You Judge Relaxers, But Eat Sugar Daily: The Hidden Hair & Scalp Damage from Everyday Habits No One Talks About

We’ve all heard the loud opinions about relaxers, flat irons, and blow dryers — especially within the natural hair community. But let’s talk facts: the same people warning you about “chemical burns from a touch-up” are often consuming processed foods, wearing tight braids, and living on sugar, caffeine, and crash diets — all of which are scientifically proven to cause scalp inflammation, hair thinning, and follicle damage. From traction alopecia caused by lace front wigs, to hormonal hair loss triggered by poor nutrition, to scalp infections from excessive product use — the truth is, many “natural” or normalized habits are just as damaging as relaxers and heat styling, if not worse.

If you’re going to call out hair damage, call it all out — not just the visible parts.

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🔬 Science-Backed Habits That Can Be Just as Harmful (or Worse)

1.

Tight Hairstyles, Weaves, Wigs, Braids → Traction Alopecia & Scalp Damage

• What it is: Traction alopecia is hair loss caused by prolonged tension on hair follicles (from tight braids, ponytails, wigs with adhesive, extensions) combined with chemical or other stressors.

• Evidence: One article notes that up to one-third of women of African descent wearing traumatic hairstyle practices are affected by traction alopecia.

• Mechanism: Repetitive pulling leads to inflammation, follicular damage, thinning, and eventually, if untreated, scarring that’s irreversible.

• Also worsened by relaxers: Relaxed hair is more fragile, making it more susceptible to breakage under tension.

• Takeaway: Even if you never use heat or relaxers, wearing styles that pull on your scalp constantly can be just as damaging, especially without breaks.

2.

Poor Diet & Inflammatory Foods → Systemic Damage & Hair Loss

• Diet and inflammation link: Chronic consumption of processed foods, refined sugars, high glycemic carbs, trans fats, ultra-processed foods tends to drive systemic inflammation and oxidative stress.

• Hair follicles respond: Hair follicles are very sensitive to oxidative stress and inflammation; these conditions can disrupt the hair growth cycle, damage follicular cells, and shift hairs into shedding phases.

• Specific findings:

  
  

  • A study in Frontiers in Nutrition linked higher dietary inflammation to greater risk of androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss).

  • Another review notes that imbalance in nutrients and lifestyle factors (e.g. diet) can predispose to non-genetic hair loss by inducing micro-inflammation, oxidative stress, and immunity disruption.

  • Medical News Today remarks that excess consumption of simple carbohydrates (refined sugars, grains) may indirectly worsen hair shedding via inflammation.

  • One analysis found that high consumption of sugary drinks correlated with increased hair loss risk in men — though context matters, the link is there.

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• Takeaway: What you eat does show up in hair health. You can’t expect to abuse your scalp and skin while feeding your body inflammatory junk and expect everything to be fine.

3.

Over-Supplementation or Excess Nutrients

• Risk of “too much”: Some nutrients in excess are linked with hair loss rather than benefit. For example, over-supplementation of vitamin A, vitamin E, selenium have documented links to hair shedding in individuals without deficiencies.

• Why it matters: Many women assume “more is better,” loading up on hair supplements. But unbalanced, mega-dose regimens can backfire on hair.

4.

Hormonal & Gut‑Health Factors (Indirect But Powerful)

• Gut health & nutrient absorption: Poor gut health or dysbiosis can lead to malabsorption of key minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients that hair follicles rely on.

• Hormonal imbalance: Diet, stress, and endocrine disruptors (in food, environment) can swing hormone levels (e.g. androgens, cortisol), which often manifest in hair thinning or shedding.

📊 Summary Table

Habit / Practice

Mechanism of Damage

Possible Outcomes

Tight braids, weaves, wigs under tension

Mechanical stress, inflammation

Traction alopecia, follicle thinning, permanent hair loss

Processed foods, sugar, ultra-processed diet

Systemic inflammation, oxidative stress

Disrupted hair cycles, shedding, weaker strands

Over-supplementing vitamins

Toxicity or imbalance

Hair shedding, nutrient competition

Poor gut health & hormone imbalance

Nutrient deficits, endocrine dysregulation

Telogen effluvium, androgenic hair loss patterns

🧠 Why These Get Less Judgment Than Relaxers or Heat

• They’re invisible: You can’t see someone’s diet or gut health, so it’s easier to shame external things like relaxers or flat irons.

• They’re normalized: We accept sugar, processed snacks, tight styles as part of beauty or lifestyle, even though they have cumulative damage.

• There’s less immediate “burn”: A relaxer or flat iron can cause a visible burn or breakage — that triggers fear and judgment. Diet or traction builds damage over time, making it subtler.