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 complaining of excessive hair loss as they find multiple strands or clumps of hair on their pillow, in the shower, in their brush and lying all over the floor.

Looking good and fitting in is especially important for teenage girls. Facing hair loss at this time 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 loss. 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 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. Many teens nowadays 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 during this time and often cause undesirable effects such as hair loss.

BIRTH CONTROL PILLS
Birth control pills are often started during teenage years. This creates another hormonal change that may lead to hair loss. Ironically birth control pills are also sometimes prescribed to help young girls with hair loss problems. A person will not know the effects 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 teenage hair loss among girls.

ACNE MEDICATION
Many teens use Accutane, a popular prescription based oral acne medication. Teen girls using Accutane are required to be on birth control before, during and after the course of treatment. Accutane effects hair growth in several ways. It reduces the size of the sebaceous gland and decreases sebum. Without adequate sebum, hair becomes dry, fragile, weak and more likely to fall out. Accutane also causes a biotin deficiency and causes a condition called Hypervitaminosis A (too much vitamin A.) Both of these conditions cause hair loss.

OTHER MEDICATION
Starting or stopping any medication can cause hair loss even if it is not listed as a symptom. If the teen is on medication it could be a contributing cause of her hair loss.

VACCINATIONS
Hair loss has been reported as a possible result of immunizations. Most reported cases involve female patients. Hepatitis B is the most common reported vaccination that is associated with hair loss.

TRACTION
Pulling hair back in tight hair 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 causing excessive hair shedding in teenage girls.

This type of hair loss can usually be improved or reversed once the problem is indentified and addressed. Using natural methods such as scalp massage and aromatherapy treatments can stimulate hair growth and minimize hair loss in teenage girls.