April 11 (Bloomberg) -- Braids and weaves may contribute to hair loss in African American women, as the traction used to make the styles can cause swelling and scarring, a study said. 

Almost 60 percent of 310 women surveyed for the study had central hair loss with scarring, according to the report in the Archives of Dermatology. Among those with the most serious hair loss, 57 percent wore braids and weaves, the study by researchers from the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio found.