Messed Up Sleep Cycle
Everything including sleep rhythms seems to be thrown up when a teen hits puberty. Teenage girls and boys will experience significant shifts in their circadian rhythms which largely affect their sleep. While children tend to go to sleep quite early between 8h00 and 9h00 pm, at the commencement of puberty, teenagers will experience a couple-of-hour-later shift in their bedtime . To react to this new pattern, many of them will have insomnia before completely adapting to a new sleep schedule. What should be done is to go to bed on time and guarantee that the body still gets at least 8 hours of sleep at night.
Not sleeping enough might be one of the most common reasons for teens to lose hair. In modern life with all the possible distractions that can draw youngsters away from his or her sleep, teenage girls and boys might find it hard to sustain enough sleeping hours to have enough energy for a day. Chatting with their friends, being on the internet, doing homework, can make them stay up later than they should. The consequence is the form of an unstable and disrupted sleep schedule instead of a healthy one.
What Does Thinning Hair Look Like
Hair loss can affect men of all ages. As such, its important to know the signs of thinning hair so that you can tackle the problem as it develops. Hair loss in men typically begins around the forehead and on top of the head. Therefore, many men experience a receding hairline as part of the early stages of their hair loss. To determine whether your hairline is receding, try comparing your current hair to a photo from two years ago. Thinning hair on top of the head, on the other hand, can be identified by regularly parting your hair down the middle and seeing how much scalp is revealed.
Determining The Cause Of Your Hair Loss
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Other Possible Causes Of Hair Loss
Although most hair loss is caused by male pattern baldness, several other factors may cause you to shed hair during your teens:
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Nutritional deficiencies.Several nutritional deficiencies, including iron deficiency and others, can cause shedding and temporary hair loss. Some vitamins, such as vitamin C and vitamin D, are also important for healthy hair growth.
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Stress, anxiety and other psychological factors. Stress, traumatic experiences and other events can cause a form of temporary hair loss called telogen effluvium a topic weve talked about more in our guide to stress-related hair loss.
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Medical conditions and infections. Some medical conditions, such as thyroid disease and hormonal health issues, may cause hair loss. Infections that affect your scalp may also cause you to lose hair on certain parts of your head.
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Damage to your hair. Some types of damage, such as tension from certain hairstyles, scarring or follicular damage from autoimmune diseases, can affect your hair and result in temporary or permanent hair loss.
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Medications. Some medications, including acne medications, ADHD medications and some medications used to treat psychological disorders, may cause hair loss as a side effect.
Our guide to the causes of hair loss explains more about the numerous factors that may lead to hair loss during your teens, 20s and later in life.
How Is Hair Loss Defined
Hair loss, a medical condition called alopecia, can affect your scalp or your entire body, and it may be temporary or permanent.
While anyone can lose the hair on their head, its more common in men than in women. Still, some hair loss in both men and women is normal on a daily basis, usually around 100 hairs each day. The difference is that with a healthy head of hair, the old hairs are quickly and continually replaced by new ones.
As a result, it may be difficult to notice thinning hair at the crown, often a first sign of male baldness. This is the most common type of alopecia and accounts for nearly 95% of hair loss in guys. While thinning at the crown is fairly common, if patches of hair are falling out of your beard or other areas of your body, you may have a much more serious type of alopecia.
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Im Losing My Hair Should I See My Health Care Provider
Yes. If youre losing your hair, its a good idea to make an appointment with your health care provider to get checked out. Sometimes hair loss can happen as a result of medical conditions such as low thyroid levels. It can also happen as a side effect of using certain medications such as anabolic steroids. Your health care provider may order lab tests or even refer you to a skin/hair specialist, a dermatologist.
Hair Regrowth For Men
For men who are leading a healthy life and still experiencing thinning on the top of their head, hair growth products and treatments can provide a suitable option. To achieve the best results, choose a Minoxidil topical treatment, which stimulates hair follicles to help grow new strands. Alternatively, a hair transplant may be considered for those who have had no luck regrowing their hair.
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Hair Pulling Or Twirling
Children who twirl their hair may damage the hair follicles, causing the hair to fall out. Some children pull their hair because of anxiety. Doctors call this trichotillomania.
When the person stops pulling or twirling their hair, it should regrow. Hair pulling is a type of anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder, so it is essential to treat the underlying cause. A child may benefit from therapy, emotional and social support, or medication.
Maa And Disease Associations
Cotton et al. first suggested idea that male pattern baldness may be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease . This has been subsequently supported by several other studies . A recent study found that asymptomatic young men with at least Grade 3 vertex baldness have a significantly greater risk of arterial stiffness than those with normal hair status. However, most of these studies were conducted by non-dermatologists and no dermatologic input was included for confirmation of MAA diagnoses. These statistically-significant, though weak, associations were discovered in epidemiological, cohort and case control studies. Severe early onset of MAA in subjects before age 30 may be associated with a higher risk for ischemic heart disease. In a retrospective study of 22,071 American subjects, men experiencing vertex balding were shown to have an increased incidence of myocardial infarction compared with frontal alopecia . One study showed that frontal male pattern baldness in young men was associated with increased serum cholesterol levels and higher blood pressure compared to men of similar age with no hair loss . Increased incidences of hypertension and elevated aldosterone levels have also been found in women with female pattern hair loss .
