56% of Hijab-Wearing Women in Michigan Survey Tie Hair Loss to Head Covering

More than half of hijab-wearing women surveyed in Southeast Michigan — 56 percent, or 94 of 168 participants — reported hair loss they personally attributed to the head covering, according to a cross-sectional study published in Archives of Dermatological Research. Only 11 percent, 19 of 168, had ever seen a dermatologist for the problem.

The study, led by Khreizat, M., Chouaib, R., Dababa, E., and Helfrich, Y. (2026), distributed an anonymous 33-item survey to Muslim women aged 18 and older who currently or previously wore the hijab and lived in Southeast Michigan. All 168 respondents completed the full questionnaire, which formed the basis of the analysis (DOI: 10.1007/s00403-026-04980-2).

The psychosocial burden the respondents described was substantial. Daily anxiety related to hair loss was reported by 32 percent (53 of 167), and 36 percent (61 of 168) said the hair loss affected their self-esteem.

How openly is the topic discussed?

Barely at all, the survey suggests. Nearly half of participants — 46 percent, or 78 of 168 — disagreed that hair loss was openly discussed within their communities. A larger majority, 72 percent (120 of 167), agreed that hijab-associated hair loss is viewed as less important than other health concerns.

Hair worries also shaped daily behavior. More than half, 55 percent or 92 of 168, had considered changing how they style their hair or their hijab because of concerns about hair loss. That extends the issue beyond cosmetic irritation into decisions about everyday practice and appearance, the authors note.

Why does specialist care lag so far behind prevalence?

The gap is stark: 56 percent perceive hijab-attributed hair loss, yet just 11 percent have consulted a dermatologist. The authors frame this as an unmet need for care in this community rather than a problem of diagnosis.

Prior research has examined clinical associations between hijab use and hair loss. Less has been known about perceptions, psychosocial effects, and care-seeking experiences among women who wear the hijab. This study addresses that gap by documenting self-reported experiences rather than clinically diagnosed outcomes.

An important caveat: the data reflect participants' own attributions of their hair loss to hijab use. As a cross-sectional survey of a single geographic community, the study captures a snapshot in time. It cannot establish causal relationships between hijab use and hair loss, and its findings do not generalize to Muslim women in other regions. The sample was limited to women aged 18 or older living in Southeast Michigan who currently or previously wore the hijab.

What should clinicians take from it?

The researchers concluded that perceived hijab-associated hair loss was common in this sample and came with psychosocial concerns, limited community discussion, and low use of dermatologic care. They called for culturally responsive counseling and acceptable hair-styling strategies as directions for future clinical practice.

The findings point to unmet needs, the authors emphasize, and do not prescribe specific treatments. Future work, they suggest, should build on this documentation of self-reported experience to develop counseling approaches that this population will actually use.