Does Naomi Campbell have a bald spot because of weave glue?

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Here are some new photos of Naomi Campbell being photographed for some kind of pictorial or ad campaign that revolves around fur. That alone makes me want to be nasty. However, the photo agency managed to get some strange photos of Naomi in profile, and the woman looks like she’s got some really strange bald spots on the side of her head.

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Is this from chemical relaxers? From bad weaves? Has she been bald all along and she’s just worn a series of wigs? I Googled “Naomi Campbell bald” and it seems like there’s quite a collection of Naomi’s baldness, so it’s been a talking point for a while. The Daily Mail even got a hair expert to way in:

Naomi Campbell left onlookers stunned as she revealed a huge bald patch beneath her long luscious wig while on a fashion shoot for designer Dennis Basso in New York. The 40-year-old has revealed signs of a vanishing hairline before, but the true extent of the problem was put on show as she held her hair back as a stylist adjusted her clothing. It appears that years of wearing tight hair extensions have taken a toll on the model’s natural hair, causing severe breakage.

Hair loss associated with hair braiding, weaving and extensions is known as ‘traction alopecia’. Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Victoria Beckham and Alexandra Burke are all reported to have suffered similar symptoms as a result of their extensions. While prolonged traction can cause permanent loss of hair in the affected areas, it is reversible if caught early.

Trichologist to the stars Philip Kingsley said tight hair styles, pony tails, hard brushing and hair extensions could all lead to traction hair loss.

‘The old-fashion hair extensions were put in by weaving threads which had hairs attached to them between the natural hair,’ he said. ‘They were weaved next to the scalp and tightly knotted at each end to secure them. Because of their proximity to the scalp, the thread, which the hair knotted onto it, rubbed on the scalp, caused irritation, consequently making it sore and sometimes breaking the skin.’

He said the new way to put in hair extensions, which involves glue-heating them onto natural hairs, could cause similar problems.

‘The biggest potential problem is traction hair loss and breakage because of the pulling involved.’

But Naomi appeared oblivious to the revelation as she posed at a gas station in the Meatpacking district. She wore a green swimsuit that put her long, lean legs on show and also paraded a series of fur coats. The former Peta campaigner famously declared in the Nineties that she would rather go naked than wear fur but she had a change of heart some years back.

[From The Daily Mail]

Ugh, the things women do for beauty. Does the weave-glue answer make sense? I have to admit, I’m not familiar with so much of what women do with their hair. I have very fine Asian-girl hair that doesn’t do anything but lay there and be silky (ha!). I’ve never gotten a weave – I’ve never even dyed my hair. So to me, this explanation makes sense, although I think professional weavers should get a better system, right? Hot glue that yanks out your hair? No thanks.

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Naomi on June 28, 2010 in NYC. Credit: Bauer-Griffith.

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50 Responses to “Does Naomi Campbell have a bald spot because of weave glue?”

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  1. e says:

    She is totally bald and has been for a while.

  2. Jen says:

    Yep. It’s true.

  3. Leticia says:

    do wigs cause baldness? I wonder which comes first, baldness or the wig. are Diana Ross and all of the other divas bald?

    • Karen Smedes says:

      That is none of your business LETICIA. Do not be so stereotypical. White women and latina women also wear fake hair.

  4. nnn says:

    Instead of putting weaves and glue all the time, she should have tried to find some medical solution to make her hair grow back or even some medical transpant of her own hair.

    Also she should let her hair breathe at times. It’s better to treat hair, doing some tiny plaits and nourrishes them and maybe punctually put some light removal wig on when out than those lace fronts all the time with its chemical glue on the hairline.

  5. irishserra says:

    “Trichologist to the stars…” How funny.

  6. Shay says:

    I think she shaves her head and wears a wig all the time.
    Beyonce wears wigs all the time, not that she is bald, but Naomi does look bald in these shots.

  7. leelee says:

    “ugh, the things women do for beauty”…. hold your judgement… there are many reasons women wear hair and it could be she has – like me – genetic female pattern baldness and has been wearing wigs for years to hide it and also for her self esteem. Loosing your hair is not something you would wish on your worst enemy – it’s true she may have ruined her own hair due to narcissm – but there are also lots and lots, more than you would ever expect, of women who have to wear hair because of bad genes! I am grateful there are options.

  8. Lady D says:

    If anybody deserve a little misery in their lives, it’s her.

  9. Victoria says:

    So I guess she began her career with that long straight hair and its fallen out so now she wears a wig? I wonder how long we’ve been lookign at a wig? I could totally see all the crap we do to our hair (both black and white women) making us go bald.

  10. Kitten says:

    Suits this bitch perfectly. Not surprised she’s bald like Dr. Evil.

  11. Hautie says:

    The glue method, when adding in extensions, has been around at least since the mid 1980’s. And it has not changed a bit. It is still damaging as h*ll to any kind of hair.

    Which I have never understood why do all the damage to your natural hair. There are so many great wigs options. From a full wig to wiglets to clip in’s.

    And no matter what version you use to do extensions. You will eventually have to cut all your hair off.

    Or do a Britney and just shave it all off.

