Adolescence is a unique phase where hormonal changes, a sedentary lifestyle, and grooming habits frequently lead to hair problems and other dermatological disorders. Hair problems include changes in appearance and quality, such as wear, splitting, thinning, breakage, and excessive hair shedding.

These hair issues can cause depression and anxiety among adolescents and young adults, adversely impacting their health-related quality of life. Identifying the underlying pathology or condition causing hair loss is paramount, given its profound impact on self-esteem and quality of life.

A precise diagnosis is the cornerstone of effective treatment for hair loss, ensuring not only successful outcomes but also improving patient confidence and satisfaction over time. In this blog, we will examine the primary factors contributing to the increasing incidence of hair loss among young adults and offer strategies to mitigate hair loss and promote healthy hair maintenance.

 

Article Contents

1. Why hair fall occurs?
2. What are common hair fall disorders?
3. How to stop hairfall?
4. How to make the best hair care routine?
5. Conclusion
6. Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

 

Why hair fall occur?

Hair health is influenced by a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that affect the hair follicles, resulting in changes such as graying and hair loss. Hair fall is a prevalent issue in dermatology, often linked to several contributing factors including lifestyle choices, stress, nutritional deficiencies, genetic and hormonal influences, environmental damage, and grooming habits. These factors are as follows:

 

• Lifestyle Choices: A fast-paced, high-stress lifestyle can lead to inadequate sleep, poor diet, and lack of exercise, all detrimental to hair health. Regular consumption of junk and processed foods deprives the body of essential nutrients needed for healthy hair growth. Additionally, irregular sleep patterns and a sedentary lifestyle disrupt the body’s natural processes, increasing hair fall.

 

• Stress: Chronic stress, from personal and professional pressures, is a significant contributor to hair loss. Stress can trigger conditions like telogen effluvium, where hair follicles prematurely enter a resting phase and fall out. It can also worsen scalp conditions such as dandruff and infections, further exacerbating hair loss.

 

• Nutritional Deficiencies: A lack of essential vitamins and minerals in the diet is a common cause of hair fall among young adults. Nutrients crucial for hair health include iron, zinc, vitamin D, and biotin. Iron and biotin deficiency, in particular, disrupt the hair growth cycle, leading to increased shedding.

 

• Hormonal Imbalances: Conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in women and thyroid disorders can cause hormonal imbalances, disrupting the normal hair growth cycle and resulting in thinning and hair loss

 

• Genetic Factors: Genetics play a key role in hair loss, with hereditary conditions like androgenetic alopecia (male or female pattern baldness) being common. Young adults with a family history of hair loss are more likely to experience it themselves.

 

• Environmental Factors: Pollution, UV rays, and exposure to harsh chemicals contribute significantly to hair fall. Pollutants can accumulate on the scalp, clogging hair follicles and causing damage. UV-B and UV-A rays increase free radical release, damaging hair proteins and accelerating hair loss and pigment changes, leaving hair dry, rough, and prone to breakage.

 

• Excessive use of chemical treatments and grooming habits: Young adults often use hair styling products containing harmful chemicals and engage in excessive combing, brushing, or heat styling. Prolonged exposure to harsh chemicals and frequent heat treatments can weaken hair strands, reduce hair density, alter texture, and lead to breakage.

 

 

What are common hair fall disorders?

“Hair fall” can refer to either increased daily hair shedding or visible bald patches. This may result from disruptions in the hair growth cycle or follicle damage. Patchy hair loss often results from alopecia areata, tinea capitis, and trichotillomania. Diffuse hair loss is commonly linked to telogen or anagen effluvium, while androgenetic alopecia may be diffuse or follow a specific pattern, potentially leading to complete baldness.

 

The common hair disorders that cause patchy and diffuse hair loss are:

 

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is a patchy hair loss condition affecting up to 2% of the population, including about 20% of children.

It manifests in three forms:

• Patchy Alopecia: Oval-shaped patches anywhere on the body.
• Alopecia Totalis: Complete scalp hair loss.
• Alopecia Universalis: Total body hair loss.

 

Tinea Capitis

It is a fungal infection of the hair shaft and follicles, primarily affecting children. It spreads through household exposure and contaminated items like hats and brushes. Common symptoms include patchy alopecia with or without scalp scaling.

 

Trichotillomania

It is a disorder where individuals compulsively pull out their hair, often beginning around age 13. It affects up to 4% of the population, particularly during childhood and adolescence.

 

Telogen Effluvium

It is a reversible, diffuse hair loss condition triggered by physiological stress, medical conditions, or prolonged fasting. It impacts patients’ psychosocial well-being and is challenging to diagnose and treat due to its complex etiology.

 

Anagen Effluvium

It causes sudden, diffuse hair loss during the hair’s anagen phase, often due to chemotherapy. About 65% of chemotherapy patients experience this disorder. Hair typically regrows 1-3 months after stopping the causative agent.

 

Androgenetic Alopecia

It is the most common hair loss type, and affects 80% of men and 50% of women. It involves genetic and age-related factors disrupting the androgen mechanism that transforms vellus hair into terminal hair. This leads to progressive hair thinning, forming an M-shaped hairline a U- or V-shaped baldness, and extensive hair loss at the back of the head.

 

How to stop hair fall?

Since hair fall is a multi-factorial issue, understanding this condition and its causes can help in managing hair loss. An effective hair loss management plan requires a reliable, multidisciplinary, consistent, and safe long-term care program that is cost-effective and shows early improvements. This might include nutritional therapy, medical treatments, lifestyle changes, stress management, and the use of gentle hair care products.

