Premature Balding - Why are youngsters getting bald in their 20s?

Lack of proper nutrition and an exponential rise in water and air pollution levels have led to a surge of medical problems, including greying of hair and premature balding. Balding and grey hairs are signs of ageing, and every human is bound to experience them at a certain point in their lives.

However, it is uncommon for people in their teens to lose their hair or experience greying of hair. Unfortunately, nowadays, this is exactly what many men and women in their 20s are suffering from.

Hair is an integral part of our personality, and influences a person’s self-confidence and image. In this blog, we will list all the causes of premature balding and also talk about the available baldness treatments.

Also Read : Understanding Receding Hairline and Potential Treatments

Is Baldness a sign of bad health?

Baldness is indeed a sign of bad health in many cases, especially if you are losing your hair in your early years. Your skin, hair and nails are the most visible parts of your body, and they also help medical professionals to diagnose possible underlying medical conditions.

From an unhealthy lifestyle to stress, there are many factors that can lead to hair loss. Some research has also found that men who suffer from male pattern baldness have an increased risk of developing heart disease and prostate cancer.

Nonetheless, it is always a good idea to consult a professional hair expert before you choose a solution to curb your hair loss, as losing hair may only be a symptom of some other serious illnesses.

What are the causes of Premature Balding?

Largely a gene-influenced condition - Male Pattern Baldness (MPB) or -androgenetic alopecia is the biggest factor that leads to early hair loss/premature balding in men. MPB has a lot to do with the genetic structure and hormonal activity within a person’s body.

Generally, it begins with thinning of hair from the front or the crown area of the head, and later turns into balding. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is an androgen responsible for development of male characteristics, but it is also the main culprit behind MPB.

Apart from genetics, following are some other causes of premature balding:

• Alopecia Areata is a common medical condition, which often results in unpredictable bald patches on the body.

• Fungal infections, such as eczema and psoriasis, may lead to gradual/ sudden hair loss.

• Lack of proper nutrition or not consuming a balanced diet may lead to skin problems, hair loss, obesity and many other health issues.

• Hairstyles like a tight pony or dreadlocks can restrict blood flow and lead to hair loss.

Can hair grow back after Balding?

Unfortunately, there is no natural cure for premature balding. Once a hair follicle loses its supply of nutrients via blood flow, it starts to shrink and eventually dies out.

This is an irreversible occurrence, and cannot be treated with conventional hair loss remedies, such as hair oils or medication. However, hair loss treatments, such as hair transplantation, can offer you natural looking hair.

How can I cure Premature Baldness?

Thanks to the advancement in medical science, there are a plethora of options you can choose to get rid of balding. Some of the most popular hair loss treatments include hair wigs, hair transplant and hair weaving, among other options.

Hair loss treatments are segregated into the following two main categories:

Surgical Hair Loss Treatments:

Hair transplantation is the most popular surgical treatment for hair loss. It involves hair grafts or hair follicles being extracted from the back and sides of the head - the regions which seldom face any hair loss. Extracted hair grafts are then implanted on the balding areas.

There are two main methods of hair transplant:

• Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT)

• Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

FUE doesn’t lead to any scarring as hair follicles are taken out one by one, but in FUT a strip of hair is taken from the donor area and is then divided into separate grafts. FUT is faster but leaves a scar. Due to cosmetic reasons alone, many people opt for FUE.

Non-surgical Hair Loss Treatment:

Hair wigs: Wigs have been a popular choice for the balding for quite some time now. Wigs are available in all shapes and sizes, and you can even have one tailor-made for your own head. Wigs are made from either natural hair, or synthetic fibres.

Hair weaving and patching: Hair patching is a semi-permanent form of a hair wig. It does require monthly maintenance. However, rather than just sitting on your head, these patches of hairs are glued on top, which provides a secure fit.

Medication: There are many hair loss medications available in the market. They offer to induce hair growth by either accelerating the blood flow of an area, or subduing the effects of DHT.

What are the causes of Grey hair?

When and how your hair turns grey is mostly influenced by heredity (the genes you inherit from your parents). However, grey hair, just like premature balding, can be caused by a variety of other reasons.

These include lack of a proper diet, prolonged exposure to pollutants, or some underlying medical condition. Some of the known illnesses that lead to greying of hair are:

• Deficiency of B vitamins

• Von Recklinghausen’s disease (colloquially known as neurofibromatosis)

• Tuberous Sclerosis

• Thyroid imbalance

• Vitiligo

• Alopecia Areata

• Stress

• Certain sexually transmitted diseases like Syphilis and HPV

A proper medical diagnosis is a must if you are experiencing early greying of hair.

How can I cure Grey hair?

As far as getting rid of grey hair is concerned, unfortunately there is no simple answer to this question. White hair, caused by ageing, cannot turn black again as the pigment cells responsible for colouring hair perish.

You can, however, opt for hair colouring or hair wigs to mask your grey hair completely. Some research also suggests that a balanced diet is the best cure for greying of hair, which in most cases is related to lack of essential vitamins like Biotin, Vitamin B12 and B6.

Keeping your mental health in check can also help mitigate greying of hair, as stress is also recognised as one of the main culprits that lead to grey hair.

Conclusion

It is advised that, before taking any measures to curb the problem of premature balding or grey hair, you should first get a medical check-up and choose solutions according to your condition.

The next step is to look out for the best hair loss treatments in the world. Here you can check out Advanced Hair Studio and its proven range of hair regrowth and hair replacement treatments.

For the last 40 years, they have been providing excellence in hair care, perfecting some of the most popular treatments for premature balding and other hair problems like hair breakage and greying of hair.

Their innovative baldness treatments and hair replacement solutions, such as Strand-by-Strand Cosmetic, overcome all the shortcomings of conventional hair wigs or patches, providing a hassle-free solution.