We all know that since Rooney took the first step, footballers have been falling over themselves to have hair transplants. Now hair loss experts have suggested that footballers are at a greater risk of going bald. The reasoning behind the statement is that repeatedly heading the ball causes trauma to the hair follicles on the hairline, which can lead to chronic inflammation and alopecia.
Proving the link between football and hair loss
The hair loss experts are so convinced that repeatedly heading the ball can have negative effects on the hairline that they have called for a scientific research study on the topic. Although it isn’t a correlation that anyone else has ever pointed out before, it is possible that the results of such a study could have aesthetic and psychological implication for regular and professional football players.
The study in theory would involve having biopsies taken from balding areas of the scalp from footballers. This could give strong evidence if scientists could find signs of inflammation and fibrosis across the hairline, the area that is impacted regularly by heading a football. Trauma is known to cause inflammation; which is a factor in both scarring and non-scarring alopecia.
Perhaps giving the ball too many headers is why many top footballers such as Wayne Rooney, James McAteer and Anthony Stokes have ended up needing hair transplants in the last few years.
What causes hair loss
Hair loss can be the result of multiple disorders or imbalances in the body. Typically if the cycle of hair growth is disrupted, then hair fall will occur at a much faster rate than normal. The most common reason behind hair loss is a genetically inherited condition; male and female pattern baldness. In these situations, the hair loss is irreversible and patients may need to turn to hair transplants or other hair loss solutions.
Medical conditions can also exaggerate hair loss, conditions such as thyroid disorders, anaemia, medications, stress and dietary disorders are all known to be involved in premature hair loss.
Traction alopecia is hair loss which is caused by excessive force on the hair follicles; this is usually down to wearing hair in a tight hairstyle and tight headgear. These conditions can all cause hair follicle damage and contribute to a receding hair line.