  12. Laurie says:

    No wonder she is b!tchy all the time.

  13. denise says:

    I think her hair ran away from her.

  14. denise says:

    Why do the edges of her hair look like an old beat up carpet?

  15. RHONYC says:

    @ kitten:

    me-ow!

    lol 🙂

  16. Cheyenne says:

    Weaves play absolute hell on your hair. I’d never get one. I’ve seen so many women with traction alopecia from weaves being tied in too tight, I can’t count them all. Weaves pull your hair out and the glue method makes it break off at the roots.

    If you want fake hair, get a wig. Or better yet, just go with what you’ve got.

  17. guesty says:

    wonder if she’s phone throwing pissed over these pics. lol.

  18. Lala11_7 says:

    I am a woman who has worn weaves for YEARS…glue and sew-ins and I know beaucoup women who wear weaves and we have NEVER had the problems that I see in the pictures above…

    Weaved hair isn’t “hellish” for all…

    Just so you know…

  19. Luci says:

    oh FUG!!
    :P!
    naomi campbell is a beauty godess.
    pics like this should put her lovely feet back on the ground
    as for the fur, je, I remember the “Id rather go naked”… shows how hypocrital some celebs are

  20. Toe says:

    She’s in her 40s? Damn i wish i look like that when i’m at that age. LOL at the funny comments. But seriously, she should stop weaving and be natural like Lauryn Hill. Her bone structure is perfect for short hair.

  21. Solveig says:

    The results of one of her countless catfights.

  22. lena says:

    damn is all i can say

    so glad i’m natural

  23. mel says:

    As an African American woman, relaxers can be harsh for your hair if not maintained properly. Alot of AA women are choosing to go natural nowadays as opposed to using a chemical on their hair. I noticed my hairline is thining but this can be caused by a number of things (i.e aging, menopause etc.). Not sure what’s going on in Naomi’s case.

  24. CaramelKiss says:

    Yeesh…looking at that hairline (or the absence of)that curled my lips something fierce. I almost wanna feel sorry for her and then I think of her uber bitchy ways.

  25. Tia C says:

    Who cares why? Bitch is bald!! LOL!!!!

  26. Whitey Fisk says:

    I cannot stand this self-righteous wench, but I have to admit that (if you can overlook the bald spot and the negative energy pouring from her soul) she is incredible looking. Her bone structure is stunning, particularly in that profile pic.

    Too bad it’s wasted on such a hollow dumbf–k.

  27. Naye in VA says:

    My father always said “if you dont start you dont have to stop”

    Weaves are ridiculously damaging to the hairline no matter how much you take care of them. eventually your own hair gets so bad that you HAVE to wear them.

    The minute i started seeing any sort of damage to my hair i stopped wearing them. i didnt want to be sixty and still trying to sew in weave and i didnt want to be 25 wearing a wig. it makes no sense to me when God gave me hair. So i was going to lie about my hair for the rest of my life?

    cut out the perm and went natural and havent looked back

  28. Whitey Fisk says:

    “If you don’t start you don’t have to stop.” Naye, that’s genius. There are limitless examples of that in all areas of life.

    That’s going on my stuff-to-remind-my-children-of-everyday list.

  29. Jo 'Mama' Besser says:

    No starting, no stopping. We’d all be smarter we incorporated that key to living successfully on our minds. It’s true, though. I’ve never done the weave/extension thing. Expensive, time-consuming, boring, painful–and then when you can see the tracks, oh, honey, no.

    If we could get the same message out to all of the girls who are having elective surgery in the teens and early twenties to listen to this advice, well, it’s their bodies.

  30. Lila says:

    I’ve been wearing weaves off and on for 10 years without issue. First of all, the GLUE ISN’T HOT. At all. It’s a rubberized adhesive that loses its grip when exposed to oil. Most hairdressers remove it with oil sheen and it slips right out with no complications. I’ve never seen or met anyone with a glue in weave who lost hair unless it was over applied and got on the hair instead of the track of the extension which is only applied to the scalp only.

    Issue #2. I don’t think weaving itself is the issue. I think it’s more the case of excessive maintenance. These women get their hair done constantly. All that braiding and bleaching and dyeing is done to the 10th power. Most women I know keep a weave in for 6 to 8 weeks so the hair grows out, the braid loosens, and the tension is eased on your scalp. Constant maintenance wouldn’t allow that to happen. She needs to drop weaves all together and get a lace front like Beyonce.

  31. Jeri says:

    Guesty: Agree! My first thought was “hide the phones” when she sees these pics.

    Also, very good explanation of how these things work. I knew they were tied to the hair & that was it. Whether the glue is hot or not, anything poured onto the the scalp & into your hair is going to pull some of your hair out. Too much processing/handling of the hair.

  32. Juiceinla says:

    Serves her right…campaign for fur, lose your own… if only she lost it in the manner most fuzzy animals lose theirs.

  33. gen says:

    I’m in with juiceinla. How about if she also loses her skin the way animals have to lose theirs!!

  34. Jeri says:

    Question: Is a Lace Front just a type of wig?? Lately it is referred to quite a lot.

