hair loss

(England)

Hi im a 17 year old male, average height and weight.

Im on a healthy diet and I exercise all the time. I have recently noticed my hair thinning; it never comes out in clumps only in strands. I wash my hair and I have about 10 hairs on my hand. I have always had strong thick hair. I have tried a strong conditioner and shampoo but this hasnt helped. My GP tested me for having a thyroid problem but I tested borderline.

I do not know what to do, I dont want to loose my hair at all, male pattern baldness doesnt run in my family.

If you can help me I would be really grateful. Thank you.

Baldness

Baldness or alopecia is so common in men; in fact I would say it is normal for the majority to develop! I started loosing my hair around your age and initially found it very difficult to cope with. In general, it is something to look on positively, although a lot of men (and sometimes women) look for a cause.

Hair loss is most commonly either idiopathic (i.e. we don't know) or genetic. There are other causes such as infection, trauma and endocrine disorders such as an under active thyroid which you have been tested for. If you want to be 100% sure, why don't you ask your doctor to refer you to either a trichologist or dermatologist for advice?

Using strong shampoo is likely to make the hair loss worse, so I would avoid that. There is a drug called Minoxidil, originally designed as a blood pressure drug, that has hair growth properties and is available as a lotion. It has variable results. There are also preparations to hide hair loss and of course hair transplantation too. You might like to discuss this with your GP.


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