“Pay attention to this kind of hair pain—it can be a warning about coming hair loss,” cautions Skjoth. Jaliman agrees and says there’s an official term for it, “traction alopecia,” which is gradual balding from follicles damaged by too-tight locks. She recommends that patients prone to hair pain use only soft cloth hair ties (no grippy elastics!) and opt for loose styles instead of anything that pulls at the scalp. Refrain from sleeping with your hair tied up or otherwise “setting” overnight, as the tension can also tug for hours and result in pain.