Alopecia is a term that refers to hair loss, including age-related hair loss such as balding. In teens, hair loss is often the result of a condition called alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. People with alopecia areata experience hair loss on both the scalp and the body. The condition can be traumatic for teens because physical appearance tends to be important during these years.
Cause
Alopecia is an autoimmune skin disorder. When the condition develops, the body's immune system attacks the hair roots, causing hair to fall out, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Researchers do not understand what causes the immune system to attack the body. Most people who develop alopecia areata are in good general health, although it is more common in people who have other autoimmune disorders. It is also more likely in people with a family history of the condition, suggesting a genetic link, MayoClinic.com reports.
Incidence
About 4.7 million Americans have alopecia areata, which is about 2 percent of the U.S. population, according to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation. The condition affects people of all ages and can develop at any age, but young people--including teens--are most often affected. In fact, some teens may have been struggling with the condition for years because in some cases the condition develops when a child is a baby.
Types
Alopecia areata refers to patches of hair loss on the scalp or the body. However, in some cases people can loss all the hair on the scalp, which is referred to as alopecia totalis. This type of alopecia affects about 5 percent of people who develop the condition, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. A more rare type is alopecia universalis, in which all the hair on the body falls out.
Treatment
Because hair loss can be a traumatic experience, especially for teens, treatment is important in young people with the condition. Corticosteroid injections can be given to help stimulate hair growth in bald patches. Topical hair-growth-stimulating drugs such as minoxidil can also be used, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. For more involved cases involving alopecia totalis or alopecia universalis, treatment options include cortisone taken orally and topical immunotherapy drugs to help stimulate new hair growth. In these cases, a good, natural-looking wig can also be beneficial in helping a teens deal with the condition, the National Alopecia Areata Foundation reports.
Prognosis
Teens who have alopecia areata may have their hair grow back only to have it fall out again a few years later. How the condition manifests varies from person to person and is not predictable, making it even more difficult to deal with. In some cases, a teen may experience patchy hair loss that regrows and never falls out again. Others may experience patchy or total hair loss intermittently for the rest of their lives, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. When hair does regrow, it can be a different color or texture than the rest of their hair.
