Something horrifying happened to this ballerina’s hair because of how she styled it every day
Something horrifying happened to this ballerina’s hair because of how she styled it every day
We’ve written before about the struggle and stigma of hair loss many women and girls face. Now, thanks to the internet, more and more women are speaking out about their journeys dealing with alopecia and related hair loss conditions. Even Ariana Grande has admitted the pain of losing hair after years of damaging treatments while starring in Sam & Cat.
Now, former ballerina and current model Diva Hollands is speaking out about the dangers of hairstyles that pull the hair too tight, which caused her to have a receding hairline at just 13 years old.
The UK-based model began her ballet training at age 3, and eventually danced at the prestigious Royal Ballet School in London. As we know (mostly from Dance Moms and Center Stage), classical dance has always had impossibly high demands when it comes to standards of appearance.
The constant demand for her hair to be pulled into tight styles caused Hollands’ hairline to recede. It was so bad, that she was even bullied for it at school.
“I was bullied for my hairline in primary school and then into secondary school, but it got really serious when I was about 13. I was completely self-conscious about it and did everything I could to hide the area. It affected me a lot, especially as I was being picked on. I remember the exact words a boy at school said to me; he said I had a forehead the size of a football pitch. It then became such a big thing in my life.”
Diva stopped dancing at age 18, and began a modeling career.
But, even when she met her current fiancé, David Lawson-Brown, Diva didn’t allow her husband to see her hair pulled back for six months. Then, after having two children, and suffering even more hair loss, Diva decided to seek professional help through Dr. Edward Ball, MRCS, who runs the Maitland Clinic in London.
And, in October 2015, Hollands underwent a follicular unit transplant surgery, an eight-hour procedure that restores hair to the scalp.
To perform this process, a doctor removes strips of skin with hair from the back of the scalp to the affected area. According to Diva, she was awake for the entire, relatively painless, procedure and even watched a few movies!
Now, a year later, Diva is completely “gobsmacked” by the stunning results!
“After only a few months I could see my hairline start to grow back. Every month it just got better. It’s completely changed my life – dramatically. It’s had a huge impact. I couldn’t be happier with how it looks,” Diva gushed.
Diva says that she wanted to share her story to tell other women that they’re not alone and let them know there’s hope.
“I really do think there’s a taboo when it comes to women’s hair loss. I was so embarrassed about it. It’s why I’m sharing my story – there might be other women out there in the same situation. It can happen to anyone and it’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
A photo posted by Diva Hollands (@divahollands) on Dec 7, 2015 at 1:47pm PST
So, what does this mean for the future of our ponys and braids? Traction alopecia (the condition Hollands suffered from) is caused by prolonged tension to the hair follicles, which can lead to inflammation, scarring, and in some cases, permanent hair loss.
According to dermatologic surgeon and RealSelf contributor, Sejal Shah, M.D., the signs of traction alopecia are barely noticeable:
“People may not even note a tight or painful feeling because although the hairstyles that cause traction are tight, they are relatively gentle compared to going through a hair pluck or pull.”
The moral of the story? Be nice to your hair! Take it down when it doesn’t need to be up, and look for signs that your style might be causing damage to those precious follicles!
And remember, you’re fabulous, no matter what kind of hair day you’re having!
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