Tight or frequent braiding may pull at the hair roots and cause traction alopecia. Rubber bands with metal clasps or tight clips, which bend the hair shaft at extreme angles, can also have the same effect.
For example, hair drawn in a direction other than its natural growth pattern (hair types come out of the hair follicle in particular patterns for curly, body, straight; and also, hair grows in a pattern about the head so that it hangs or forms the way it does for humans). If hair is pinned too tightly, or the whole updo slips causing pulling on the hair in the follicle at the hair root are other scenarios that can cause aggravation to the hair follicle and result in headaches.