Facts & Figures On Hair Loss
You may feel alone if you are experiencing hair loss, but after looking at statistics, we hope youll see that almost everyone is affected by some type of hair loss in their lifetime.
For women, thinning hair and hair loss affects roughly one in four women, and 95% of those affected suffer from androgenetic alopecia. On average, women dealing with hair loss are between 25 and 35 years old.
This is a big contrast from the perception that thinning hair and hair loss is only related to older men and women.
Furthermore, 24% of women equate losing hair to losing a limb. This is how deeply emotional thinning hair and hair loss can be, especially for women.
By the age of 35, 66% of American men will experience some type of hair loss, and by the age of 50, about 85% of men will have significantly thinning hair.
For men with male pattern baldness, 25% will begin to see thinning hair or hair loss before they reach the age of 21.
These numbers prove that hair loss is not just an issue for older men and women, but in fact affects many men and women in their early twenties and thirties as well.
There may be a silver lining to thinning hair and hair loss at a younger age though your body may be more receptive to hair growth products and hair loss cures because hair follicles may still be capable of regrowth at this earlier age.
Next well take a look at the different causes for hair loss, and why they might be happening at a younger age
Eat A Balanced Diet And Consider Supplements
According to stylist at Bumble and bumble Erickson Arrunategui, if you are struggling with thinning hair and itâs mostly stress-related or due to a hormone change, you can use vitamins such as biotin to help with hair growth and also strengthen your existing hair. Studies have shown that biotin helps promote healthy hair growth and is a great option if you want thicker hair. Other vitamins you can take include vitamin A and vitamin D, where studies show that a deficiency in both is linked to hair loss.
Hendricks explains diet and hair loss could be tied. To counter this potential source, Syfu recommends staying hydrated, making sure to get your omega fatty acids and greens, and also taking a multi-vitamin or biotin supplement.
Is There Anything I Can Do To Stop My Hair From Falling Out Naturally
Everyone loses hair naturally and it is normal for hair to thin somewhat when you get older. But the truth is that male pattern hair loss is a genetic condition that cannot be stopped entirely.
There is a condition called Traction Alopecia, which is caused by constant pulling or tension of your hairs over a long period. You dont have to be dragged around the floor by your head to suffer from this either if you often wear tight braids, particularly cornrows, or tight ponytails, you are more likely to get Traction Alopecia. So try not to pull your hair tight excessively. Some experts also recommend exercise as a good way to maintain a healthy head of hair.
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Male Or Female Pattern Hair Loss
Androgenetic alopecia is a frequent cause of hair loss. It affects an estimated 50 million men and 30 million women in the United States.
According to the Genetics Home Reference, the likelihood of experiencing androgenetic alopecia increases with age. Although it can affect teenagers, over half of males aged 50 and older have some degree of hair loss. It is most likely to affect females following menopause.
Often, people who have androgenetic alopecia have family members with the same condition.
In males, hair thinning tends to occur from the hairline to the back of the head. In females, it tends to affect the crown of the head.
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.
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Hair Loss Medical Treatments
For simple hair thinning rather than male or female pattern baldness, most doctors would not consider prescription treatment for hair loss unless it was causing major psychological distress. But if they were found to be necessary, available hair loss treatments include:
- Minoxidil applied daily as a liquid or foam, this can take 3-4 months to work.
- Finasteride – taken as a daily pill.
- Steroid cream – if hair thinning is due to significant scalp inflammation, steroid creams may be used to reduce this.
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.
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Treating Hair Loss: Medicine
Minoxidil is approved by the FDA for female pattern hair loss. It can slow or stop it in most women and may help hair grow back. But the benefits go away when you stop using it. Corticosteroids can help regrow hair for women with alopecia areata. And if the cause is an underlying medical problem or poor nutrition, your locks should grow back on their own once things are under control.
Dont Forget Conditioners And Volumizers
Applying conditioner after shampooing your hair is essential to maintaining healthy locks. Conditioner is a vital hair-care step that adds moisture to help replenish hairs sheen and natural oils lost during shampooing. And volumizers work like a splint to strengthen each strand of hair, plumping it to provide more volume per strand.
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Hair Loss Trigger: The Pill
The hormones that suppress ovulation could cause your hair to thin. Itâs more likely if you have a family history of hair loss. It might happen when you stop taking the pill. Other drugs linked to hair loss include blood thinners and medicines that treat high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, and depression.
You Have Female Or Malepattern Baldness
You might already know about malepattern baldness, a type of hair loss caused by a combo of genes and male sex hormones that usually makes the hair on a man’s head recede at the temples, leaving an Mshaped hairline.
But hormone-related hairloss for femalesor femalepattern baldnessis also a thing, according to the US National Institute of Health. This type of hair loss occurs when the hair follicle shrinks so much over time that it doesn’t grow new hair. In women, the symptoms of femalepattern baldness includes a widening of the center hair part, and, sometimes, coarser hair on the face.
The only FDAapproved treatment for female and malepattern hair is minoxidil , but if that doesn’t work, your doctor may prescribe oral medications such as finasteride that can halt hair loss or even cause some to grow surgery to transplant or graft hair is also an option.
