Hair loss among teenage girls is becoming more prevalent and is occurring at an alarming rate. Girls as young as thirteen are confused and scared as they find more strands of hair on the brush, on the pillow, in the shower, and on the floor. At the same time, they are also noticing that there is less on their head.
Looking good and fitting in is especially important for teenage girls. Excessive shedding with a noticeable decrease in volume can be a devastating and terrifying experience, especially since it’s not something they would expect. After all, who’s ever heard of teenage girls losing their hair for no apparent reason? Until recently it was almost unheard of.
There are several reasons for this sudden increase in adolescent hair disorders. Some of the most common causes are as follows:
HORMONAL CHANGES
Hormonal changes are a common cause of hair loss in teens and adults. From the onset of puberty during adolescence, girls experience dramatic hormonal fluctuations. During this time, the body needs additional support. Good nutrition, vitamin supplements, exercise, adequate sleep, and ample relaxation will help your child overcome these hormonal changes.
Teens are known to have poor eating and sleeping habits. They often prefer to spend their time socializing on the computer, leaving little or no time for fresh air and exercise. These bad habits wreak havoc on the hormonal system and cause hormonal imbalances that can affect the entire system. These imbalances can disrupt the hair growth cycle, leading to unhealthy hair growth, thinning, and excessive hair loss.
BIRTH CONTROL PILLS
Birth control pills are often started during adolescence, causing even more hormonal changes that can affect hair. This side effect does not happen to all girls who use the pill. A person will not know how they will be affected until the drug has been in the system for several months.
EXTREME DIET / ANOREXIA / BULIMIA
Many teens are body conscious and will go to extreme measures to fit into size zero jeans. Extreme diets, including anorexia and bulimia, are common causes of unhealthy hair growth and excessive loss among girls.
ACNE DRUGS
To control embarrassing acne, teens are often prescribed oral retinol-based acne medications. This is a very powerful prescription drug. Oral acne medications can affect hair growth in a number of ways. By reducing the size of the sebaceous glands, less sebum is produced. Without the proper sebum, hair becomes dry, brittle, weak, and more prone to falling out or breaking. This drug can also cause various nutritional imbalances that can lead to shedding, thinning, or breakage.
Due to possible side effects, adolescents using this type of medication must use contraception before, during and after the course of treatment, further increasing the possibility of hair loss.
OTHER DRUGS
Any medication can cause unwanted hair loss, breakage and texture changes, even if it is not listed as a symptom. If the teenager is taking medication, it could be the cause of any changes in her hair.
Vaccines
Hair loss has been reported as a possible result of vaccines. Most of the reported cases involve female patients.
TRACTION
Pulling hair back in tight styles, which is often necessary for cheerleaders, dance team members, etc. causes sustained pressure on the scalp and follicles. This traction can loosen the hairs from your follicular roots and cause hair loss. Prolonged traction can eventually cause permanent hair loss. Girls who must wear these tight hairstyles for competition should wear their hair down the rest of the time and massage the affected areas to restore blood circulation.
These are just a few of the many possible causes of hair loss in teenage girls. The hair growth cycle is very sensitive to changes or disturbances, so there could be many possible contributing factors.
Most of these conditions that affect adolescent girls can usually be improved or reversed once the problem is identified and addressed. Using natural methods such as scalp massage and aromatherapy treatments can stimulate hair growth and minimize hair loss in adolescent girls.
