cleaned in the washing machine. Just place them in a mesh bag and wash with gentle detergent on a cold, delicate cycle. For standard hair ties, soak them in a bowl of warm water with gentle soap or shampoo for 15 minutes. Dr. Camp also suggests trying silk ties. "[They limit] friction on skin and on hair, limiting damage from tugging, twisting, and knotting," he said. Try Kitsch's Ultra-Petite Satin Scrunchies or Slip's Silk Skinny Scrunchies.

Not only can a hair tie around your wrist cause problems for your scalp and hair, but it could also be dangerous for the skin on your arm. In 2015, a woman named Audree Kopp discovered she had a wrist abscess, which Dr. Amit Gupta of Norton Healthcare told CBS News was caused by a dirty hair tie. He claimed the bacteria on it got under Kopp's skin, resulting in an infection. "They said I needed surgery. Thank god I caught it in time or I could have had sepsis," Kopp said. To avoid the same problem, ensure you're not wearing hair ties around your wrist for long periods of time, make sure they're never too tight, and keep them clean. This was a rare case, and an occasional, clean, loose, single tie on your wrist is unlikely to cause problems, but it certainly serves as an important reminder.

However, you're not totally safe even if your hair ties aren't dirty, because bands that are too tight can damage your hair even when they're clean. "If worn tightly on a regular basis, pulling your hair back in a tie can contribute to the formation of traction alopecia," Dr. Brendan Camp exclusively tells Women. "Traction alopecia occurs most commonly on the temples as a result of prolonged pulling or tugging on the root of the follicle. Over time, the tension or traction causes damage to the hair follicles and hair loss," he adds. So give your hair a break and try some chic claw clip looks or easy hairstyles that will have you ditching your damaging ponytail instead.