Common Causes of Hair Loss in Teenage Girls

Hair loss among teenage girls is becoming more prevalent, and it is happening at an alarming rate. Girls as young as thirteen are becoming confused and afraid as they find more strands of hair in their brush, on their pillow, in the shower and lying all over 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 scary experience, especially since it isn’t something they ever expected. After all, who 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 teenage 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 throughout the teenage years, girls experience dramatic hormonal fluctuations. During this time the body needs extra support. Good nutrition, vitamin supplementation, exercise, adequate sleep and ample relaxation will help ease a girl through these hormonal changes.

Teens are known to have bad eating and sleeping habits. They often prefer to spend their time socializing on the computer, leaving little if any time for fresh air and exercise. These bad habits wreak havoc on the hormonal system resulting in hormonal imbalances that can affect the entire system. These imbalances can disrupt the hair growth cycle, causing unhealthy hair growth, thinning and excessive shedding.

BIRTH CONTROL PILLS

Birth control pills are often started during teenage years, creating even more hormonal changes that can affect the hair. This side effect does not happen to every girl who uses the pill. A person will not know how they will be affected until the medication has been in the system for several months.

EXTREME DIETING/ANOREXIA/BULIMIA

Many teens are self-conscious about their body and will go to extreme measures to fit into size zero jeans. Extreme dieting including anorexia and bulimia are common causes of unhealthy hair growth and excessive shedding among girls.

ACNE MEDICATION

In order to control embarrassing acne, teens are often prescribed oral retinol-based acne medication. This is a very potent prescription medication. Oral acne medications can affect hair growth in several ways. By reducing the size of the sebaceous glands, less sebum is produced. Without adequate sebum, hair becomes dry, fragile, weak and more likely to fall out or break off. This medication can also cause several nutritional imbalances that can lead to shedding, thinning or breakage.

Because of the potential side effects, teen girls using this type of medication are required to be on birth control before, during and after the course of treatment-making the possibility of hair loss even greater.

OTHER MEDICATION

Any medication can cause hair loss, breakage and undesirable texture changes even if it is not listed as a symptom. If the teen is on medication it could be the cause of any changes in her hair.

VACCINATIONS

Hair loss has been reported as a possible result of immunizations. Most reported cases involve female patients.

TRACTION

Pulling hair back in tight styles which is often required for cheerleaders, dance team members, etc. causes sustained pressure on the scalp and follicles. This traction can loosen the hairs from its follicular roots and cause the hair to fall out. Prolonged traction can eventually cause permanent hair loss. Girls who are required to wear these tight hair styles for competition should wear hair loosely the rest of the time and massage affected areas to restore blood circulation.

These are only 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 involving teenage 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 teenage girls.

Common Causes of Hair Loss in Teenage Girls by Melanie Vonzabuesnig