Premature Hair Loss: 10 Reasons for Hair Fall at Young Age

Do you notice a bunch of hair stuck to your teenager's scrunchie? Does the floor of his or her room appear like a mess with layers of hair rolling all over? Well, your child is probably suffering from hair fall! Yes! Hairfall in teenagers is as common as in adults or pregnant woman. However, neglecting this condition can worsen the problem and severely hit the confidence levels of your children. Before you start trying out home remedies or OTC hair loss products, it's important to know the reasons behind hairfall in teens.

From nutritional deficiencies to stress and hormones, there are many reasons which contribute to an unusual amount of shedding or hair loss in teenagers. In this article, we have explained the main reasons in detail to help you identify the root cause and take the right course of action.

10 Main Causes for Hair fall in Teenagers:

Hairfall in teenagers may happen due to a number of reasons that vary between males and females. Let us now into the top 10 reasons for why this happens:

1. Medication:

Is your teenage son or daughter put under any short or long-term medication? This could be antibiotics, skin-related drugs, anti-anxiety or anti-depression pills or even hormonal medications to control PCOS in females. Usually, these medications come with certain side effects in which hairloss is also one of the major ones. People usually experience hair loss within 1-2 months of using these medicines and lose atleast 20%-30% more than the normal hair shedding per day of 100-120 strands. However, this type of hairloss is usually temporary and will subside after stopping the medication.

2. Genetics:

If parents, grandparents or any other family members experienced hair loss as a teenager, there are high chances that your child has it too. Hair loss that occurs due to the genetic issue is called hereditary hair loss which the child inherits from their families. Hereditary hair loss usually affects the scalp region and causes recessed hairlines in different shapes like 'V', 'U', 'M' etc. You may notice such type of hairline is any of your male family members too! In female teens, the crown section may start thinning, exposing the scalp region. Unfortunately for many teens, hereditary hair loss is irreversible and often leads to permanent baldness.

3. Alopecia Areata:

In some teens, hair loss is abnormally high, and hair strands keep falling out in bunches without any new follicle growth. This type of teenage hair loss can be due to an auto immune condition called Alopecia Areata. In this condition, the body's defense system mistakes healthy hair follicles for invader cells and starts attacking them. This is why people notice hair fall on the scalp and other regions like eyebrows, skin, eyelashes, etc. Alopecia Areata attacks about 1 in 1000 children and is one of the major causes for hair loss in teens. Luckily, Alopecia doesn't cause any permanent baldness in many people and hair will start growing back after the problem is treated.

4. Nutritional Deficiencies:

Teens are generally fussy about everything in life, including their food. In a quest to lose weight and look 'good', they skip meals or go on fad diets after following unscientific bits of advice from random people. Unfortunately, not eating well can lead to nutritional deficiencies and can cause hair fall. Poor eating habits can cause an imbalance of nutrients like protein, iron, vitamins, and minerals essential for healthy hair growth. Also, gastrointestinal problems like acidity can also affect the appetite and lead to malnutrition in the long run.

5. Stress:

Stress is probably one of the biggest contributors for hair loss in teens. Events like assignments, exams, physical appearances or even comparisons with other people can trigger acute stress in teenagers and lead to hair fall. The worst part is that, stress causes hair fall and the sight of losing a lot of hair can trigger stress, leading to a deadlock. There are also long-term repercussions as prolonged hair loss can cause depression and self-hatred in teens.

6. Hormones:

Teenagers go through a lot of hormonal changes as part of the growth process. A fluctuation or imbalance of these hormones lead to hair loss, which is usually a temporary problem. Hormonal imbalance also effects appetite, mood swings and stress levels, which again contribute to hair loss. Generally, in teenage boys, an excess of DHT or Dihydrotestosterone causes hair fall as it shrinks the hair follicles. Girls may also experience DHT-associated hair loss, which will reverse once the hormonal balance happens.

7. Trichotillomania:

Trichotillomania is a condition in which the person has an uncontrollable desire to pull out hair. This disorder usually affects young children and teens who undergo an obsessive urge to pull out hair, especially when they are undergoing stress or anxiety. Trichotillomania leads to bald patches on the scalp due to repeated, forced tugging of hair. However, it is a treatable condition and hair re-growth is possible with medications and care.

8. Traction Alopecia:

It's time to loosen that ponytail a bit, as tight hairstyles are linked to hair loss in teens. Wearing very tight hairstyles like braids, cornrows, African hairdos, or even using heavy hair extensions pull out the hair from the roots and weaken them. This particular condition is called Traction alopecia, in which external stress will lead to hair loss. Even prolonged usage of headgear or helmets can also damage the roots and cause your hair to fall out.

9. Chemical or Heat Styling:

One of the major causes of hair fall in teens is due to chemical or heat damage. Treatments like hair straightening or perming can damage the tresses permanently and cause hair to fall in bunches. Indiscriminate usage of heat or styling tools causes stress and burns to your hair follicles, which can cause hair thinning. Harsh hair products like bleach, dyes or even strong shampoos damage your hair roots and lead to an abnormal hair loss.

10. Scalp Infections:

Scalp infections like dandruff and ringworm are major causes of hair loss in teens. Bacterial or fungal infections attack the scalp, weaken the hair follicles by blocking the pores and eventually cause the strands to fall off. It's important to check for the symptoms like white flakes, itchiness, burning sensation, patchy scalp or circular marks on the scalp indicating a fungal infection. If you notice any, speak to a doctor and take suitable medication to minimize hair loss or damage.

Those are the 10 major causes of hair fall in teenagers. Ofcourse, there are other reasons too, like chemotherapy in cancer patients, thyroid issues, surgeries, sleeplessness etc., which contribute to hair loss. Hair fall is not just a physical problem for teens but can greatly affect their confidence levels and quality of life too. The best way to deal with this condition is to identify the root cause early and take proper action at the right time!

DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.