Is the man bun to blame for premature baldness?

The man bun. There are social media accounts dedicated to them, celebrities rock them, and the New York Times recently analyzed the hard-to-die trend.

But the oh-so-cool hairstyle of men throwing their luscious locks up into tight buns atop their heads, may also be causing damage, Mic reported.

The tight man-bun style could cause Traction alopecia, or gradual hair loss, which is caused by a pulling force on the hairline, according to Dermatologist Sabra Sullivan, Mic reported.

"They're putting traction on the hair follicles that the hair is not really meant to take," Sullivan told Mic.

The condition is most often seen in women, according to Camila Janniger, a clinical professor of dermatology at Rutgers university. She told USA TODAY Network that the pull from a tight hairstyle, whether a man bun or even weave, can cause the “death” of hair follicles and cause permanent scarring.

That doesn't mean people who wear ponytails or buns are destined to premature hair loss, she adds. Those particularly at risk of damaging their hair follicles, are people who wear very tight styles on a regular basis.

"[African Americans] often have very tight hairstyles through braiding, and they can cause hair loss even if they have no hormonal changes that would cause hair loss, because it is pulling on their hair," Janniger said.

Janniger said she doesn't believe the man bun will lead to an increase in the condition, but the hairstyle could speed up balding in men who might experience hair loss later.

“It can add to the problem, if they already have hormonal changes and are losing hair,” she said. “When they wear it tight, it accelerates the problem and pulls hair out,” she said.

She said there is only one fool-proof way to prevent damage.

"We recommend wearing it loose," she said. "If you want to keep your hair in a pony tail or bun don’t have it too tight to your skull just leave some room."

So, long live the loose man bun?

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