Early Signs Of Balding And How To Stop Hair Loss
Medically reviewed by Kristin Hall, FNP
Like most signs of aging, androgenetic alopecia, also known as male pattern baldness, doesnt happen overnight. In fact, for most men, going bald is a gradual process.
One of the keys to stopping hair loss is learning about the common signs of baldness and taking action as early as possible. Simply put, the earlier you take action to prevent hair loss, the more hair youll be able to save.
Unfortunately, identifying hair loss isnt always easy. With many myths about balding circling the internet, it is easy to mistake normal hair loss for male pattern baldness.
Luckily, there are some real signs of male pattern baldness that you can use to identify and deal with hair loss. Learn about hair loss treatments from Hims.
What Are The Common Causes Of Hair Loss In Women
What causes hair loss?
- Hair style: Your style of hair can cause hair loss when your hair is arranged in ways that pull on your roots, like tight ponytails, braids, or corn rows. This type of hair loss is called traction alopecia. If hair follicles are damaged, the loss can be permanent.
- Vitamin deficiency.
- Over processed scalp hair .
What causes anagen effluvium hair loss?
- Toxic substances, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy and some medications. These cause sudden hair loss that can occur anywhere on your body. It happens to hair in the growth stage. Sometimes, this type of hair loss can be permanent if your hair follicles are damaged.
What causes telogen effluvium hair loss?
- Extreme physical stress or shock to your body: This causes temporary hair loss. This category includes events like losing a lot of weight, surgery, anemia, illness and having a baby.
- Extreme emotional stress: mental illness, the death of a loved one, etc.
- An abnormal thyroid.
- Medications and supplements: blood pressure medicines, gout medicines and high doses of Vitamin A.
- Hormone changes caused by pregnancy, menopause or birth control pills.
What causes FPHL ?
- Genes: Your familys genes can cause thinning of hair along the top of your head.
- Aging: Hormone changes as you age can cause balding.
- Menopause: This type of hair loss often gets worse when estrogen is lost during menopause.
There are also some conditions that affect hair loss:
Signs Of Early Hair Loss In Men And Women
Being aware of your hairs health and its growth pattern is the first step to getting ahead of hair loss.
Ask yourself: Are there more strands of hair falling out in your hair brush than normal? Is there a large amount of hair on your pillow when you wake up in the morning?
Visual cues are a great way to determine if youre beginning to lose more hair than normal.
For men, thinning hair usually starts with either a receding hairline or thinning at the crown of the head.
Women on the other hand begin to notice thinning hair around their part, as it gradually becomes wider. They may also notice that when their hair is pulled back they are able to see more of the scalp than before.
If you notice scalp irritation like dry or flaky skin, discoloration like red skin, or you begin to see small bald patches appear on your scalp, you should go to the doctor immediately so that he or she can assess the situation. This type of hair loss can be a reaction to something else going on with your body.
Seeing any of these signs can cause serious concern, especially at a young age. Stressing yourself out however, isnt going to do your hair any good.
While we understand the emotional toll hair loss can cause, there are still plenty of options available to you. Again, be sure to look for early signs so you can potentially reverse what is happening to your hair.
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Coping With Traumatic Hair Loss
Losing your hair at a young age can be very difficult. Your child may feel like they need to hide hair loss, and feel stressed and anxious about their hair loss progressing.
Hair loss can be caused by stress or anxiety in anyone, namely teenagers. Coping with hair loss can be difficult. It may cause poor self-esteem and have a big effect on confidence especially at an age when many people start dating and learning who they are.
If your child is experiencing hair loss, its important to remind them that losing their hair doesnt change the person they are and doesnt mean anything is wrong with them. You can let them know that youre ready to listen if they want to talk about it.
If your child is stressed or depressed, their doctor can recommend an experienced counselor.
Can Hair Loss Be Prevented Or Avoided
There is no way to prevent male-pattern baldness because it is a genetic trait, meaning you inherited a gene for baldness from your parents.
Some other causes of excessive hair loss can be prevented. For example, you could prevent hair loss by not styling hair too tightly in a way that puts too much pressure on your scalp. You also can talk to your doctor and avoid taking medications that could cause hair loss.
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How Is Hair Loss Diagnosed
If you suspect that you may have excessive hair loss, talk to your doctor. He or she will probably ask you some questions about your diet, any medicines youre taking, and whether youve had a recent illness, and how you take care of your hair. If youre a woman, your doctor may ask questions about your menstrual cycle, pregnancies, and menopause. Your doctor may want to do a physical exam to look for other causes of hair loss. Finally, your doctor may order blood tests or a biopsy .
Hair Loss During Your Teens: The Basics
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If youre in your teens, you may notice your hairline receding or some degree of thinning on your scalp. These are often early signs of male pattern baldness.
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Male pattern baldness is caused by a combination of genetics and hormones. Since your production of certain hormones ramps up quickly in adolescence, you may start to notice hair loss as you enter your mid to late teens.
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Several proven, science-based treatments are available to stop male pattern baldness, including FDA-approved medications such as finasteride and minoxidil. These may be worth considering if youre above the age of eighteen.
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These treatments are generally most effective when started as soon as you notice hair loss, making it important to take action if youre beginning to lose your hair.
