Teenagers with Hair Loss Problems

There are many causes of hair loss for both teens and adults—male or female. It can be because of nutritional deficiency, hormone imbalance, stress, and diseases. Generally though, the most common cause of it is the genetic makeup of a person. Hair loss due to one’s genes is called androgenetic alopecia (AGA), which is also the medical term for hair loss or baldness. Persons with AGA have hair follicles that are genetically susceptible to hair loss. AGA may be due to genetics, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that if someone in your family is bald, then you it’s imminent for you to go bald as well. There a lot of other factors that can cause hair loss.

Men and women naturally produce testosterones. In men, it is produced in the testicles and adrenals; in women, in the ovaries. The combination of 5-alpha reductase and testosterones creates the by-product DHT (dihydrotestosterone), the androgen responsible for hair loss.

Although aging men and women are more prone to hair loss, the problematic hair condition also afflicts teenagers and young adults. The onset of alopecia in younger people may be due to stress, improper hair care practices, unhealthy diets and lifestyles, and medications.

Hormonal imbalance is also a major cause of hair loss in female teenagers and young adults. Girls and young ladies who are taking contraceptive and diet pills and acne medications may make them prone to experiencing alopecia or female pattern baldness. Some teenagers tend to go on crash diets, resulting to inadequate intake of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals for the hair and scalp.

Lifestyle choices that include smoking, drinking alcohol, and late-night parties can cause an early onset of hair loss, that is, alopecia in males and females in their teens or twenties. Excessive styling of the hair or constantly exposing the scalp to hair chemicals (e.g., dyes, perms, and other hair treatments) can strain the hair shafts and weaken the hair follicles’ ability to grow new strands.

Hair loss problems afflict not only aging men and women, but also teenagers and young adults. Perhaps this is due to the pressure that the youth feel in trying to keep up with an image-driven society and the demands of popular practices in society.