As the scalp is where most of our hair follicles rest, traumas to it can end in hair loss. It can be something of a minor, secondary preoccupation due to just suffering a trauma to the head. 

Nevertheless, it is the purpose of this article to detail just how to scalp trauma-induced hair loss works.

There are three different major sets of bodily responses to scalp trauma that induce hair loss. Whether said hair loss is something temporary or permanent depends on nature and extent to the trauma.

Types of Scalp Trauma-Induced Hair Loss

The following are the responses of the body towards the injuries that result in a scalp trauma-induced hair loss. In light of the area affected, the hair loss is just a minor preoccupation and recovery from the injury should be the first concern.

Hematoma

More commonly known as bruising, comes about due to a blunt trauma injury which causes the scalp to swell. Inside, the hematoma actually takes place due to both internal and external bleeding in the affected area.

If survived the impact, the external bleeding will be the first to subside due to it happening because the skin broke. Internal bleeding, however, it’s trickier. The bleeding in there affects the dermis layer of the skin where the hair follicles live and the fat tissue underneath it.

The impact reaches the dermis and its mostly cushioned by the fat layer due to its structure, enabling it to be impact-absorbent. The blunt trauma itself might have ripped the hair or even the follicles in the first instance before the hematoma takes form.

Oedema

It’s the name of the swelling that begins almost immediately in response to blunt trauma. The ruptured blood vessels from the dermis will bleed within the dermis or in the fat layer. The result is the same. It will create swelling in the affected area.

The level of said swelling depends on the severity of the blunt trauma. It can reach such high levels that it might be more than enough to cause the hair follicle to shed its hair. However, it is more likely that it is the extremely low circulation of blood in the area that leads to hair shedding.

After all, the hair follicle does need the nutrients the blood flow provides to nourish the hair. Disrupted this flow, the hair enters prematurely into the resting phase and sheds. New hair will begin to grow once the blood flow resumes normality.

Fibrosis

Better known as ‘scarring’ when it happens in response to injury. The depth and wide of the scar itself depends on the injury. While some hair follicles might rip off during the cut that triggered the scarring, the scar itself can lead to further hair loss. 

The surrounding blood vessels that supply nearby hair follicles might have their blood flow disrupted if the scar is too thick or deep. There are chances that blood flow could continue as normal with the scar, but the deeper and thicker it is, the likelihood decreases.

In conclusion

Scalp trauma-induced hair loss happens as much due to the initial trauma than for the aftermath of it. The disruption of normal blood flow actually is the main reason for scalp trauma-induced hair loss. The severity of it will dictate if, at the end of it, the hair loss is permanent.