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Irish dancing wigs can cause baldness experts warn

Dublin doctors warn of hair loss from wearing wigs

JAMES O’SHEA,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Wednesday, September 28, 2011, 7:33 AM

Updated Wednesday, September 28, 2011, 3:33 PM

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Irish dancing wigs can lead to baldness according to Irish doctors

Photo by bikecolleenbrown.wordpress.com

Irish dancing wigs can cause baldness, two Dublin doctors have warned. The warning came after they dealt with a severe case of alopecia (baldness) in a young woman and eventually traced the cause to wearing a wig for Irish dancing.

The medical name for the condition is traction alopecia and happens when hair is bound too tight or from fitting wigs tightly on the head for an activity like Irish dancing.

Dermatologist Doctor Sally Jane O'Shea and senior consultant Doctor Aoife Lally who practise in St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin have now highlighted the issue after treating a patient with the condition.

They first reported the case in the medical journal Hospital Doctor of Ireland.
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At first they were baffled that bald patches on the 16-year-old’s head kept reappearing after hair grew back but eventually traced it to her passion for Irish dancing.

They believe many other young women diagnosed with the condition also suffer it because of Irish dancing.

They were able to trace the bald patches to the exact spot where the young woman pinned the wig to her hair.The doctors stated that permanent scarring or badness could develop over time.

They said the "unusual case" should be noted by young girls everywhere on the dancing circuit if any of them suffer from temporary baldness.

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Searlit | Oct 14, 2011, 10:49 PM EDT

Dance without the wigs. If all the dancers refuse to wear them, they won't be required, anymore. You dancers are the artists, without you there is no contest.

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millstreet | Sep 29, 2011, 06:34 PM EDT

the wigs should go...the girls are beautiful without them and I'm sure they don't feel comfortable either

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magzerflood | Sep 29, 2011, 02:24 PM EDT

This is true and it's happened to more than one dancer and also diagnosed by other doctors also. The dancing organisations owe it to competitors to ban wigs.

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kelzzz12 | Sep 29, 2011, 12:27 PM EDT

"irish dance is a DANCE sport... an ART form... so ya we do things and get dolled up just like any other type of dance/art form. the dancing of course is the most important, but it is not just about that, once again, like everything else. and unfortunately if you can not keep up with the trends and present yourself nicely on stage, you will not win a major... and you clearly do not understand dance. that's just the way it is. it is a PART of the dancing... the visual part.

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Robinhughes | Sep 28, 2011, 10:49 PM EDT

I'm an adult Irish dancer, and I do not wear a wig. Some of them look comical. A lot of girls (and ladies) get obsessed with the frivolity. An Irish dance competition should focus on DANCING.

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ellenfromcork | Sep 28, 2011, 06:46 PM EDT

I agree w/the need to do away w/ this awful wigs. They are an eyesore. ( and a headsore too!)

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Ms.Gail | Sep 28, 2011, 05:03 PM EDT

Good luck with banning them.Organizations will simply say that if properly used they won't cause a problem. Only a few sellers know and/or advise purchasers how to attach them. FYI, best way is to use a porus skull cap instead of hair pins to contain the natural hair and vary the placement of the hair pins or bobby pins used to attach the wig and some surgical adhesive to keep the edges on the skin.

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pilib04 | Sep 28, 2011, 01:46 PM EDT

I have always found the wigs to be distracting. The NAFC and the An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha should get together and ban the wigs from all Feis competition.

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muirisobric | Sep 28, 2011, 12:00 PM EDT

Geeeeze, I never wore 1 of those wigs & did a bit of Irish dancing & I'm bald anyway...........

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antoman | Sep 28, 2011, 11:29 AM EDT

Irish girls will beat the American girls in Irish dance everytime. They don't have to balance a birds nest on their head and so are not restricted in any way.

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PatriciaMarya | Sep 28, 2011, 11:13 AM EDT

Incredible timing: I was just thinking yesterday as to how this very strange costume accessory was completely in the category of the "Toddlers and Tiaras" weirdness! The NYDaily News had interviewed a young champion dancer and she talked about the hair pins causing her scalp to bleed "...but when I started to dance, I forgot about the pain." And in addition to inflicting pain on the dancer, what about the financial pain to the parents? Her mother talked about when her daughter’s talent indicated that she could compete, she looked for used costumes and was shocked with a $600 price tag for used! These heavy beaded costumes and wigs. Why? Who started this tradition in Irish Dancing? The boys are not subjected to any barriers to performing; why should the girls be weighed down with these "necessities" to dancing? The girls are supposed to be cuter with Shirley Temple curls on their heads? I can't believe that now that there is a medical problem that people will continue to put up wth it. And cut out the overwhelming expensive costumes; a simple blouse and skirt can do the trick for the girls the way it goes for the boys in their shirts and pants. Please, parents: come to your senses and stop harming your girls. Let them dance freely and without harm.

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Saoirse9 | Sep 28, 2011, 09:55 AM EDT

High time for those ugly arse wigs to be banned from Irish dancing. They're distracting, expensive, and wholly unnecessary.

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oldboreen | Sep 28, 2011, 09:40 AM EDT

Hardly surprising findings. But I suspect the risk of their children's baldness later, is the very last concern of those awful mothers!

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cmccloskey56 | Sep 28, 2011, 09:39 AM EDT

The same issue has been documented in Japan, back when they pulled their hair back in tight buns when wearing kimonos. Those women who wore traditional clothing and hair styles most often also had bald patches, and considered them as one of the prices of beauty.

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BallinaLass | Sep 28, 2011, 09:37 AM EDT

I don't know why they need those bizarre wigs anyway. Just the girls' natural hair would be so much nicer.

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