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Increasing hair loss at an early age? Premature Hair Loss is more common than you think. It creeps in silently and before you can address the concerns of premature hair loss, it has already done significant damage. 

Our body follows a hair cycle during which, 90% of the hair is in the growth phase, and the remaining 10% is in the resting phase, at a time. The resting phase lasts for 10-12 weeks. In this phase, it is normal to lose up to 200 strands a day.

In one of the stages, the blood supply to the hair follicle is suspended, which results in the thinning of the hair. This begins the resting phase of the hair. Once the hair strand grows thin, it becomes weak to latch onto the hair follicle, and resultantly, falls off.  Thus, commonly, hair fall is just a part of a very normal hair cycle.  However, if you are losing more than a normal amount of hair at an early age, then that calls for a clinical checkup and proactive hair care.

How Premature Hair Fall Manifests

1. A Receding Hairline
2. Balding Patches at the crown of the scalp. 
3. Excess hair falling out while combing or shampooing. 
4. A scaly scalp with random bald patches.

Premature hair loss could be a condition, or it could be a symptom of any other ailment in the body. It is unusual for people in their early teens and twenties to be experiencing bald patterns, hair thinning, greying and excess hair fall. It is necessary to navigate what could be the possible triggers your body is responding to in the form of hair loss.

Reasons for Premature Hair Loss

Genetics 

From both the mother and the father, one can inherit the genetic pattern for increased sensitivity to DHT - the hormone linked with testosterone and hair fall in men and women. Sensitivity to DHT can decrease the time of growth to mere weeks or months, as compared to a more normal 3-6 years.

Auto-Immune Disorders

Alopecia Areata, the condition where your immune system attacks the hair follicle, is an autoimmune disease. While this particular autoimmune disease doesn't make you sick, it does, however, damage the hair follicle. Resultantly, the hair begins to shed and some may not even regrow the lost hair. 

Lupus is another auto-immune disorder where the body’s immune system attacks the scalp, skin and even essential internal organs. People diagnosed with lupus, usually recover from their hair loss, however, some with lupus suffer from discoid lesions, which scar the hair follicle and cause permanent hair loss.

Side effects of Medicines

Certain drugs that are used to treat conditions like arthritis, heart problems, high blood pressure and even cancer, can cause many to lose healthy hair follicles.

Physical or Mental Stress

An encounter with one stressful event is okay. However chronic stress and no relaxation can imbalance your system. Telogen effluvium is a condition where high mental stress can send the hair into a resting phase (telogen phase) and causes the hair follicle to shrink and thin. This results in hair fall while combing or shampooing. Usually, people recovering from exhausting surgeries may suffer Telogen Effluvium, as the whole body's blood supply needs to focus on the body's recovery.

Also, when you suddenly put your body through an abnormal weight change, it can lead to hair fall. Losing a lot of weight over a short period can affect the hair follicle negatively. Similarly, obesity can lead to longer periods of hair loss.

Thyroid Disorders 

Prolonged Hyperthyroidism can cause premature hair loss as well. Its effects are uniform on the scalp. All of the hair on the scalp begins to grow thin uniformly and results in falling hair. This also leads to balding in a lot of cases.

Treating Premature Hair Loss

Keep in mind that Premature balding / hair loss is not just a condition in itself, but it is also a symptom of a serious hormonal change. These symptoms are better left as empty scares, than undiagnosed illnesses. We urge you to take a clinical evaluation for your premature hair fall.

Hair loss is common among men over the age of 35 and post-menopausal women. Experiencing it at an early age is not only abnormal but also an indication of an imbalance in body functions. Your condition is not unsalvageable at this stage. Premature hair loss can be dealt with at a clinical level, and can also be taken care of with the right hair healthy practices.

1. Regular Hair Health practices would include hair oiling twice a week. Along with that, avoid using excessive heat styling, as they damage the protective layer of the hair. Here is a light reading on how to get the most out of your hair oils this winter.
   
   
2. Home DIYs are feasible and usually effective solutions to a lot of hair problems. While it is not advised that you play with active chemicals at home, you can, however, make use of a lot of herbs, leaves and spices that might be in your home already. Check out this video for how to use hair oil, fenugreek powder and aloe vera gel. This DIY focuses on scalp relaxation and stronger hair growth.
   
   
3. Many new developments have been focused on premature hair loss and regenerating hair growth in the scalp and the most prominent biotechnological innovation in the last ten years has been “Redensyl”. Redensyl targets the stem cells under the hair follicle and allows them to regurgitate the growth phase of the hair cycle. Check out Satthwa’s Onion Hair Oil with Redensyl extracts in its formulation.

These tips for hair health are secondary care measures for treating premature hair loss. If you have been experiencing abnormal hair loss then kindly consult a dermatologist soon.