The ponytail has long been a stylish and convenient hairdo. But it can also be a real pain. Studies have suggested that repeated ponytail wear can cause alopecia, and the style has been at the center of a few viral hair controversies (and humorous gaffes).
In 2018, singer Ariana Grande confessed that her iconic high ponytail leaves her in “constant pain.” Grande’s complaint, in particular, is not uncommon, which raises an obvious question: Why do ponytails cause headaches? HuffPost spoke to a few neurologists to find out.
‘Ponytail Headache’ Is A Thing
Scientists actually use the term “ponytail headache” as a nickname for the more formal “external-traction headache,” said Wade Cooper, an associate professor and director of the University of Michigan Headache and Neuropathic Pain Clinic.
Both terms are listed in the International Headache Society’s diagnostic guide.
“The mechanism behind it is there are pain-sensitive nerves in our scalp,” Cooper explained. “When there’s traction on those, like a pulling sensation, it may not hurt initially, but as that duration builds up, those nerves get more and more sensitive. Eventually, it sends that pain signal into the brain itself.”
A similar process makes your hair “hurt” when you have it pulled back. Hair follicles can get sore over time due to pressure on the nerve endings.
Ponytail headaches are also an example of a phenomenon called allodynia, according to Kiran Rajneesh, an assistant professor of neurology and director of the neurological pain division at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
“Allodynia is a fancy medical term for describing when touch sensation is perceived as pain by the brain,” he explained in an email. “With ponytail headaches, traction of hair is perceived as pain/headache by the brain.”
Other examples of allodynia may be pain from brushing your hair or shaving your face.
“Stimuli that shouldn’t be painful become painful,” said Deena Kuruvilla, an assistant professor of neurology at the Yale School of Medicine. “We wouldn’t expect the sensation of wearing a ponytail to be painful, but it can be. The superficial scalp nerves can be sensitive.”
