Does thinning hair occur even in young teens? What causes it and how to prevent it.

この記事の概要

Young baldness that develops in one's 20s or early 30s is called juvenile alopecia. Young baldness can be improved if it is recognized early and treated. This article introduces the causes of young baldness and countermeasures, as well as the criteria for judging the condition.

Causes of thinning hair in young people in their teens

Here, we will introduce five factors that are thought to be the cause of premature hair loss. Even young people can experience increased hair loss or loss of hair volume. In order to take appropriate measures, first find out the cause of thinning hair.

disordered lifestyle habits

If your lifestyle is disrupted and prolonged, it can cause hair thinning. Among lifestyle habits, unbalanced nutrition, lack of sleep, and lack of exercise are said to be greatly related to thinning hair. If you only eat fast food, you will end up consuming too much salt and calories, disrupting your nutritional balance, and making it easier for your body to secrete dihydrotestosterone, which is the cause of AGA.

Lack of sleep also disrupts the secretion of growth hormone, which promotes hair growth. Lack of exercise can lead to poor blood circulation and slow metabolism, which can prevent the scalp from getting enough nutrients, leading to hair loss before it can fully grow.

excessive stress

Excessive stress can cause hair thinning and hair loss. When people are under severe stress, their autonomic nervous system becomes disrupted. Disturbance of the autonomic nervous system may cause poor blood circulation, which may eventually lead to thinning hair. The autonomic nervous system consists of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, and their balanced secretion maintains health. When the sympathetic nervous system becomes dominant due to stress, blood vessels become constricted and blood flow worsens.

Hair care based on incorrect knowledge

Incorrect hair care can promote thinning hair and hair loss. Continuously using hair care products that do not suit your constitution may worsen the scalp environment and lead to premature baldness.

genetics

AGA, one of the causes of premature baldness, is hereditary and is said to be strongly influenced by genes inherited from the mother. Therefore, if your maternal family has thinning hair, there is a high possibility that you will inherit the thinning hair gene. However, just because your maternal grandparents have thinning hair does not necessarily mean you will go bald. Please be aware that this only increases the possibility of becoming AGA.

Changes in testosterone

AGA is the biggest cause of hair thinning and hair loss in young people. AGA refers to hair thinning that occurs in men after puberty, and a common symptom is thinning of the hair around the hairline and crown of the head. Once developed, hair thinning continues to progress, so AGA treatment is necessary.

AGA is a condition caused by the conversion of the male hormone testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. It can develop at any age, with early warning signs appearing in people in their early 20s. Male pattern baldness in women is called FAGA.

Points to recognize young baldness

Here are some points to help you spot young bald people. The younger a person is, the more they think that hair thinning or hair loss will not occur to them yet, and the later they notice that they are experiencing premature baldness. Early treatment is important to improve thinning hair. Let’s check the points so that you can immediately detect thinning hair or hair loss.

The amount of hair loss has increased

To identify premature baldness, check the amount of hair loss. It is simply determined by whether or not there is more hair loss than before. Human hair is repeatedly reborn every day, and it is said that during a normal hair cycle, 50 to 100 hairs fall out each day. If you feel that you are losing more hair than this number, consider the possibility of premature baldness.

My hairline is receding

If your hairline is receding more than before, you may be experiencing early baldness. There are several patterns of thinning hair in men. One of them is gradual receding from the hairline. There are many patterns in which the hairline recedes in an M-shape, and when you look at your head from the front, the shape of your forehead looks like an M, and the left and right hairlines are deeply curved, indicating premature baldness. Let’s think about it.

The skin of the whorl is noticeable

If the skin around your whorls becomes noticeable, you may be suffering from premature baldness. In AGA, there is a tendency for thinning hair to gradually spread around the whorl. Thinning hair on the top of the head is also called O-shaped baldness. Hair thinning is more noticeable when viewed from the rear, but some people may not notice it from the front. Be careful if the skin-colored areas start to spread around the whorl.

It has become difficult to set my hair

As hair thinning or hair loss progresses and the volume of your hair decreases, it becomes difficult to style your hair the way you used to. Another characteristic of young baldness is that it is difficult to maintain the hair for a long time after styling. Among the younger generation, some people may want to enjoy various hairstyles. If you feel like your hair is getting crushed under the weight of wax recently, even though it hasn’t happened before, you may be suffering from premature baldness.

4 ways to prevent premature baldness

Here, we will introduce four ways to prevent premature baldness. Keep this in mind in your daily life to prevent premature baldness.

Review your lifestyle habits

You can prevent premature baldness just by reviewing your lifestyle habits. Eat rice or bread as a staple food, vegetables and seaweed along with meat or fish as a side dish, try to eat a nutritionally balanced diet, and get enough sleep. Also, incorporating exercise can improve blood circulation in your body and prevent hair thinning.

Take proper scalp care

Scalp massage is effective for promoting blood circulation in the scalp. You can expect better results if you do it when your scalp is warm, such as after taking a bath. Gently stimulate your scalp with your fingertips to improve blood circulation.

live a stress-free life

Strong stress can cause hair thinning and hair loss, so try to live a stress-free lifestyle. We recommend taking time to rest your mind and body, finding a hobby that refreshes your mood, and relieving stress in a way that suits you.

receive AGA treatment

One way is to treat AGA early if you see signs of premature baldness. Treatment generally involves oral or topical medications. We will improve early baldness by using drugs that suppress the symptoms of thinning hair and drugs that increase hair volume.

summary

Even if you are a young person, there is a good chance that you will experience hair thinning or hair loss. Thinning hair can be improved with appropriate treatment, so if you start to notice thinning hair, it is recommended to consult a hospital or specialized clinic as soon as possible and start treatment as soon as possible.

よくある質問

QIs thinning hair hereditary?

AThe gene for thinning hair is said to be inherited from the mother's X chromosome. Therefore, if someone on the mother's side of the family has thinning hair, there is a high probability that she will develop thinning hair. However, even if the father has thinning hair, the possibility of inheritance is not zero.

QCan hair growth products be used by minors?

AThere are hair growth products that can be used by teenagers. Young people tend to be more active in sebum secretion, so it is advisable to use a hair growth product that balances sebum in the scalp.

QDoes hair growth shampoo make hair grow?

AHair-growth shampoo has no effect on hair growth. The sole purpose is to prevent hair loss by improving the scalp environment. This product is recommended for those who want to use a shampoo that is less harsh on the scalp.

参考文献

記事の監修者


岡 博史 先生

CAPラボディレクター

慶應義塾大学 医学部 卒業

医学博士

皮膚科専門医