    Thanks in advance for any enlightenment.

  35. lena says:

    yes a lace front is a type of wig, some women shave the edges of their hair so they can glue the lace front to their scalp, but it can help prevent traction alopecia which it looks like what Naomi has had for a long time.

  36. Bec says:

    I’d agree that this is the result of years and years of over processing. Naomi has never had naturally long, silky hair. She’s not bi-racial and her hair is like anyone else of African descent–tightly curled and kinky (like mine!) She’s been wearing wigs for 20 years. Early days: http://i.ytimg.com/vi/oq7XTHxX2j8/0.jpg

  37. Jeri says:

    Lena: Thank you. I saw a pic of John Travolta a while back with mesh on his forehead from his wig.

  38. Cinderella says:

    Bald or not, I don’t think that crazy woman ever had a self-esteem problem.

  39. Jo 'Mama' Besser says:

    Anyone remember that RuPaul song:
    ‘I’m goin’ back, back, black to my roots? That man can wear the shit out of a wig!

    I’m suprised to know that she’s only 40, HOLD YOUR FIRE. She’s been around for…ever, I think she was thirteen or fourteen when she was tumblin’ for Culture Club. You’ve got to have good bone structure if people will endure your horrible abuse for almost 30 years.

    All the bad rugs that guys are–John Travolta, Nick Cage, Brenden Fraser–the look like they’re giving birth to their own faces.

  40. Sincerity says:

    The reality is that Naomi Campbell works in a very demanding industry that requires women to go “unhealthy” extremes in order to maintain an “illusion of beauty”. I read many years ago about several women of African descent who have lost their natural hair due to the rigorous handling of hairstylists in their industry. When chemically treated, hair of African descent is very fragile and must be treated with great care. Non African American stylists don’t understand how to handle our hair and it becomes damaged. Another prevalent problem is due to stylist who like to save money by using the same type of chemicals on all hair types. Fine, softer grades of hair can not tolerate being over processed and will thin and fallout, if this happens. The natural hormonal changes women experience will also drastically alter the texture and thickness of our hair. I’ve read that almost 40% of women experience thinning and baldness like men as they age which is also another contributing factor. Periodically, women who wear weaves should refrain from using this styling method in order to allow their hair and scalp “to rest”. However, if your hair is drastically thinning, wearing a wig is much healthy in the long run.

  41. Sincerity says:

    ***CORRECTED POSTING***

    The reality is that Naomi Campbell works in a very demanding industry that requires women to go “unhealthy” extremes in order to maintain an “illusion of beauty”. I read many years ago about several women of African descent who have lost their natural hair due to the rigorous handling of hairstylists in their industry. When chemically treated, hair of African descent is very fragile and must be treated with great care. Non African American stylists don’t understand how to handle our hair and it becomes damaged.

    Another prevalent problem is due to stylist who like to save money by using the same type of chemicals on all hair types. Fine, softer grades of hair can not tolerate being over processed and will thin and fallout, if this happens. The natural hormonal changes women experience will also drastically alter the texture and thickness of our hair. I’ve read that almost 40% of women experience thinning and baldness like men as they age which is also another contributing factor. Periodically, women who wear weaves should refrain from using this styling method in order to allow their hair and scalp “to rest”. However, if your hair is drastically thinning, wearing a wig is much healthier in the long run.

  42. Bopa says:

    Hair is a big issue for black models because our hair usually doesn’t work well in that type of situation. They have to change their hair styles sometimes every day (sometimes more than once) depending on the work they get. Depending on our grade (google it) of hair we don’t wash our hair every day because it will become very dry and break. It looks like Naomi uses glue while Tyra Banks get’s lace fronts or Sew-Ins. Lace fronts don’t effect the hair if put on properly. During a Sew In the hair stylist braids the persons real hair and then stiches the weave into the braids.

  43. Crash2GO2 says:

    I work with an African gal who straightens her hair and I can see all the damage and breakage and it’s barely shoulder length. Yet I can see that unless she wore a scarf every day for a year while it grew out, it would be completely unmanageable. I know that some gals do this.

    I have curly/wavy hair and am growing out some straight damaged bits. It is driving me straight up the wall I tell you.

  44. For Sooth? says:

    I thought that Tyra went back to her own hair. It’s straightened, but it is her own hair. She made a big deal out of it on ANTM so that other women would follow her lead and stop ruining their hair with weaves. I wonder when she will go all the way and rock a fro’? I think a really healthy and coiffed fro looks awesome.

  45. mojoman says:

    Karma is a beyotch, baby! even her hair is quitting her a$$! mmmwahahahaha! (evil laugh sound)

  46. sickofit says:

    she is been wearing wigs for ages…

  47. Bopa says:

    I’ve never worn wig or weaves but I do straighten my hair regularly. There are times when I’ll still perm it but I won’t use any heat for a couple months at a time. I’ve never had any breaking issues or bald spots..(knock on wood).

  48. ariel says:

    she need some kind of treatment you mean to tell me as rich as she is she cant afford a purm. that some wow stuff for real.

  49. James Greeny says:

    It`s ok, she can have a hair transplant from her ass.