Hair loss in adolescence is a more common phenomenon than is often believed. It could be an indicator of alopecia, a temporary problem, or a sign that something is not right in the body.

As we constantly affirm, medical diagnosis, calm, and information are the keys. Have at your disposal to delve into the problem of hair loss during adolescence. It is a time of life in which alopecia or hair loss is not so common but in which it prevents. This phenomenon can be detected or treated.

The fundamental causes of hair loss in children include telogen effluvium, scalp ringworm, traction alopecia, trichotillomania, and alopecia areata. Of all of them, effluvia are the leading cause of hair loss in children.

Hormonal Problems

During adolescence, hormone levels can undergo considerable alterations and affect hair growth. These changes occur in girls and boys and can cause thinning and hair loss. A doctor should discuss hormonal hair loss to prescribe the best treatment, as in some cases, it could be a symptom of an underlying health problem, such as polycystic ovary syndrome in women. Teenage girls who start taking oral contraceptives may also experience hair thinning or hair loss.

Bad Nutrition

Food plays a vital role in the health of our hair. The hair of adolescents who eat a diet low in essential vitamins and minerals for hair, such as biotin, iron, zinc, and vitamin A, can dull, weaken or even fall out. Conversely, extreme diets can also encourage hair loss.

Reducing your eating of processed and fast foods, lowering your refined sugar intake, and adjusting your diet to include the right foods for healthy hair also help reduce hair loss in teens.

Unnecessary Combing, Updo, and Use of Dryer or Chemicals

Although not as acutely as in severe cases of alopecia, it was using the hairdryer or irons too much, using too many chemical products. In addition, they are wearing hair that is too tight and frequent hair, sleeping with wet or tied hair. Mistreating the hair with excessive heat sources or not cleaning it up accentuates and promotes hair loss in adolescents, weakening it or reducing its density.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

This syndrome offerings improved levels of male sex hormones (such as androgens) that generate specific imbalances in the body, such as the interruption of menstrual cycles, hair thinning, and acne.

Traction Alopecia

This type of alopecia usually appears when the hair is subject to excessive stress due to the abuse of tight hairstyles, such as bows or braids or the use of extensions.

The effects can be reversed over time, as long as the hair is no longer stressed.

Unconscious Hair Pulling

Trichotillomania is a psychological disorder that pulls the hair until it pulls out, leaving sparse or bald areas. This habit commonly develops during childhood and, over time, can damage hair by damaging the follicles and lead to baldness in adolescents and young adults.

Side Effects of Drug Use

“Hair loss can remain a side effect of sure lithium-containing medications, beta-blockers, warfarin, heparin, amphetamines, and levodopa,” and drugs used in cancer treatments such as cancer treatments chemotherapy.

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia is a medical condition that reasons hair loss and can manifest itself differently. One of the most communal forms of alopecia is alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that usually affects adolescents and young adults. Alopecia areata affects the immune system, causing it to attack hair follicles and inhibit their growth.

This condition can run in families and occurs more often in people with a family history of autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, or type 1 diabetes. If you or another adolescent in your environment suffers from alopecia areata, you will experience the appearance of bald spots instead of receding hairlines.

There are other more advanced forms of alopecia, such as alopecia totalis, which involves the loss of all the hair, or alopecia Universalis. All the hair on the body falls out. Depending on the size of the bald patches, the hair may grow back and increase in density. However, it is best to check a doctor who can advise you on the best treatment to follow.

The following are some common treatments for alopecia areata :

  • Corticosteroid creams, pills, or injections
  • UV light
  • Contact sensitization treatments
  • minoxidil lotion
  • anthralin cream
  • immunosuppressive pills

Teenagers with alopecia areata may find it challenging to deal with the emotional impact of this condition at a time in their lives when their peers place great importance on physical appearance. As a result, they must get psychological and emotional support.

How to Recognize Hair Loss in Adolescence?

Puberty generates fluctuations in the levels of some hormones that, as we have seen, are capable of altering hair growth. As a result, hair loss can begin immediately after puberty and increase over time. There is a loss of hair in patches, in a pattern, and a weakening and thinning of the hair fiber during adolescence. Also, on those occasions where an underlying medical condition causes hair loss, you are likely to experience other associated symptoms.

An early diagnosis by specialized medical personnel can improve the hair’s health and encourage its growth and regeneration.

Treatment of Hair Loss in Adolescence

The doctor can diagnose the reason for the hair loss with a physical exam, a blood test, the personal history of the adolescent, and, if necessary, with a small biopsy of the scalp. The treatment will depend on the cause that leads to hair loss. There are additional causes of hair loss, such as the consumption of certain medications, lupus, scalp ringworm, or telogen effluvium. For this reason, it must be known that, on some occasions, the treatment does not entirely reverse the clinical picture.

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Hair Loss and Self-Esteem

The objective of stopping hair loss is to reduce the discomfort, anxiety, or anguish that this generates. It is essential to consider this sign to indicate some hidden pathology that study. Hair loss can cause low self-esteem and negatively impact a teen’s confidence. And in turn, it can be the consequence of situations of stress or anxiety at any age.

Conclusion

The complete study of the patient who consults for hair loss or hair alteration is significant. First, a diagnostic algorithm proposes for the pediatric patient’s approach to hair loss. For some people, it can be distressing to see their hair fall out. But not in all cases is it a harbinger of impending baldness or illness. It’s the estimation that we lose between 50 and 100 inches every day, which is normal.

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