Causes of Teenage Balding
There are several factors that can cause early balding in teenagers. Here are the top ones –
- Genetics: This is the most common cause of teenage balding. If you or one of your blood relatives experienced an early onset of balding, there is a chance that your child might experience it.
- Alopecia Areata: This is an auto-immune disease in which the body mistakes healthy cells for foreign invaders. In the case of hair loss, your child’s immune system attacks the hair follicles, causing damage and subsequent hair loss.
- Malnutrition: Either your teen is not eating enough, or they are eating too much, or they are not eating a balanced diet. Ultimately, they become deficient in certain nutrients, which may lead to early hair loss.
- Hair coloring and styling: Repeatedly coloring or styling the hair can damage your child’s hair and lead to hair breakage. However, this doesn’t affect the root of their hair. There is a good chance that their hair will grow back once they stop coloring and styling it.
- Unconscious hair plucking: There is a physiological condition called trichotillomania where the affected person has a habit of pulling their hair out, often uprooting it completely. This can start as a habit in childhood and progressively get worse as your child hits teenage. Oftentimes, it can permanently damage the hair follicles, resulting in permanent hair loss in young adults.
How to identify teenage balding?
There are certain telltale signs that indicate potential balding in your teenage child. These symptoms also indicate that it is time to pay a visit to the hair specialist or dermatologist right away to prevent further damage:
- Their hairline seems to have changed
- Their hair seems to have thinned
- You find a lot of hair in the bathroom after they shower
- You find differences in hair density through photographic evidence
- Your teen has to visit the barber only once in 3-4 months
- Your teen’s barber points out that their hair density has come down
Treatment options for teenage balding
First and foremost, you must seek expert opinion from a hair specialist or dermatologist. It is extremely difficult to treat teenage balding without understanding the underlying cause of it. In all likelihood, your teen’s hair loss is a symptom of some other health condition rather than it being a condition in itself. At the doctor’s office, the hair specialist will understand more about your family history, your child’s existing health conditions, their medications, and allergies. They might even run a series of tests in case they are unable to pinpoint a cause for the hair loss. Once they identify the cause, they will immediately start the treatment for both the underlying cause and for reducing hair loss.
Teenage balding treatments in Bangalore
- Low-level laser therapy: This non-invasive treatment uses a laser to stimulate hair follicles, increasing blood flow and encouraging hair growth. It’s often used to treat genetic forms of hair loss.
- Growth factor therapy: This involves injecting growth factors derived from platelets into the scalp to stimulate hair follicles and promote hair growth.
- PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma): This treatment involves drawing a small amount of the patient’s blood, processing it to concentrate the platelets, and injecting the PRP into the scalp. The growth factors in PRP help to stimulate hair follicle activity and promote hair growth.
- Hair Transplant: A surgical procedure where hair follicles are moved from a donor site (usually the back of the head) to thinning or bald areas. This treatment is typically used for individuals with more advanced hair loss. It aims to provide a permanent solution by redistributing existing hair.
Note: Not all the above treatments might be suitable for your teenager and the dermatologist will carefully evaluate the best course of action depending on the age of the child and the severity of hair loss.
At home, you can do your part as parents. Start by ensuring that your child is eating the right balance of food, including lots of vegetables and fruits. Similarly, ensure that they are kind to their hair and not destroying it further through heat styling and by using hair care products containing harsh chemicals. Also, if your teen is a girl, make them avoid hairstyles such as tight buns, ponytails, and cornrows, as they can significantly damage the already weak hair.
Conclusion
Losing hair at a young age can be quite overwhelming. Your child might even experience stress and anxiety seeing the progression of hair loss. As a parent, you can do two things. One, reassure them that it doesn’t indicate anything wrong and doesn’t change who they are. Two, pay a visit to a hair specialist or a dermatologist. They can evaluate your child, identify the cause of teenage balding, and recommend a suitable solution. Visit Dr. Renu’s skin clinic for various teenage balding treatments in Bangalore. Book an appointment now.
