India’s Hair Crisis: How Alopecia is affecting younger men and women

Hyderabad: A visit to any trichologist’s outpatient clinic will leave you both shocked and surprised. Around 80 % of the complaints are about alopecia or various types of permanent and reversible hair loss. Even more shocking is the fact that most of the patients are youngsters, especially teenage girls and women, and men in their 20s, 30s, and 40s.

When you take a bath or comb your hair, it is natural for 50 to 100 strands of hair to fall and this hair loss is compensated by re-growth. But if you find that there has been hair loss throughout the day, even when you are seated, or if you just run your fingers through your hair, then this loss is not normal, hair roots have become loose and it indicates alopecia. In this, the hair does not re-grow in the same thickness as the diameter of the hair has started thinning, say trichologists.

Patients just got younger

Unlike earlier decades, when baldness was associated with elderly men, especially those in their 50s and 60s, nowadays, alopecia is hitting even teenagers and young adults, men and women alike in their 20s and 30s. As per doctors, around 50 % of the patients are from a younger age bracket. This is mainly due to a paradigm shift in lifestyle, food habits, sleep patterns, and work-life imbalance.

Premature hair loss or alopecia, which refers to thinning, loss of hair volume, and balding has a profound effect on the psychological and social well-being of people because it is considered as a failure to conform to the societal norms of physical appearance.

Causes of alopecia

Genetics or family history, hormonal imbalance and Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD) in teenagers, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, infections and neoplasms (new or abnormal growth of tissues in some part of the body), stress, recovery from major illnesses and hospitalization, crash dieting and faulty food habits, smoking and binging on alcohol, excessive chemical treatment of the hair like styling and coloring, effects of certain medications can cause alopecia.

Types of Alopecia

Dermatologist and pan-India director of The Esthetic Clinics Dr Rinky Kapoor explained the various types of alopecia. The most common type is Androgenetic Alopecia related to hormonal imbalance and predisposition. Due to an unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle, inadequate sleep, consumption of junk food, etc, young girls, right from 13 to 14 years are becoming obese and around 70 % of them are suffering from PCOD, all of whom have hair loss problems. Unless this hair loss is treated, it is progressive, and by the time one reaches their mid-30s, almost half the hair is lost.

Telogen Effluvium is the second type of alopecia, which happens due to acute stress, mostly as fallout of major illnesses, for example, long Covid effect, typhoid, jaundice, and post-hospitalization. Postpartum hair shedding is also common. These conditions are however reversible with proper diet and recovery from the ailment.

Anagen Effluvium happens due to injury to the hair follicles mainly as a side effect of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, etc.

Alopecia Areata refers to hair loss in circular bald patches on the head. It is mainly due to autoimmune diseases when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles.

Academic stress and excess hair salon activities worsen alopecia in youngsters

Hair transplant surgeon Dr T Radha pointed out, “Apart from lifestyle changes and an unhealthy diet, academic stress is making matters worse for teenagers (between the ages 15 and 18) because the pressure of board exams and coaching for competitive exams intensifies from Class IX to Class XII. It leaves teenagers no time for physical exercises and games. Their sleep pattern is disturbed, they stay awake till late at night using smartphones and laptops. Obesity, thyroid issues, PCOD, iron, and other vitamin deficiencies, crash dieting - all these contribute to early-age alopecia.”

Further, youngsters tend to chemically treat their hair often for coloring and styling, perming, and straightening. This also damages the hair and causes hair to fall in excess. If alopecia runs in the family or if the father has pattern baldness, then the son or daughter is most likely to develop irreversible alopecia as well and at a much younger age due to lifestyle and dietary changes,” added the doctor.

Treatment

In the early stage of hair fall, diet, and lifestyle modification are advised. Along with that hair supplements and protein serum are prescribed. Medical management is done through growth factor injections made from natural molecules, which are provided to the hair roots. In severe cases of balding, surgical management through hair grafting is done.

Dr T Radha points out that the treatment varies from one patient to another depending on the root cause of hair loss and the earlier the evaluation and commencement of treatment, the better the outcome as the progress of loss can be halted. “Usually, a hair transplant is the last option. If there is hair loss only in one area and the rest of the hair is good, then follicular unit transplantation can be easily done for any age group. But if hair loss is from all over the head, then instead of a transplant, certain injections and medicines have to be administered. However, one should not self-medicate influenced by social media,” she averred.

Hair care to prevent alopecia

Dr. Kapoor provided some tips for preventing and minimizing hair fall.

Use a wide-tooth comb for combing and brushing the hair.

Do not comb the hair if it is too wet as the moisture will loosen the roots.

Towel dry or air-dry the hair rather than using a blow drier because heat from the blow drier damages the hair.

Minimise styling and coloring of the hair. Limit it to once a month at the most.

Do not keep the hair oiled overnight, especially if one has hair fall problems. Oiling half an hour before the bath is adequate.

Oiling and shampooing the hair twice a week is enough unless daily outdoor work and pollution require one to shampoo every day.

Use shampoos where the ingredients mention low sulfate content.

If natural henna is put on the hair, use a conditioner after henna to prevent dryness and brittleness of the hair. Avoid black henna.

Exercise to keep the BMI (body mass index) normal and prevent obesity and overweight conditions at all costs.

Above all, opt for a healthy high protein, low carbohydrate diet, rich in green leafy vegetables, iron, minerals, etc.