Hair loss in young adults is more prevalent than is believed. The condition is often associated with old age, but teenagers and millennials are also its victims. A study conducted on the Eskisehir population reported 15.5% to 38.5% of adolescents to be affected by alopecia (partial or complete hair loss).
Many factors are culprits for teenage hair loss, including genes, hormones, lifestyle, environment, and diet. Besides teenagers, hair loss also impacts a significant number of millennials all over the world.
Alopecia can be of many types, but the most common ones include alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia. Both of these conditions can affect anyone at any age. While hair loss in old age is considered normal, teenagers experiencing it usually hint towards growing risks.
What Causes Hair Loss in Young Adults?
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder affecting infants, children, and adults. On the other hand, androgenetic alopecia is patterned baldness occurring in men and women at any time after puberty.
Here are some common reasons for hair loss in young adults:
Genes
Alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia are both genetic conditions. While many people experience their first signs in adulthood or old age, some observe them in adolescence or teenage years.
Both types of alopecia result in hair thinning around the hairline and scalp. However, alopecia areata can cause unexpected hair fall that may lead to round bald patches on the scalp.
Men are more likely to lose their hair earlier than women. This becomes noticeable when a man enters his 30s, and a woman enters her 40s, but the early signs develop from the early 20s, known as premature hair loss. The condition can be even worse in some young adults, who may end up losing hair more than their parents and grandparents.
A Poor Diet
Your diet plays a major role in deciding whether you may or may not experience early hair loss. Any issue in your diet, such as nutritional imbalances, high sugar intake, and too many meaty or vegan meals, can compromise your hair health.
Dietary issues can lead to telogen effluvium, a temporary hair loss resulting in diffuse shedding on the scalp. Once triggered, the condition may take around three months to show up. Fortunately, the treatment is available to restore the growth, but it’s likely to show results after six months once the cause of the issue gets resolved.
Poor Fitness Routines
Today, young adults are more into fitness than ever. In the quest to leave others behind, many people overdo things and start living an unbalanced lifestyle. Unfortunately, excessive exercise that includes anaerobic exercises can lead to hair loss.
In fact, much evidence has also surfaced regarding protein shakes and sports supplements as a major cause of early hair loss in men.
Again, this condition is telogen effluvium. This temporary baldness can even accelerate to pattern baldness or permanent hair loss in people with a genetic predisposition. Unfortunately, no treatment can reverse this condition, but hair transplant methods can effectively restore the excessive shedding.
Excessive Stress
Stress has been a significant health issue for many generations. It can be of many types and occurs due to various reasons, such as emotional trauma, life issues, lack of sleep, poor diet, or side effects of prescription medications.
Stressed people are more likely to resort to cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs to release the continuous pressure. Excessively consuming these things can lead to dry, brittle, and thin hair.
A study has reported how lifestyle-related stress, also called oxidative stress, can trigger premature baldness. But how does this happen?
When stress reaches a specific level, the body begins to protect itself from damage by going into “shock.” This involves focusing on the most important organs, such as the heart and lungs, and ignoring non-critical functions like hair growth.
Stress-induced hair loss is usually temporary. However, it can turn into chronic telogen effluvium or permanent pattern baldness in people genetically susceptible to it.
Problematic Hairstyles and Hair Dying
The younger generation is increasingly adopting strange hairstyles or hair-dying techniques. These can be tight braids, buns, or hair extensions that may strain your hair follicles unnecessarily. Many people also opt for hair bleaching, which weakens the hair.
Such practices can lead to temporary hair loss, called traction alopecia, which can be easily prevented with good hair care. However, if the condition has gotten too old, it may lead to permanent baldness.
Get Your Hair Restored with Hair Transplant Specialists
Hair loss can occur at any point in life, and it’s best to consult a specialist in the early stage. At DK Klinik, we offer free consultations to allow people to share their concerns with our hair transplant specialists and find the best treatment for their hair condition.
Connect with us today to get your hair assessed before it’s too late!
