Even though it’s not a medical condition, it’s not easy to be a teenager with hair getting thinner and thinner

It’s more common than people realize, but a lot of teenagers begin to notice that their hair is thinner than it used to be. Simply put: We’re losing our hair. And even though our mothers and the ladies who give us haircuts tell us that it’s so common, and it happens to more girls than we realize, when we look around, all we see are girls with thick heads of hair, and it’s really hard!

We know that a lot of girls have it harder: There are girls who don’t have hair either due to medical conditions or medical treatments, and we are very grateful that we actually do have hair, and for the hair we have. Yet even though it’s not a medical condition, it’s not easy to be a teenager with hair getting thinner and thinner.

It’s not helpful for people to tell us that it’s not such a big deal ‘cuz we’ll cover our hair one day, or that we should be grateful it’s not from medical treatments. We know that already. It’s still super hard to deal with thinning hair every day. And if it’s hard on a daily basis, it’s even harder before a Yom Tov, or when we want to do our hair for a simchah, and it just looks flat. It’s also uncomfortable to sit in class and feel like the girls behind you can see how thin your hair is.

Hair loss in teens can be caused by different things. Of course there can be medical issues, but stress, lack of sleep (!), improper nutrition, and vitamin deficiencies are high up on the list, too. Common culprits among vitamins and mineral deficiencies are vitamin B1, B2, C, and iron. How do you know if you fit the bill? By getting a simple blood test (yes, I said simple, because that teeny weeny prick is totally worth it if it means you’ll know if you need extra vitamins. It helped me from losing so much hair). Girls who subsist on salad during the week and don’t get proper nutrition are also high risk. And yes, I know no one wants to go to sleep earlier, but it’s worth it! And another huge culprit is flat irons and other heating elements. We teens are really hard on our hair, and all the chemicals and heat we use can definitely make our hair fall out.

One girl I know went to a dermatologist who prescribed medicated treatment, but even if you don’t go the medication route, there are some quick hacks to make hair look a little fuller. Toppik (or a generic equivalent) is a powder I sprinkle on my scalp that fills in thin spots, and it helps me feel less self-conscious. For dressier occasions, there are extensions and halos you can blend into your regular hair to make it look fuller. It doesn’t help tons for your scalp, but when I combine my powder and halo, I’m good to go.

Thanks to BS and CC for this contribution!

(Originally featured in Teen Pages, Issue 956)