TLDR Hair loss, known as androgenic alopecia, can start in teenage years and may not always be hormone-related. It's important to do extra tests in young cases and remember it can greatly affect a teenager's mental health.
The document from 6 years ago detailed a case study of a 15-year-old girl who experienced progressive hair thinning since she was 11. Despite having normal hormonal profiles and no other health irregularities, a scalp biopsy revealed she had androgenic alopecia. She was treated with an oral contraceptive, oral spironolactone, and topical minoxidil solution, which improved her condition. The study highlighted that androgenic alopecia, typically prevalent in adulthood, can begin in adolescence and present in varied ways. It may not be androgen-dependent in all cases or adrenal androgens may have direct action. The study emphasized the importance of considering additional diagnostic tests in pediatric cases and the significant psychosocial impact of alopecia, especially in adolescence.
35 citations,
January 2014 in “BioMed Research International” Female pattern hair loss involves hormonal factors, genetics, and may be linked to low ferritin levels.
76 citations,
July 2011 in “Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology” The document concludes that proper diagnosis and FDA-approved treatments for different types of hair loss exist, but treatments for severe cases often fail and future improvements may focus on hair follicle stem cells.
36 citations,
August 2009 in “PubMed” The review suggests seeing a dermatologist for scarring hair loss and using treatments like minoxidil or finasteride for common male and female pattern hair loss.
42 citations,
August 2013 in “International Journal of Women's Health” Female pattern hair loss is caused by multiple factors and while treatments like topical minoxidil, hormone therapy, and low-level light therapy can help, none can fully cure it.
110 citations,
August 2016 in “Drugs” Minoxidil is the only FDA-approved topical drug for treating male or female pattern hair loss, and other medications like finasteride and dutasteride can also increase hair growth.
21 citations,
May 2016 in “The Cochrane library” Topical minoxidil helps treat female pattern hair loss, but more research needed for other treatments.
1 citations,
April 2017 in “Drugs & Therapy Perspectives” Use antiandrogens and other treatments for hair loss.
November 2020 in “Elsevier eBooks” Antiandrogens and androgen inhibitors like spironolactone, finasteride, and dutasteride can treat hair loss and skin conditions, but they have risks and side effects, including potential harm to pregnant women and risks of cancer and heart issues. Herbal remedies also have antiandrogenic effects but lack safety validation.
