HAIR LOSS AMONG YOUTH IS ON THE RISE

Wrongly thought of as a male problem, hair loss also affects women. Losing hair is also associated with advancing age and by 60 years old, over fifty percent of men and women have had some degree of hair loss.

But lately, dermatologists are reportedly seeing increasingly more teenagers facing such problems as thinning hair, hair fall, and hair loss.It is said that the most frequent cause of hair loss in the younger age group is stress. Just like adults, teenscan experience undue amount of stress every day. This is when they perceive a certain situation as difficult, dangerous, or painful and they do not have the means to cope. Lack of support can also aggravate feelings of anxiety. Common stressful situations for teenager sare school demands, moving or changing schools, problems with friends and peers, unsafe neighborhood, family problems, divorce of parents, taking on too many activities, and family financial problems.Environmental factors such as pollution also contribute to increased hair fall. Inappropriate hair habits such as infrequent shampooing can encourage the development of bacteria or fungi and the buildup of sebum on the scalp. Teens who smoke are at an increased risk for hair thinning. Smoking is said to cause hair loss due to the restriction of blood flow and oxygen to the different parts of the body, including the hair follicles. This leads to lack of nourishment and subsequent hair fall. Extreme dieting is another common cause. The hair needs several nutrients for healthy growth, including protein, iron, vitamin A, vitamin B complex, and vitamin E.Treatment for hair loss in teens is different fromthat for adults. Medicated hair loss treatments are rarely given since the condition is usually temporary. In most cases, hair will grow back on its own once the cause is resolved. There is no need to use drug based treatments as these can have side effects. Instead, proper hair care should be practiced and the cause for thinning hair must be determined. In addition, an herbal based hair loss treatment shampoo can be used in place of the regular shampoo.