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How Common Is Hair Loss In Teens
Hair loss is surprisingly common during your teens and early twenties. In fact, many men begin to notice the first signs of hair loss during their last few years of high school or their first years at college.
As we mentioned earlier, about 16 percent of men between the ages of 15 and 17 experience some degree of hair loss.
In general, hair loss becomes more common the older you get. According to the American Hair Loss Association, around two thirds of men experience hair loss by age 35. By age 50, about 85 percent of all men show significant hair thinning.
Combination Of Medical Medical And Surgical Therapy
An open, randomized, parallel-group study comparing the efficacy of available medications as monotherapy or combined therapy showed that finasteride in combination with either topical minoxidil or ketoconazole showed significantly better hair regrowth than with finasteride as monotherapy and showed no difference in the incidence of side effects. It is inferred that the combination of medication with different mechanisms of action enhances the efficacy . A recent case study showed that adding dutasteride 0.5mg in a patient who had poor response to finasteride had marked improvement of hair loss .
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Treatment For Hair Loss
Hair loss treatment usually works well. Also, most cases that are treated early wont cause scarring.
The type of treatment your child needs will depend on the underlying cause of the hair loss.
Many children with small patches of alopecia areata will have hair regrowth without treatment. If your childs bald patches are getting worse, your doctor might prescribe corticosteroid cream or another treatment for the affected area for a few weeks. If your child has complete or rapid hair loss, your doctor might prescribe an oral medicine.
Some older children might feel upset or stressed about their bald patches. Talking with a GP or counsellor might help.
How Is Hereditary Hair Loss Diagnosed
Your doctor will ask you questions about your hair loss, including the pattern of your hair loss and whether you have any other medical conditions. Your doctor will also examine your hair. No tests are needed to diagnose hereditary hair loss, but blood tests may be done to rule out other conditions that can cause hair loss.
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When Do Guys Usually Start Losing Their Hair
Male pattern baldness usually begins when a guy is in his 30s or 40s, but it can also happen during the teen years after puberty, although it is much less common. Guys often say that they notice that their hair loss comes and goes meaning that at certain times they realize their hair is becoming thin and other times they may not notice anymore hair loss for a while.
Female Hereditary Hair Loss
Female hereditary hair loss is known as female pattern baldness. Its cause is not clearly understood. It can affect women in any age but occurs more commonly after menopause. It usually begins about the age of 30, becomes noticeable about the age of 40, and more noticeable after menopause. By the age of 50 at least a quarter of women experience some degree of hair thinning.
It is also thought that female hereditary hair loss is influenced by genetics and the androgen hormones, although the link is not as strong as in male hereditary hair loss.
In female hereditary hair loss, finer hairs with less colour are produced, and hairs in the resting phase fall out more easily.
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How To Prevent Hair Loss For Teenage Guys
Medically reviewed by Kristin Hall, FNP
If youre in your mid to late teens, you may have noticed that your hair is starting to thin at your hairline and temples.
Although male pattern baldness is most common in men in their 30s, 40s and older, its possible to develop the early signs of hair loss while youre a teenager.
Dealing with hair loss can be a frustrating experience. Luckily, hair loss is treatable. By using the right combination of medications and hair care products, you can slow down or prevent hair loss and maintain your hair well into your 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond.
In fact, by catching the signs of hair loss early in your life, youre in a strong position to stop any further hair loss before it can happen.
Below, weve explained how and why hair loss happens, as well as the potential signs of balding you may notice if youre starting to lose your hair in your teens.
Weve also talked about the proven, science-backed treatments that are available to slow down and stop hair loss, from over-the-counter products such as minoxidil to prescription medications like finasteride.
Wigs Hair Pieces Or Hair Transplantation
Cosmetics such as hair sprays or hair colouring products, wigs and hair pieces can be effective to hide area with hair thinning. Hair transplantation has become more popular but not everyone is suitable for this procedure and it is expensive. Talk to your doctor to find out whether these treatments are suitable for you.
The Ministry of Health also provides a wig and hairpieces subsidy. Read more about the wigs and hair pieces subsidy to find out if you are eligible.
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Medications To Treat Hair Loss
Treatment depends on the underlying cause, says Dr. Scott. Sometimes simply addressing a medical condition prompting hair loss will be enough for the hair to regrow. In other instances, a woman might consider a medication like minoxidil , which helps with certain types of hair loss, or another treatment to replace or regrow lost hair.
A newer option being used to treat hair loss is platelet-rich plasma injections. For this treatment, the doctor draws your blood, divides it into its separate components, recombines the blood fluid with a high concentration of platelets , and introduces the resulting preparation back into the scalp.
The science on this isnt totally worked out. We still dont completely understand the mechanism behind PRP, but growth factors contained in platelets can stimulate regeneration of hair follicles and other tissues as well, says Dr. Scott.
In addition, low-level LED laser lights have been found to be helpful in regrowing hair in some cases. Its likely that even more treatments will be developed in the near future.
Document Your Hair Loss
If youre worried about your hair loss and you think that its thinning or receding more than normal its a good idea to document it, we recommend taking a photo of your hairline or affected area regularly, this way youll be able to see how much it has changed over time. This will also help any hair loss professional have a better understanding of how your hair has changed over time.
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