Hair loss can affect anyone at any age. However, teens suffering from hair loss may be more badly affected by symptoms as compared to older adults. After all, the teen years are widely considered the peak period of a person’s appearance. Thus, teenage hair loss can be an extremely embarrassing and stressful phenomenon for youths who are caught by surprise.
Teenage hair loss may be caused by a variety of factors, which differ between genders.
Hair Loss Experienced by Female Teenagers
Hair loss in females is often caused by a variety of mechanical reasons. For instance, tight hairstyles such as buns, braids, and ponytails can take a toll on follicles. This is caused by the constant tension exerted on the ends of hair strands, which weakens follicles over time. Affected follicles are eventually inflamed, which stifles the healthy growth cycle of new hair.
Additionally, various hair treatments such as curling, bleaching, heat-based styling (such as the use of hairdryers or rebonding techniques) are also known to damage hair and result in hair loss.
Hair Loss Experienced by Male Teenagers
A large number of males will experience a hormonal condition known as male pattern baldness sometime in their lives. Male pattern baldness usually affects individuals later in life but some sufferers may experience symptoms during their teenage years. Male pattern balding is most easily characterized by a receding hairline or hair loss originating from the temple or crown of the head.
Other Common Factors of Teenage Hair Loss
There are other conditions that induce hair loss that is experienced by both genders. Nutritional deficiency remains one of the top “culprits”. Hair loss may also be attributed to hereditary autoimmune conditions such as alopecia areata. Sufferers of alopecia areata have overreactive immune systems, which misidentify healthy hair cells as foreign pathogens and destroys them, leading to hair loss.
Determining the Best Course of Treatment
There are various treatment options for teenage hair loss, however, it is necessary for sufferers to identify the exact underlying cause of their condition before treatment. Conditions are usually diagnosed through physical examination, reviews of family medical history, and hormone tests. The good news is that teenage hair loss is highly treatable due to the optimal vitality of youth, which makes them responsive to treatment.
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