I’m A Teenager Losing My Hair: Now What?
If you ask most people about hair loss they would probably say it is something that happens to older people. The fact is, it can happen to anyone and that includes teenagers. We are going to take a closer look into why teenagers could experience hair loss at a young age and what treatments are available to help them.
Hair Loss in Teens
Teenagers can have hair loss because of a variety of reasons. It is the cause of the hair loss that will need to be determined so a treatment plan can be made. It doesn’t matter if you are suffering from male hair loss or female hair loss. For those teens that have hair loss, it often stems from changes in hormones, taking certain medications, a poor diet, or over-styling their hair, or the use of certain styling products, or it could be an underlying medical condition.
Hormonal changes occur when a teen enters puberty. This can lead to the body producing an abundance of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This is the hormone that causes hair loss. When there is a drastic increase the hair follicles will shrink in size and this results in hair falling from the follicle over time.
Certain medications are known to have a side effect of hair loss. Some of those are birth control pills, beta-blockers, anticoagulants, and pills containing Vitamin A.
A poor diet can certainly cause a person’s hair to thin. When our hair follicles have a reduced about of nutrients that is requires to produce healthy hair, they will begin to become brittle and even fall out.
Other causes of hair loss can be from the use of certain styling products, wearing a ponytail too tight, or the use of hair straighteners or curlers, the use of high heat or blow dryers daily can all make hair become brittle and break.
Medical conditions like diabetes that isn’t regulated, thyroid glands, scalp infections, or skin disorders can also cause hair loss.
Hair Loss in Teens: Treatment Options
Determining the treatment for hair loss is an individual thing. There can be several factors that need to be looked at with a focus on the cause of hair loss. Once that is determined then we can work on a treatment plan. An example of this could be, you are losing your hair from over-styling your hair. Then we would have you cease the use of using styling products while at the same time implement a regimen that would help your hair become stronger and healthier.
Other treatments might be a change in your diet to increase your body’s nutrient levels with possible supplements to counteract vitamin deficiencies.
If you are experiencing hair loss, you must see an experienced hair loss specialist as soon as possible. The sooner the causes of your hair loss are diagnosed, the sooner you will be able to start a treatment plan to treat it. Talk to your parents today about setting up an appointment if you notice your hair becoming thinner.
