Hair loss occurs when disruptions in the hair-growth cycle shorten the growing phase, forcing follicles into rest prematurely. Normally, the growing phase lasts approximately two to three years, according to MayoClinic.com. Age, illness, heredity, physical trauma, medications and medical treatments, scalp conditions and skin infections can all result in hair loss.
However, a receding hairline is a male-only symptom that indicates a condition called male-pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia. While women can suffer from androgenetic alopecia as well, women do not recede at the hairline. Although the condition usually occurs later in life, androgenetic alopecia can affect males in their teens and early 20s.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a receding hairline include thinning at the outer corners of the front hairline. As the condition progresses, hair stops growing in the affected areas,. The hairline recedes back at the corners, resulting in an M-shaped front hairline. Hair may also begin to thin in the crown.
Causes
Androgenetic alopecia, an inherited genetic condition, causes receding hairlines. Both parents pass the gene onto their offspring, so the presence of male-pattern baldness on both the maternal and paternal sides of the family increases the risk of developing the condition. The condition shortens the hair-growing phase and causes hair follicles to become thinner and more superficially rooted. Eventually, the follicles become too small to produce hair, resulting in baldness in the affected area.
Medical Attention
A receding hairline follows the typical pattern of genetic related hair loss, which can occur very early in life. It normally does not require medical attention; however, "The New York Times" recommends contacting a medical professional in the case of teenage hair loss to rule out underlying causes. You should also contact a doctor if you are losing your hair rapidly in a pattern not typical of androgenetic alopecia or if you have other new physical symptoms such as muscle weakness, fatigue, weight gain or pain and itching in the affected area. Most of the time, teenage hair loss is hereditary and of no cause for concern.
Remedies
Treatment for teenage hair loss includes minoxidil, a topical treatment, and finasteride, an oral prescription medication, according to MayoClinic.com. Such treatments slow hair loss, maintaining current hair growth and stimulating new growth in some individuals. They are usually not effective in people with advanced hair loss, and they must be used indefinitely or the effects of the treatments reverse completely. Although teenagers can experience advanced hair loss, it takes time for hair loss to become irreversible and untreatable. Since teenagers usually address their hair loss early, they respond more favorably to treatment than those who wait to seek treatment.
Surgical Options
Two main surgical options for teenagers exist: hair transplants and scalp reductions. In a hair transplant procedure, plugs of skin containing hair are harvested from the back of the head and transplanted in the balding sections of scalp. In a scalp reduction procedure, the bald sections of scalp are surgically removed and the hairy scalp is stretched and sewn into a new, lower position at the hairline.
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