Posted by Kendra Beckley on Sep 28th 2021
Six Reasons Teenagers Experience Hair Loss
Hair Loss In Teenagers: Top Six Causes
Teenage life is full of stress, difficulty, and unexpected things. Elements like these could cause teens to have physical impacts as well. One impact is hair loss, which surprisingly, is found amongst several teens. Besides environmental influences, genetics also play a role in hair loss. If you or your teen is experiencing hair loss, here are some possible explanations as to why.
- Stress
Stress can be a reason as to why your teen may be losing hair. The overwhelming teenage life consists of school, extra curricular activities, and social life. This overwhelming lifestyle can cause huge amounts of stress. When you are overly stressed, your body can start attacking itself as a response. In this case, ask your teen about their stress levels. If their stress levels seem to be the main issue, provide them with reliable resources such as therapy, or any other medical support in order to help your teen. There are products that can help with hair loss due to stress such as Roots Salon Professionals D-Stress - Alopecia & Other Health Issues
There are a variety of health issues that cause hair loss. One of the more common health issues is alopecia areata. Alopecia is an autoimmune disorder which causes the loss of healthy hair follicles. When you have alopecia, your body doesn’t recognize healthy hair cells, and therefore, thinks they are threatening; that is why healthy hair follicles are destroyed. Individuals with alopecia usually lose all of their hair. Other than alopecia, there is trichotillomania (pulling out your own hair), lupus (an autoimmune disease), and thyroid problems. Many of these issues have medical cures, but not everyone with these issues is treated with the same medication. Talk to your medical professional if you believe your child may have alopecia or a similar medical issue. - Genetics
It’s commonly known that genetics are responsible for a variety of health issues. In males, a form of alopecia, androgenetic alopecia, is caused because of genetics. It is a recessive gene, and is one of the reasons that men may develop receding hairlines. Women can also develop this form of alopecia, but it is less common. Teens may develop genetic hair disorders early on, especially if their relatives suffer from hair loss. So if your teen is losing hair, check to see if any of your family members have a similar problem. - Poor Nutrition
An insufficient diet results in many negative side effects. Hair loss can be a result of poor nutrition. Daily intake of sufficient nutrients should be an essential in the diet of anyone. If your teen isn’t getting enough vitamins, minerals, amino acids, protein, carbs, essential fats and other nutrients, that is a red flag. Discover what your teen is consuming, and make sure they have a healthy relationship with eating. Be a great parent by helping them find nutritious food that they love to maintain their happiness and health. Supplements designed specifically for hair health can be of help here. - Hair Products
Recently, many hair brands have faced lawsuits due to the damaging ingredients used to produce their products. Brands like TRESemmé and Head & Shoulders have gotten into trouble for using DMDM hydantoin in their products. DMDM hydantoin causes hair loss, and is a harsh chemical. Thousands of other notorious hair brands use these products. Professional recommended products without harmful substances such as silicon, parabens, and DMDM hydantoin are your safest bet. So if your teen has hair loss, go check if their hair products contain this ingredient because that may be the issue. - Medicine
The medicine your teen takes may be causing hair loss. Teens today often are prescribed medication for mental health and acne. Those types of medicines come with harmful side effects like hair loss. If your teen takes any of the following medication and has been losing hair, contact your medical professional: acne medication, antidepressants, blood pressure medication, chemotherapy drugs, immunosuppressants, antibiotics, and anti clotting drugs. This is just a basic list of medications that often cause hair loss. Make sure your teens' medication isn’t responsible for their loss of hair.
Diagnosis & Treatment
Please do not self diagnose your teen after reading this article. They may have hair loss due to anything mentioned on this list. If something clicks, and you realize it may be from one of these causes, contact your doctor. Even if you're completely clueless, set up a doctor’s appointment and request a blood test. Test results, and a discussion between you, your teen and doctor should result in finding the cause. Once you know what the issue is, your teen can hopefully receive proper treatment. Support your teen through the entire process, and I wish them a steady recovery!
Business development manager/editor Kendra Beckley works for Essay Writing Service and Custom Coursework. Her work consists of assisting companies enter a new market, and as well, she also helps them build lasting relationships with partners. Kendra is also a writer for Assignment Help, and contributes to a variety of topics.