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Causes of Teenage Balding

Medically, the term for baldness is alopecia, and men and women are both affected by this disorder. Although less common, teenagers may also develop baldness, the causes of which vary with individual patients.

  1. Hormonal Conditions

    • In various hormonal disorders, such as diabetes that is not being managed properly or thyroid disease, teenagers may undergo hair loss. The abnormal hormonal production interferes with hair production, resulting in hair loss.

    Acne Medications

    • During adolescence, patients undergo fluctuation in hormone levels. The fluctuating hormones cause acne and, in an effort to treat the acne, teenagers may take acne medication. While many teenagers use topical creams, some teens may be prescribed acne medication. Although not very common, a side effect of acne prescriptions, such as Accutane, is hair loss in teenagers.

    General Medications

    • Some general medications used for chronic conditions, such as bipolar disorder and cancer, may also cause baldness in teenagers. These medications include lithium, for treatment of bipolar disorder, and chemotherapy drugs used in cancer treatment. Other drugs, such as diet pills that can contain the ingredient amphetamine, can also cause teens to lose hair.

    Alopecia Areata

    • Some teenagers may contract a hair-loss condition called alopecia areata, which is an autoimmune disorder that causes one's immune system to attack its own hair follicles, resulting in small bald patches on the scalp and other areas of the body. The damage can be temporary or permanent and affects teenage girls and boys in varying degrees of severity.

    Trichotillomania

    • Some teenagers with psychological issues may be affected by trichotillomania, a disorder that causes individuals to pull their hair out. This results in hair damage and areas of baldness. The treatment has to be psychological rather than medical.

    Fashion and Hair Treatments

    • Different hair treatments and styling options available to teenagers may also cause baldness. Heat treatments, bleaching, highlighting and color treatments all damage the hair by making the follicles weak. In some teenagers, hair may temporarily start falling, creating bald patches, but with time and care, the baldness can be treated. However, hair loss caused by pulling the hair into a tight style and binding it with clips and bands that pull the scalp and follicles may cause permanent baldness. The medical term for such a condition is traction alopecia.

    Poor Nutrition

    • Dieting, lack of proper nutrition and diseases, such as anorexia and bulimia, can cause hair loss in teenagers. Teenagers, especially girls trying to achieve a size 0 due to fashion trends, may not get the daily calorie recommendation, which causes hair loss and baldness.

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