Alopecia, or visible hair loss, is a medical condition most commonly associated with adults. However, in some rare cases, teenagers and young children can experience this potentially embarrassing condition. Fortunately, in many cases, teen hair loss is treatable. Numerous factors such as illnesses, medications, hair pulling, hair styling, steroid use and more can affect hair growth in teenagers.
Seeing a Doctor
The first and most important step you can take toward treating teenage hair loss is to take your child to a doctor. A doctor is able to diagnose the exact cause of your teen's hair loss and may be able to quickly find a solution. He or she likely will need to take numerous hair and skin samples, and find out some information about your family history. In some cases, androgenetic alopecia (male-pattern baldness) will naturally begin for boys during their mid to late teenage years, so don't panic right away.
Temporary Solutions
There are always temporary solutions for hair loss in teens. In many cases where teenagers have suffered from hair loss due to cancer treatments, they've been able to hide hair loss using wigs, bandanas, and hats. These things don't make for a permanent solution, but they do help keep your kid's confidence up.
Hair Loss Due to Medication
Hair loss due to a medication your teen takes has a simple solution: Stop using the medication. Unfortunately, this isn't always a viable option. Go to your doctor and ask if there are any other solutions. Sometimes, a simple change in medication is all it will take to prevent hair loss.
Doctor-Prescribed Treatments
There are a number of treatments that can only be prescribed by your child's doctor. Some of these treatments include localized steroid injections, topical application of steroids (i.e. clobetasol propionate gel) and systemic steroids, such as prednisone. It should be noted that systemic steroids tend only to have short-term benefits. Talk to your child's doctor to determine if any of these prescription options are right for your teenager.
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