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Not all teen hair loss is caused by male pattern baldness. Other factors that may cause hair loss include stress, nutritional deficiencies, medical conditions and/or use of certain medications.
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Causes Of Grey Hair At Early Age
The main cause is still unknown but research indicates that there are many risk factors which cause grey hair in early age. It includes hereditary, vitamin deficiency, smoking, excessive intake of tea or coffee, faulty diet, Alopecia and hormonal imbalance.
Questions To Ask Your Doctor
- What is causing my hair loss?
- Is there a treatment that will work for me?
- How long will it be before my hair grows back?
- Will my hair grow back the same, or will the texture be different?
- I have a fungal infection. How long will it take for the medicine to start working?
- Should I change my hairstyle?
- Can I do anything to make my hair look fuller?
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Does Your Child Need To See A Doctor About Hair Loss
Yes. You should take your child to see your GP if your child has:
- significant hair loss or thinning for no apparent reason
- an itchy or tender scalp
- a spongy lump under the area of hair loss
- hair loss and also has a fever, is drowsy, is in a lot of pain or is generally unwell.
If your child is losing hair from large areas and is feeling upset or stressed about it, it might be a good idea to ask your GP for a referral to a dermatologist.
Is All Hair Loss Preventable
According to Mayo Clinic, the majority of baldness is caused by genetics, usually known as male-pattern baldness and female-pattern baldness, and cannot be prevented. This type of hair loss is called androgenic alopecia, which is a genetic condition. While androgenic alopecia cannot be prevented, it can be treated and its progression can be slowed.
âAndrogenic alopecia can start at any age. Unfortunately, by the time hair loss is noticeable 50 percent of hairs have already fallen from the scalp. The earlier you begin treatment, the more effective non-surgical treatments can be,â Matthew Lopresti, MD, chief surgeon at Leonard Hair Transplant Associates says.
Alopecia areata is also a genetic disease and usually first appears during childhood. The good news is that when someone has alopecia areata, their hair can grow back even after it has fallen out. So while hair loss from alopecia areata cannot be prevented, it can be treated. According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, your hair follicles remain alive even during active periods of alopecia areata and you can experience hair regrowth even if you have already lost more than 50 percent of your hair.
If your hair loss is not due to a genetic condition, itâs likely that it can be prevented. According to NYU Langone Health, hair loss from stress, menopause, pregnancy, smoking, or other lifestyle or medical conditions can be prevented and sometimes even reversed once it starts happening.
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Why Does Hair Fall Out
The hair on your head goes through a life cycle that involves growth, resting, and shedding. Its common for people to lose around 100 hairs a day.
If you experience more sudden loss, loss in patches, or overall thinning, you may want to see your doctor.
Some shedding is temporary and may respond well to changes in diet, certain treatments, or lifestyle changes. Other loss may be more permanent or not stop until an underlying condition is treated.
How Common Is Hair Loss In Women
Many people think that hair loss only affects men. However, it is estimated that more than 50% of women will experience noticeable hair loss. The most significant cause of hair loss in women is female-pattern hair loss , which affects about one-third of susceptible women, which equals out to some 30 million women in the United States.
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Take Care Of Your Hair
In addition to changes to your diet, it’s imperative to take care of your hair properly. First, you should throw out any harsh shampoos. Instead, replace harsh shampoos with a mild option. If you aren’t sure what type of shampoo you have, ask the person that cuts your hair.
Hair dressers understand hair loss and balding in men and women and can help you choose the shampoo that is best for your situation. If you color your hair or undergo other style treatments that use harsh chemicals, you may want to discuss other options while your hair recovers.
If your hair is breaking and your beginning to see signs of baldness, you may want to consider the way you style your hair. Instead, of using products like mousse, gel, and hairspray that use alcohol and can dry your hair out, you should consider gentler hair products that won’t damage your hair and still maintain your style.
While you’re at the salon, you should see if your stylist offers scalp massages. Hair stylists are taught how to massage the scalp as part of their training. Not only does a scalp massage feel incredibly good, but it can help stimulate blood circulation. Good blood circulation at the scalp is vital to healthy hair.
If you’re hair is breaking at the root or further down the strand, you should consider massaging your hair with coconut or olive oil. Both of these oils can be found in a grocery aisle, or you may already have them at home.
Change Your Hair Products
There is some evidence that many gels and other styling products may contribute to hair loss, as the chemicals within these products stay on the scalp and become trapped in the follicles, preventing the hair from coming to the surface. Avoid excessive use of hair gels and try more natural styling products, which contain fewer chemicals.
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How To Prevent Balding Before It Starts
Hair loss can be caused by many different factors, including genetics, hormonal changes, stress, and even certain hairstyles. Tips to prevent baldness before it starts depends on what type of hair loss you have. Thatâs why itâs important to see a doctor who can tell you the cause of your hair loss and help you with a treatment plan.
If you want to be one step ahead, here are some tips to prevent balding before it starts.
Rosemary And Sage Treatment
Rosemary and sage are widely used for treating various skin and hair conditions. Rosemary works effectively in promoting hair growth and checks hair fall. It improves the pigmentation process of hair, thereby preventing premature hair greying. It also helps in treating dandruff and itchiness of the scalp. Sage also helps in preventing the premature greying of hair, and it also acts as a natural remedy for fighting cellulite
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