So why are younger men losing hair so early? If you are among the
unfortunate ones, here are five reasons that may be causing it.
Reasons for Hair Loss in Men under 30
Poor Nutrition
Our twenties are described by experts to be the prime of our lives, socially and physically. This is the time where parties abound and a lot of unhealthy food choices are the preferred options during mealtime. Studies even showed that people in this age group are the ones who consume the least nutritionally adequate foods and drink the most alcohol. A bad diet may not be the direct cause for balding, but when you are not getting the essential nutrients for hair health, such as proteins, vitamins and minerals, you put yourself at a high risk for experiencing excessive hair fall.
When you make it
a point to eat a balanced
diet, you also give your hair follicles the steady supply of nutrients it
needs. This makes your hair less suscpetible to the damaging effects of DHT
(dihydrotestosterone), which is the main culprit for thinning hair. Go for a
diet that is rich in proteins, essential fatty acids, trace elements, vitamins
and minerals. This strengthens the hair and enables it to withstand the
damaging effects of DHT.
It is important
to know that a diet that is high in animal fats can result in excessive amounts
of testosterone released into the blood stream. But those with diets that are
low in fat would also have low testosterone levels in their system. This is
significant because the amount of testosterone a person has is directly related
to the amount of hair loss that he is likely to suffer from. Limit your fat
intake, and go for healthy sources instead.
Too Much Stress
It seems that
there is a rise in quarter
life crisis as studies show that people in their 20's are the highly
stressed age group. According to a survey
conducted by the American Psychological Association, the occurrence of stress
is high among young adults, as numbers showed it to be a couple of steps above
normal. This can be blamed by the environment where psychological and
behavioural factors are often overlooked when managing stress.
A high amount of
stress is known to trigger problems like alopecia areata, trichotillomania and
telogen effluvium. All these can lead to balding; however, the good thing about
it is that you can reduce the amount of stress by adapting proper coping
mechanisms. This may be a struggle especially with all the changes and hurdles
that often affect twenty somethings in this day and age.
Hormonal Changes
Hormonal
imbalance is among the factors that can result in balding when you are in your
twenties. It is true that your body goes through a certain transition into
adulthood, which is easily evident through the change in the tone of voice.
Hormonal changes and imbalances that are characteristics of this age can result
in temporary hair loss. Treatment may not be
necessary since hormones eventually stabilize with time.
However, in cases where hormonal imbalances have become severe, you can always have this checked so that appropriate treatment can be administered.
However, in cases where hormonal imbalances have become severe, you can always have this checked so that appropriate treatment can be administered.
Lifestyle factors
There are
several lifestyle factors that can lead to, or aggravate, hair loss. There are
studies which show a connection between smoking and premature hair loss and
graying of hair. It claimed that those who smoke have a high likelihood of
suffering from hair loss. Alcohol intake also skyrockets at this age, which can
also lead to hair loss. It may be hard to appreciate it now, but how you live
your life also has an indirect effect on the health of your hair.
Smoking and
alcohol reduce the amount of oxygen found in your blood. Since your hair thrives
on the oxygen-rich food, which is delivered by the blood, impared circulation
that is caused by these vices will eventually make your hair unhealthy.
Nicotine and carbon dioxide present in every puff can damage hair follicles.
Learn to
discipline yourself today, not only for your hair, but for your overall health.
Vices will only wreak silent havoc on your hair, which if left unmanaged, can
lead to a full blown hair case.
Genetics
Sometimes all you need to do is to trace back your lineage and see if you have ancestors who are follicularly challenged. Experts estimated that about 95% of hair loss is due to the predetermined male pattern baldness. This means that anyone in your family, or either parents, are carriers, which is why these men end up going bald eventually.
A doctor would have to make this conclusion, and he can do it not through a biopsy using only a small tool called a densitometer. This can detect if there is any miniaturization of the hair follicles.