 

Healthy Lifestyle and Stress Management:

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial for healthy hair. Eating a well-balanced diet, staying hydrated, engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining a consistent sleep cycle, and practicing stress-reducing activities such as yoga and meditation can promote healthy hair follicles and reduce hair fall.

 

Nutritional Therapy:

Oxidative stress and nutritional deficiencies are often linked to hair loss. Providing a proper nutritional environment can neutralize free radicals and sustain active hair growth cycles. A balanced diet, rich in amino acids, vitamins, and minerals including zinc, selenium, vitamins A and E, and vitamin C can help neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS), reduce micro-inflammation, boost immunity, and improve altered genetic expression, all of which are key mechanisms behind hair loss.

Besides eating a balanced diet, you can also opt for nutraceuticals that contain optimal amounts of essential nutrients, phytochemicals, and antioxidants such as curcumin and natural extracts like horsetail stem extract, millet seed extract, and flaxseed extract. These can promote active hair growth by improving scalp condition, reducing hair shedding, and preventing hair thinning.

 

Medical Treatments:

The pathogenesis of hair fall involves various genetic, endocrine, immune, and inflammatory processes, each requiring its form of treatment. The severity and pace of hair fall differ among individuals, making a comprehensive examination by a dermatologist or healthcare professional necessary to fully identify hair fall disorders and rule out other possible causes.

Based on the diagnosis, several medical treatments can be suggested, such as topical minoxidil solution (for women and men) and finasteride tablets, 1 mg (for men only) for androgenetic alopecia, topical corticosteroids for alopecia areata, topical antifungal agents for tinea capitis, intralesional injections and surgical intervention for advanced hair loss and complete baldness.

 

Choosing Gentle Hair Care Products and Grooming Habits:

Selecting appropriate hair grooming habits and hair care products such as shampoo, conditioner, hair coloring, hair styling aids, and hair and scalp photo protection is essential for maintaining hair health. Using anti hair fall shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, massage oils, and leave-in treatments can nourish and strengthen hair, making it less prone to breakage.

It is recommended to use gentle hair care products free from harsh chemicals like sulfates, parabens, and silicones to prevent scalp irritation and hair damage. Also, opt for products with natural and nourishing ingredients like aloe vera, coconut oil, and argan oil to enhance hair health.

 

How to make the best hair care routine?

Creating the best hair care routine involves understanding your hair type and specific needs. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you develop an effective routine:

1. Identify your hair type: Determine if your hair is straight, wavy, curly, oily, dry, or normal, as different hair types need specific care.
2. Choose the right hair care products: Select gentle products best suited to your hair type and specific concerns.
3. Establish a washing routine: Determine your washing frequency on your scalp type—oily scalps may need more frequent washing, while dry scalps can go longer between washes.
4. Ensure proper application techniques: Gently massage shampoo into the scalp to stimulate blood flow and remove buildup, and apply conditioner from mid-length to ends.
5. Protect your hair: Use heat protectant spray before using hot styling tools like blow dryers, curling irons, or straighteners, and wear a hat to protect your hair from sun damage.
6. Minimize use of styling tools: Reduce the use of styling and drying tools, and opt for gentle tools like wide-tooth combs or brushes designed for your hair type to prevent breakage.
7. Maintain scalp health: Use an exfoliating shampoo periodically to remove dead skin cells, and massage anti-hair fall oils such as BioBird hair oil containing the goodness of Pumpkin Seed, Argan Oil, Rosemary Extract, and Saw Palmeto to nourish the scalp and hair.
8. Trim regularly: Get a trim every 6-8 weeks to remove split ends and keep your hair looking healthy.
9. Monitor and adjust your hair care routine: Pay attention to how your hair responds to different products and routines, and adjust accordingly.

By following these steps and tailoring them to your specific hair type and needs, you can create a hair care routine that keeps your hair looking and feeling its best.

 

 

 

Conclusion

Hair fall is a complex issue influenced by numerous factors such as lifestyle choices, stress, nutritional deficiencies, and environmental factors in adults. Understanding these causes enables young adults to take proactive measures to reduce hair loss and encourage healthy hair growth.

 

Adopting a holistic approach that includes a nutrient-rich diet, effective stress management, and the use of gentle, nourishing hair care products can greatly enhance hair health. Moreover, crafting a personalized hair care routine tailored to your specific hair type and needs is essential for maintaining strong, healthy hair. By addressing hair fall from multiple perspectives, you can improve your overall hair health and achieve long, voluminous and shiny hair.

 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

1) How much hair loss is normal?

Losing 50 to 100 hairs a day is considered normal, as it is part of the natural hair growth cycle. However, if you are experiencing more hair fall every day it is not normal and you must adopt some measures to stop hair fall or meet a trichologist.

 

2) Can you stop hair loss?

While you can’t completely stop hair loss, you can slow it down and manage it with proper care, by eating a well-balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals, medical treatments, and opting for a healthy lifestyle.

 

3) Does oiling hair reduce hair fall?

Oiling hair can nourish the scalp, strengthen hair roots, and reduce breakage, but it may not completely prevent hair fall.

 

4) How to speed hair growth?

To speed up hair growth, maintain a balanced diet, stay hydrated, and use hair care products that promote healthy growth.

 

5) How to increase the volume of hair?

Increasing hair volume is possible by using natural shampoos and conditioners free from harmful chemicals, avoiding heavy styling products, and incorporating a balanced diet rich in proteins and vitamins.