Zendaya's Dreadlocks Beautiful, But Risky

Photo by PR Photos

Zendaya, a rising star on the Disney Channel, raised eyebrows on the red carpet with her stellar look - and dreadlocked hair. It was the latter that led to some off-the-cuff jokes by E! co-host Giuliana Rancic, who was later criticized for what many perceived as the insensitive nature of the comments.

However, as beautiful as Zendaya is, her Oscar hairdo is concerning, and for one reason: traction alopecia.

Women who wear their hair in dreadlocks, tight pony tails, braids, weaves or extensions can cause long-term (and even permanent) damage to their follicles, due to the tugging/pulling or extra weight these hair styles put on the follicles. Down the road, this can lead to hairline recession and bald patches (known as "traction alopecia," or "scarring alopecia") - a good example is Naomi Campbell.

That's not to say Zendaya has anything to worry about now - after all, she's still young. But hopefully she'll avoid wearing her hair in this style, not that it isn't beautiful, but because it is risky to the underlying health of her follicles.