What should you do if your teenager's hair is falling out?

During puberty, various phenomena may occur in the human body, even hair loss, which, in principle, happens rarely. But if it was suddenly noticed that a teenager's hair is falling out, this does not mean that the child is sick.

What causes hair loss in teenagers?

Firstly, the child turns into an adult. You understand that at this time a person becomes irritable, which can affect the condition of the hair. In addition, a hormone called dihydrotestosterone accumulates in the upper layers of the head. It is the source of the fact that a teenager's hair falls out. Men have more of this hormone than women, so young men are more susceptible to hair loss than girls. The presence of this hormone is hereditary. Of course, no medicine has been invented against genetics, but it is possible to prevent hair loss with the help of medications.

If we talk about girls at this age, they are the most capricious and whimsical creatures, worse than pregnant women (no offense!). Their bodies are subject to hormonal changes, and the psychological reaction to this process is more complex than that of guys. Therefore, future women are also likely to have problems with hair. In addition, the beginning of sexual activity can also cause hair loss.

If parents notice that their child's hair has started to fall out, then regardless of whether it is a boy or a girl, they should take the teenager for tests. It is quite possible that he or she does not have enough calcium in the body. In this case, doctors prescribe treatment that includes calcium gluconate in ampoules.

Secondly, we should not forget about ecology; chlorinated water that we drink and wash our hair with; city dust; poor quality nutrition: fast food and semi-finished products; antibiotics that are taken during treatment, and so on. Some modern children in adolescence begin to try alcohol and cigarettes, which, naturally, does not have a positive effect on the body. But this does not mean that the teenager necessarily uses artificial stimulants.

In any case, complex hair care will not hurt, which includes taking vitamins: A, group B, C, D3, E, PP; microelements: calcium, magnesium, iron; head massage; strengthening hair products.

When does a child's hair fall out?

If a child's hair falls out, it is not without reason. So, let's move on to the main thing that can affect the condition of children's hair:

• trauma to the hair shaft. This can be caused by chemical or mechanical influence on the hair itself. For example, if we are talking about a girl, then parents often braid her hair too tightly, use curling irons, a hair dryer.

If parents notice that their child often twists their hair, "winds it around their finger", or constantly pulls it, then such a diagnosis as trichotillomania cannot be denied. This disease is directly related to disorders related to a disturbed psyche, for example, neurosis. Here, treatment is of a completely different nature. If the child is very young and the parents promptly seek help from a specialist, then after treatment the hair condition returns to normal. When the child is over 10 years old, then the situation is somewhat aggravated by the fact that the recovery process is delayed. In advanced forms of the disease, scars may form, and hair restoration is impossible.

• Ringworm is not a rare case. It is explained from a medical point of view as a fungal infection, and therefore contagious. In this situation, you need to be very careful so that the child does not infect others. This disease affects the scalp, including eyelashes and eyebrows. Ringworm affects the follicles and hair shafts. Externally, this disease manifests itself in this way: hair breaks off, a bald spot of an oval or round shape forms on the head. Only a dermatologist can help here.

What to do and how to treat?

As medications for such a diagnosis, they mainly resort to "Nizoral" and antifungal agents. The course of treatment usually lasts about 8 weeks. So, let's consider the method of this process in more detail:

• "Griseofulvin" is an antifungal agent that has a fungistatic effect on numerous types of dermatomycetes - trichophyton, microsporum, epidermophyton. Ineffective against candidiasis!

How to take?

Griseofulvin should be taken during meals, and immediately eat vegetable oil - 1 teaspoon. The dosage is set depending on the child's weight, namely 1 kg of body weight / 22 mg of Griseofulvin. That is, if the child weighs 30 g, then his daily dose is 660 mg. One tablet - 125 mg. The medication must be taken every day. The course of treatment lasts until the first results of the mycological examination become negative.

"Griseofulvin" has side effects: dyspeptic phenomenon - indigestion, nausea, headache and dizziness, urticaria, disorientation. Rarely, but possible increase in the level of eosinophils, increase and decrease in the number of leukocytes in the blood. In such situations, it is better to stop taking the drug for 3 - 4 days. In the presence of urticaria, it is recommended to take antihistamines, 10% calcium chloride solution. If the side effect is nausea, then taking 1 tablespoon of 0.5 novocaine solution orally helps.

It is advisable to take vitamins such as ascorbic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, and nicotinic acid during treatment with Griseofulvin.

Get your blood tested once every two weeks!

Contraindications include severe leukopenia and blood diseases; porphyrin disease; organic diseases of the kidneys and liver; malignant tumors; pregnancy and lactation.

This drug is taken under strict medical supervision, i.e. home conditions and self-medication are excluded!

• Local antifungal therapy: 2% iodine solution; ointment with 3% salicylic acid and 10% sulfur; lotions such as Naftifine, Econazole, Bifonazole, etc. can be used; creams: Ketoconazole, Clotrimazole, etc.

During the treatment, the regrown hair must be shaved daily. In addition, hair care products must be individual, for example, a comb - in order not to infect others.

If you refuse treatment, what will happen? As for girls, the disease develops into chronic trichophytosis. In boys, upon reaching puberty, the disease goes away on its own.

• alopecia areata. This diagnosis is scary because hair falls out at an incredible rate. It is even possible that a child went to bed with a hairstyle and woke up in the morning without hair. This disease does not affect all areas of the head, but only some, creating the shape of a nest. The causes of alopecia areata can be different: the influence of the human immune system on hair follicles, thyroid dysfunction, nervous and mental trauma.

In addition, alopecia areata can develop into total alopecia. The word "total" itself explains the essence of the disease, that is, absolute baldness. In this case, the child's hair falls out all over the body, eyelashes and eyebrows are no exception. The option of nail damage, but not falling off, is not excluded.

Children with alopecia areata are under strict supervision of a dermatologist until complete recovery. If the course of treatment was started promptly and correctly, the child recovers within a year.

Before talking about specific treatment, it is necessary to undergo an examination to detect possible sources of the disease. The therapy has a general strengthening and vitamin-intensive character:

• Vitamin A 5 to 30 drops twice a day,
• vitamin E - 1 teaspoon 2 times a day,
• injections: B1 (5%), B6 (5%), B 12 at 200 mcg every other day,
• iron preparations,
• riboflavin monophosphate (1%) 1 ml,
• ascorbic acid 10 mg 2 times a day,
• pantothenic acid 30 - 50 mg,
• phytin indication: 25 - 50 mg 2 times a day,
• Methionine: 25 - 50 mg 2 - 3 times a day.

Telogen effluvium - the number of active hair follicles decreases. The disease manifests itself after a few weeks - hair loss, both partial and complete. Why can such a process happen to a child?

Telogen effluvium can be triggered by too high a temperature, surgery, excess vitamin A, certain medications (Panvarfin, Coumadin, Lopid, Anafranil, antifungal agents, beta-blockers, Ziloprim, Tenomin, anti-arthritic and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, etc.), severe stress.

Recovery is possible when the pathogen is eliminated. This usually takes 6-12 months.

• A local infection can cause baldness. Local infections include bad teeth, appendicitis, etc.
• Hereditary factor. It is very difficult to deal with this reason, and in most cases it is impossible.

It is quite possible that the child's body lacks nutrients and he simply needs a balanced diet. But whatever the case, a visit to the doctor is a must.