{"id":42550,"date":"2021-03-05T16:06:21","date_gmt":"2021-03-05T15:06:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elithairtransplant.com\/?p=42550"},"modified":"2021-03-05T16:06:21","modified_gmt":"2021-03-05T15:06:21","slug":"why-are-millennials-going-bald","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elithair.com\/uk\/blog\/why-are-millennials-going-bald\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00a0Why Are Millennials Losing Their Hair Earlier? Causes, Evidence & What to Do"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Is Hair Loss Really Happening Earlier in Millennials?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many people associate balding with middle age, an affliction that only hits people later in life. While it’s certainly common in your 30s and 40s, people can start losing hair at any point in their lives, and it isn’t unheard of to start experiencing hair loss in your 20s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But are millennials really going bald earlier? Well, not quite. Experts believe that earlier detection, aesthetic preferences among young men, and increased awareness about both hair loss and hair restoration could account for the statistics we’re seeing. Millennial men simply have more information available to them on this topic than previous generations did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Drives Early Hair Loss?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hair loss can be driven by a number of causes. When we talk about early hair loss, however, the kind affecting millennials and zoomers, there are two common causes – genetic pattern hair loss and diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genetic Hair Loss – What is Androgenetic Alopecia?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Androgenetic alopecia, more commonly known as male pattern baldness (or female pattern baldness in women), is a hereditary form of hormonal hair loss. It is one of the most common forms of hair loss worldwide. If you have a family history of androgenetic alopecia, the likelihood of suffering from it yourself is relatively high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This form of hair loss is driven by hormones, specifically dihydrotestosterone (DHT)<\/a>. DHT is produced in both male and female bodies, though its concentration is typically higher in males. In high concentrations, DHT can cause hair follicles to shrink over time, leading to hair loss and pattern baldness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this form of hair loss is most common in your 30s and 40s, that doesn’t mean it can’t occur earlier. If your genetic predisposition to this condition is high, or if you are dealing with circumstances that might exacerbate hair loss such as high stress or poor nutrition, it is not uncommon for this loss to be more apparent in your 20s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lifestyle & Modifiable Risk Contributors<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While genetics and hormones are a leading cause of hair loss, this can be further exacerbated by lifestyle factors that you can address when seeking to slow the rate of your balding. It is important that you speak to your GP before attempting anything new, just to be certain that the following factors are proving to have a negative health on your hair health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diet and Nutrition<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Certain foods are beneficial to the body<\/a>. Adequate protein, iron, zinc, vitamin D and other micronutrients are vital for healthy hair growth. Diets low in these nutrients (such as poorly planned vegan\/vegetarian diets), crash-diets or high-glycaemic-index eating patterns may lead to increased hair shedding (telogen effluvium) or exacerbate underlying genetic thinning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, low nutrient intake alone is rarely the sole<\/em> cause of irreversible baldness; rather, it may act as a trigger<\/strong> or accelerant<\/strong> in people with susceptible follicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stress and Lifestyle Challenges<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Modern lifestyles are associated with higher perceived stress levels<\/a>, sleep disruption and sedentary behaviour. Physiological stress (illness, surgery, major emotional events) can push hair into the resting (telogen) phase, producing diffuse shedding 2\u20133 months later (telogen effluvium<\/a>). Chronic stress may accelerate underlying pattern thinning.
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Exercise, Supplements, & Hormones<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Some younger men engage in high-intensity bodybuilding, use anabolic-steroids or high-protein supplementation, all of which may alter hormonal balance (including increasing testosterone \u2192 DHT) and potentially accelerate follicle miniaturisation in predisposed individuals. That said, the evidence remains limited and individual risk varies.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"bodybuilders<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Hair-care Practices, Styling & Scalp Health<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Frequent chemical bleaching, tight hairstyles, heat-styling and use of heavy hair-extensions can contribute to traction alopecia<\/a><\/strong> or hair-shaft fragility. While this is more common in certain populations, the overall impact on global hair-loss for millennials is likely modest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Medical & Environmental Factors<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to remember: thyroid disease, iron-deficiency anaemia, chronic illness, certain medications and autoimmune alopecia (alopecia areata<\/a>) can all cause hair-loss in young people. Always consider a medical check-up if rapid or unusual patterns of loss appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Millennial Context: Why Now and Why Us?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While it might, from the outside, seem that Millennials are unqiue in suffering from hair loss, in both age and number, this is not entirely the case. Some of the reasons why Millennials might consider themselves over-represented when it comes to hair loss incldue:<\/p>\n\n\n\n