Hair in a Bun Causing Female Hair Loss?

(female) i am 31 years old and have been wearing my hair up in buns and ponytails since i was young. i noticed that i started to get patches at the sides of my head and at the base of my neck. this has been going on in between 5 to 10 years. i have now stopped wearing my hair up but am worried that i have caused permanent damage. i still have strands of hair within the patches, and it does not look no where near as bad as some of the pictures i have seen,will my hair grow back or has it gone to far.

You may be experiencing traction alopecia from the constant pull on your hair. This may be permanent depending on the degree and length of the insult to your hair. Only time will tell if your hair will grow back. It may take up to a year. In the mean time, I would advise you to not wear your hair in a bun if you feel it has caused you to lose hair. If the hair has not returned after 1 year, you may have permanent hair loss in the areas of your concern.