Teenagers Hair Loss at an Early Age? Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Have You Noticed Teenagers Hair Loss around lately?

Did you wonder as to why your hairline is receding, or your crown is thinning?

If not, start noticing the pattern now.

If you observe that your hair is getting thinner than they were, then that’s the sign of getting bald. According to the American Hair Loss Association, nearly 25% of men start losing their hair before the age of 21 as hereditary male pattern baldness, also known as androgenetic alopecia.

By the age of 35, Almost 66% of men have experienced some degree of hair loss. Reaching the age of 50, nearly 85% of men experience significant hair thinning.

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Table of Contents
Is Your Hair Loss a Post Covid-19 Effect?
Symptoms of Getting Prematurely Bald
Causes of Premature Hair Loss
Treatment for Hair Loss
Bottom Line– Hair Loss

Is Hair Loss a Post Covid-19 Effect?

Many people experienced hair loss after they got back from Covid-19. Is it may be because of physical & mental stress that go along with Coronavirus? Since, stress plays a vital role in reversible hair loss & this situation is called Telogen Effluvium.

As per Harvard Health Publishing, If you have Telogen Effluvium you may lose an average of 3000 hair a day instead of 100.

Dr. Shilpi Khetarpal, a dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic said, due to a shock in the system, people are experiencing hair loss who had coronavirus two-three months ago.

She further explained that people who haven’t tested positive for Coronavirus still come across Telogen Effluvium because of pandemic related anxiety. Although, there are few proven natural remedies to reduce anxiety disorder.

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Symptoms of Teenagers Hair Loss

Firstly, hair thinning starts on top of the head and then around the temples. Thinning in this pattern may leave a horseshoe of hair around the sides and at the back of the head.

Secondly, hair starts to recede from the front and then from the back of the head.

Causes of Teenagers Hair Loss

Genes

A majority of population suffers from baldness because of their genes, also known as androgenetic alopecia. In addition, during their early-mid 20s, men tend to experience a hairline recession due to puberty. However, there is nothing to worry about. Male baldness can be a result of both genetics as well as hormonal imbalance.

A few men have hair follicles that are sensitive to the male hormone dihydrotestosterone or DTH. Those who are sensitive to DTH lead to horseshoe-shaped baldness. However, people with sensitive DTH do not go completely bald. Instead, a slightly receded hairline can be seen, which is treatable.

Stress

Stress can go from affecting your immune system to thinning of hair. If you are running behind your deadlines to catch up with your work, or if you are working in a stressful environment, there is a possibility that this stress is affecting your hairline.

Furthermore, this stress can also be caused by a friend or a family member. According to medical data, it has been noticed that stress baldness can be of three types as given below.

Telogen Effluvium– Hair follicles get into the resting stage because of the body’s stress hormone levels. Though the hair does not start to fall immediately within a few weeks.

Alopecia Areata– Though it is not always stress-related an immune condition, which attacks hair follicles, resulting in rapid hair loss that usually grows back with time. This type of baldness affects 2% of the male population. 

Trichotillomania is also known as a hair-pulling disorder. People have a weird urge to pull out their hair, resulting in patches of hair loss on the scalp or the body. The best way to overcome this type of baldness is to reduce stress levels.

Low-Diet

A diet with low amounts of vitamins and minerals may also lead to hair loss. A study on mice shows that a diet having low iron deficiency leads to baldness. Humans also showed a similar trait.

While research is still going on in finding the appropriate diet for hair growth, it has been agreed by most people that a diet rich in protein, iron, zinc, selenium & omega-3 fatty acids can be helpful for healthy and strong hair.

Several types of multivitamins can be of great help, if consumed daily. Vegetarians should consume iron-on priority. It has been stated that vegetarians or vegans should consume 1.8 times more iron as compared to meat-eaters. 

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Drugs may also cause Hair Loss

Drugs that increase the level of stress lead to hair loss. Many common drugs may harm your hair growth. Instances are given below.

Retinoids– which is used to treat acne and other skin related problems can cause hair loss.

Antidepressants– can cause stress-induced telogen effluvium or hair loss.

Thyroid medication– which can cause hair loss due to thyroid overactivity.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy– is used to increase testosterone levels in males and increase the level of DHT, in turn, causing hair fall.

If you have prescribed a drug that you might think can lead to hair loss, you should contact the doctor and ask for their alternatives.

Change in Lifestyle

Suppose you are a party- animal who hardly gets any sleep. In that case, you are at a higher risk of losing hair, as sleep plays an important role in every aspect of health.

Staying up Late at Night and not Getting Enough Sleep may hurt your Hairline.

Researches show that lack of sleep can cause stress which lowers the production of essential hormones, which play a great role in hair growth. Cutting down the consumption of alcohol, eliminating tobacco intake, and getting enough sleep can lead to healthy hair growth.

Age

As people age, many changes can be experienced in their bodies. For example, though hair loss can begin during the teen ages, a significant loss can be observed at 50.

This can happen as hair-thin out naturally as a person ages; individual strands get smaller and take on a lighter pigment.

Additionally, as a person gets old, the body releases less hair slower for an average person. As a personage, thinning of hair tends to speed up, leading to hair loss.

Treatment for Teenagers Hair Loss

Given below are some of the most effective treatments for baldness. 

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Medications

The two medications that help prevent baldness are Finasteride (Propecia, Proscar) and Minoxidil (Rogaine, Loniten). Finasteride is available in the form of a pill, while minoxidil is a treatment that is available over the counter. Both the treatments can show results within six months.

Laser Treatment

Low-level laser treatment can also be used to stimulate hair follicles. Though this is a new treatment but is safe and bearable, it is also less invasive than other hair transplant surgeries. A 2013 study that involved 41 men between the ages of 18 and 48 found that 39% experienced hair growth with laser treatment.

Hair Transplant 

The most common hair transplant procedures can be follicular unit transplantation (FUT) and follicular unit extraction (FUE).

FUT includes removing a part of the skin from the back of the head where hair is still growing. These sections are divided into smaller pieces known as grafts, and hence these grafts are then inserted into the parts of the scalp where hair isn’t growing.

FUE surgeons take healthy hair follicles out of the scalp, make small holes where hair isn’t growing anymore, and then put those healthy follicles into these holes.

Bottom Line– Teenager Hair Loss

Baldness can have various causes; however, it can be prevented by following certain things and making a few lifestyle changes. Some of them can be-

Regular scalp massages,

Quitting smoking,

Managing stress,

Eating a balanced diet and 

Taking medication.

If you are very much concerned about your baldness, don’t hesitate to consult a dermatologist. They can come out with a lot of options and can treat the problem well in time.