How Old Should I Be Before I Start Noticing Hair Loss?
What to Know About Hair Loss
Your Hair Is as Unique as You Are
Everyone’s hair type and characteristics will vary by individual, just like our more general personal health. It’s normal to lose up to 100 hairs a day, since our bodies are constantly shedding and replacing cells. When it comes to excessive hair loss, various factors can affect people at different times in their lives and may or may not be as severe as other cases. Let’s look at the situations where hair loss is most likely to occur.
During and After Puberty
When people go through puberty, our bodies produce lots of hormones that will cause us to mature. Sometimes, these hormones can kickstart certain causes for hair loss, both situational and genetic. For males who are predisposed to alopecia, it’s hereditary and usually develops in the recognizable receding hairline and thinning crown. When women suffer from hair loss, it’s usually more dispersed across the head.
Hormonal changes and diets rich in dairy, sugar, and other high-glycemic foods are usually the causes of teenage acne, which can leave scars into adulthood. The acne develops when high amounts of oil, called sebum, is produced, either from overactive hormones or from high blood glucose levels. In either case, keeping the face clean, exfoliated, and moisturized is important to keep pores and skin tissue clear, encouraging blood flow to the scalp and helping skin and hair cells reproduce normally, free of congestion. A good skincare routine can contribute to hair loss prevention.
Adulthood
Some men start to see hair loss in their 20s, whether it’s slow or fast, while others may not see hair loss at all. Genetics predispose some people towards hair loss, and various factors like dry skin, unbalanced diets, sedentary lifestyles, and environmental factors can speed up the process.
While women are less prone to hair loss, it can happen to them as well. Lifestyle factors can contribute to the loss, but pregnancy and illness are reasons for hair loss in women that are usually less controllable. When women are pregnant, they get a boost of hormones to support their new baby’s growth. The extra stress may cause some hair loss before and after the child is born.
Regular Hair and Scalp Care
Regardless of gender, everyone should be sure to maintain a diet full of vitamins and minerals, as well as lots of water, which will help your body continue to generate healthy cells. Good scalp care is important to focus on during hair care, since buildup or dryness can result in blocked hair follicles. Washing, clearing buildup, and moisturizing your hair are all important for a proactive routine.
Wearing a hat when in direct sunlight is another important strategy to hair heath. While making sure it isn’t too tight, a head covering will protect the scalp from UV rays. Your hair grows out of the dermal layer of your skin tissue, below the epidermis, so taking care of the skin on top of your head is a way to help care for your hair at the root, literally.
Hair Loss Treatment
While hair loss can be more stressful on younger people than more mature adults, anyone of any age can be uncomfortable with losing some of their hair. There are different kinds of professional treatments that can help slow or even stop hair loss, depending on the cause, and in some cases stimulate regrowth. Some at-home treatments like Minoxidil, or prescribed medications like Finasteride, produce results in some men as long as they keep using the product, but these aren’t always successful for regrowth and don’t work for women.
Your dermatologist can offer professional hair loss treatments that have more natural, long-term effects. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy uses your own blood’s plasma to engage your body’s natural growth factors to stimulate and maintain regular hair growth. PRP is one of the most popular and effective treatments for hair loss. Another popular option is a type of anti-inflammatory medication called corticosteroids, which are one of the most common treatments for alopecia. Red light therapy can also be used to treat hair thinning, using light waves to stimulate dermal papilla cells, which contribute to regulating hair growth cycles.
If you’re experiencing hair loss and want to explore your options for treatment, schedule a consultation with one of our dermatologists to find out what kind of solution is right for you.