Adolescent Hair Loss

adolescent hair lossWhile people generally think of hair loss as a problem for older people, it can also affect adolescents. As with any other form of hair loss, a medical evaluation is recommended to determine if it’s due to an underlying health condition, stress, genetics, etc.

Adolescent alopecia, or hair loss, is most commonly caused by trauma to the hair follicle can also cause hair loss in teens, such as excessive hair twirling, consistently wearing hair in braids or ponytails that are too tight or by chemical burns.

More commonly referred to as “male-pattern baldness,” androgenetic alopecia is a common type of hair loss for both men and women, and hormone related. Topical minoxidil is frequently used to curtail and treat this form of hair loss.

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is also referred to as “spot baldness” and can lead to hair loss in various parts of the body in addition to the scalp. It’s believed to be an autoimmune condition and family history can be a risk factor. Unlike many genetic conditions, alopecia areata is a polygenic disease, which means both parents have to contribute to the gene, not just one. While there is no official cure, cortisone injections can help, depending upon the person’s age and the extent of the disease.

Telogen Effluvium

Telogen effluvium is poorly understood, even though it’s probably the second most common type of hair loss. Normal hair growth occurs in cycles of growth, shedding, rest and then it starts over with the growth phase. When a person has telogen effluvium the number of hair follicles in the rest or dormant phase increases, causing thinning hair.

3 Patterns Of Telogen Effluvium

  1. Something “shocks” hair follicles causing them to go into a resting or dormant state for a period of time. This can be as little as one or two months, though generally, the person resumes normal hair density within a year. Environmental shocks can be caused by crash dieting, physical trauma like a car accident, certain surgeries and even some medications. As the body recovers or adjusts, telogen effluvium subsides and normal growth cycles resume.
  2. Hair follicles go into the resting stage normally but instead of resuming their growth phase in a month or two, they stay in the resting state for a longer period of time. A persistent trigger is usually the cause and the thinning hair is only noticeable over time. This form is commonly caused by nutritional deficiencies and chronic stress.
  3. Instead of a prolonged resting phase, the hair follicles cycle through shortened growth cycles, which leads to thin hair.

Telogen effluvium of any pattern can also be a byproduct of inflammatory conditions and thyroid changes. That’s why a doctor’s consultation is important to determine if medical conditions are involved, and how to treat them if they are.

At RHRLI, We Are The Experts In Treating Hair Loss

Our Hair restoration surgeon Dr. Baiju Gohil leads a team at his state-of-the-art facility using the ARTAS® System. His commitment to patient care and quality has become known as the RHRLI Edge, which also includes a personal consultation for each patient by Dr. Gohil himself. We only perform one procedure per day so each patient gets our complete attention. To learn more as to why RHRLI is Long Island’s hair restoration leader, contact us today.

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