Teenage Hair Loss

As we age, it’s normal to develop some hair loss. Sometimes teenagers can also lose their hair. For a teenager, finding that you’re losing your hair can be a discomforting experience, and for girls that feeling is substantially more distressing. Hair loss for teenagers has a very real and serious impact on their self esteem. Social media can also add to this as it usually presents images that tend to show images of unattainable bodies to most. Viewing these images can cause teenagers to question their own appearance and that adds to the loss of their self-esteem.

The good news is that it is possible to prevent and even reverse hair loss so teenagers can lessen the damage to their self-esteem. By working with a hair loss specialist, teenagers can identify the cause of their hair loss and receive the treatment they need to again raise their self-esteem.

Causes of Teenage Hair Loss

Here are some of the causes of hair loss to teenagers that are the most common:

Alopecia Areata: This is a skin disease that is believed to attack the immune system that can damage the hair follicles. This causes the hair strands to weaken and eventually begin to fall out. It often causes baldness in patches.

Medical Conditions: There are medical conditions that can interfere with normal hair production and be a contributor to hair loss. These include polycystic ovary syndrome, thyroid disease, and uncontrolled diabetes.

Medications: With many prescriptions the side effects can result in hair loss. Some of these medications are used to treat ADHD, acne, bipolar disorder, and cancer. Hair loss can also be caused by diet pills that contain amphetamines.

Traction Alopecia: This is a condition that develops because of damage to hair follicles from hairstyles that pull the on the hair. Teenagers that tightly comb or pull their hair back or who wear braids, cornrows and extensions are at a high risk for this type of hair loss.

Chemical Hair Treatments: Certain treatments to hair can also cause damage to the follicles that can cause hair loss or weaken hair to a point that it can break off. This can happen from dyes, bleaches, and perms.

Trichotillomania: This is a psychological disorder that can cause an individual to pull on their hair. Stress and anxiety are believed to be triggers that cause those with this disorder to do this. This hair pulling can cause baldness and damage to hair strands.

Poor Nutrition: Not getting enough proper nutrition can also cause hair to fall out or slow down hair production. Deficiencies in zinc, and vitamin H are leading factors. Vegetarian and vegan teens are at a high risk for this type of hair loss.

Androgenetic Alopecia: There are several factors that can cause this condition. Those can include genetic makeup and hormones, called androgens. Teenagers who take steroids to help them build muscle put themselves at a higher risk for this type of hair loss.

Because the causes of hair loss for teenagers can be so varied, it is important for teens to work with a hair restoration specialist to help them develop a treatment for their hair loss. Early treatments can help teenagers improve their self-image and restore their self esteem.