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Common Hair Loss Causes In Teenage Girls
While uncommon, hair loss in teenage girls does happen. This can be emotionally traumatizing for a teenage girl. During this time of her life, teens are just discovering who they are so it can be difficult to deal with something that makes them stand out from their peers. Especially when its something they have no control over.
Hair loss can happen for several reasons. Here are some of the most common:
Hormones All teens go through changes in their body and hormone levels. These hormones can cause fluctuations in emotion, eating habits and hair growth. Sometimes, a hormone imbalance can trigger hair loss. The hormone that causes hair loss is called dihydrotestosterone or DHT. Men usually have high levels of DHT but woman and girls can have low levels of testosterone as well. DHT can shrink hair follicles causing them to fall out. Hormone levels normally balance themselves out so hair loss is temporary but in some cases, it can be more severe.
Medicine Some medication can cause hair loss, especially ones that alter hormone levels. Some teenage girls take birth control to control acne or for Polycystic ovary syndrome . Anytime you are altering hormone levels, a side effect can be thinning hair.
Deeper Medical Condition Sometimes, hair loss can be caused by medical conditions like scalp infections, thyroid issues, skin disorders or trichotillomania. If you have symptoms like scaly, inflamed skin or hair loss in big patches, consult a doctor immediately.
Find Solutions For Your Hair Loss
Adult men are not the only ones who experience hair loss. Sometimes, teenage males experience underlying health issues or have habits that lead to hair loss.
At Chicago Hair Institute, our team is proud to offer the highest quality hair loss treatments, delivered with compassionate care. To find out how our doctors can help you or your teen with this problem, call us at 630-932-9690, or get in touch with us online anytime.
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What Causes Hair Loss In Teenagers
Iâm a 15-year-old girl and have been experiencing severe hair loss to the point where Iâm losing handfuls of hair each day. I have tried applying different oils to my hair but with no result.
Itâs normal for people to switch hair oils as soon as they notice severe hairfall. But that often does not stop hairfall.
The roots of hairs in the early stages of the rest phase may end up being pulled out before they are ready to fall out on their own after their growth lifecycle, especially if the hair is massaged or washed more energetically than usual. This is why hair fall is noticed for 2-3 days after a vigorous oil massage or change in shampooing or conditioning regime, or a move to new brushes. What you need to realise is that these weak hairs will surely fall off irrespective of using the best hair oils. Some of us even avoid washing the scalp for fear of losing hair. However, skipping a shampoo will not help your weak hairs to remain on your scalp.
Remember, inadequate nutrition is the second most common cause of hair fall and sensible nutrition helps hair to re-grow. A wholesome diet, rich in proteins, calcium and iron, will help reduce or prevent hair loss. Green, leafy vegetables are good mineral sources. Eat plenty of iron-rich foods, like liver, wholegrain cereals, dark green leafy vegetables, eggs, dates and raisins.
What Are Teenage Hair Loss Solutions
If youre not sure whats causing your hair loss, speak to your physician. Your doctor can assess whether or not your hair loss is caused by an underlying issue, and can prescribe a treatment.
2. Reduce Stress
Engage in healthy practices that naturally reduce stress. Exercise, meditate, get plenty of sleep, and make sure to leave time in your schedule to have fun.
3. Eat a healthy diet
For healthy hair growth, teens should eat a diet rich in proteins, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. Avoid fad diets and cleanses, as these can cause hair to fall out.
If youre an athlete, make sure that youre eating enough calories to support your training schedule.
4. Take a hair growth supplement
To fill in any gaps in your diet, take a supplement that supports regular hair growth like Viviscal. Formulated with ingredients necessary for hair growth, Viviscal ensures that you have all your nutritional bases covered for healthy hair.
5. Conceal while regrowth occurs
For most teens with hair loss, hair regrowth will occur once the underlying issue is treated. In the meantime, hair loss can be concealed with Toppik Hair Building Fibers. Hair Building Fibers are natural-looking and virtually undetectable, so no one will know youre wearing them!
Hair loss can be especially devastating for teenagers. Fortunately, if caught early, most cases of teenage hair loss can be reversed.
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Common Hair Loss Causes
There are a number of potential triggers for hair thinning and hair loss:
1. Hair treatments
Without realising it, many people can treat their hair quite badly! Over-treating it with harsh hair products such as colour treatments, relaxers, bleach and perm solutions can all cause damage to the hair, as can extreme-hold hairsprays and gels. Pulling the hair into a very tight bun or ponytail can also put excessive strain onto the hair, breaking it away from the hair follicles in the scalp. Repeatedly pulling on the hair follicles can cause the condition traction alopecia where hair thins in the area it is under most stress from being pulled.
2. Anaemia and iron deficiency
In women, one of the most common causes of hair thinning and hair loss is iron deficiency, typically caused by menstrual blood loss but which may also occur due to dietary deficiency. Iron is essential for producing healthy hair and so low levels can impact on both the strength and quantity of scalp hair.
3. Vitamin B12 deficiency
Vitamin B12, along with folic acid and other minerals, is very important for healthy hair since low levels of it affects the health of the oxygen-carrying red blood cells needed for healthy hair growth. B12 deficiency is most commonly seen in vegans, as the primary source of dietary B12 is through animal protein although it can also be obtained through fruit and vegetables.
4. Stress
5. Pregnancy
6. A poor diet
7. The menopause
8. Dramatic weight loss