Hair Loss in Teenager

How to Stop Teenage Hair Loss

Hair loss can be an embarrassing and frustrating experience, especially during adolescence. This occurs when something prevents hair growth or increases hair loss or breakage. If your hair has stopped growing, it will not grow again until you identify and treat the hidden cause of this fall. Problems that can lead to it at a young age include stress, poor hair care, or various medical conditions.

1: Discuss treatments and hairstyles with your stylist.

Some chemical processes can cause breakage or temporary hair loss, for example, discoloration and dyeing, straightening and perms. The heat from straightening irons or the hairdryer can also cause hair loss.

Hairstyles that pull too much hair can cause "traction alopecia," a condition in which the follicles become damaged over time. If you have pain in your scalp, avoid getting tight ponytails or other hair-pulling styles.

2: Consider your family history

 Ask your parents if there is any history of hair loss in your family. The common cause of hair loss in adults (male or female pattern baldness) is genetic. However, the combination of genetics and hormones can initiate this type of hair loss in mid-adolescence.

Recent studies show that genetic hair loss can be inherited from a parent, in both boys and girls.

3: Observe excessive loss

 Losing a certain amount of hair (about 50 to 100 hairs per day) is totally normal. However, stress or traumatic events (such as accidents, surgeries, or illness) can lead to excessive hair loss.  Under normal conditions, excessive hair loss stops in 6 to 9 months, but constant stress can cause it to become a permanent loss.

4: Be careful not to pull your hair out

Teenagers tend to play with their hair unconsciously, twisting or pulling it. In many cases, this could be a symptom of a disorder called "trichotillomania" that leads people to pull out their hair when they are nervous or distracted. Although it is a habitually unconscious behavior, it leaves bald spots in those who suffer from it. This disorder is often due to stress. See a hair or scalp therapist or specialist (called a "trichologist") for proper diagnosis and treatment.

5:Consult with your family doctor or dermatologist about your possible medical conditions

There are many diseases and conditions that could cause hair loss. Hormonal conditions like uncontrolled diabetes, thyroid disease, or polycystic ovary syndrome can interfere with hair production. People with lupus can also experience hair loss.

Eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia can deprive the body of the proteins, vitamins, and minerals necessary for hair growth. to some extent, vegetarian teens also lose hair if they don't get enough protein from non-meat sources.

Athletes are at a higher risk of hair loss because they are more likely to develop iron deficiency anemia, which can lead to hair loss.

Ringworm of the scalp (called tinea capitis) is one of the causes of zonal hair loss, often accompanied by flaking and hair breakage. This is not very common in teens, but it can occur. It is due to a fungal infection and is treated with oral medications and special shampoos.

6: Check for the presence of small round bald spots

One or more of these areas on the scalp could indicate a skin condition called "alopecia areata" that causes hair loss. It is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system damages the hair follicles. Fortunately, it is treatable and the hair usually grows back within a year. However, some people with this condition lose their hair frequently or even permanently.

If not controlled, alopecia areata sometimes progresses to complete baldness or even complete loss of body hair, although this is rare. See a dermatologist for a proper diagnosis, which could involve a simple examination of the hair under a microscope or require a skin biopsy.

This condition is not contagious.

7:Talk to the doctor about the effects of medications

 Chemotherapy for cancer is a medical treatment especially known for causing hair loss. However, many prescription drugs (such as some that treat acne, bipolar disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD) list hair loss as a side effect.  Diet pills that contain amphetamines also cause hair loss. Show your doctor a detailed list of all medications you are currently taking, either prescription or over-the-counter, to determine if they are the cause of your problem.