Millennial women concerned about hair loss

FORT MYERS, Fla. — When it comes to millennials, you may think of words such as “connected,” “driven” and “tech-savvy.”

But does “hair loss” or “balding” come to mind?

Doctors are now seeing more younger patients with receding hairlines, and many of them are women.
Diana Damian was only 32 years old when she noticed her hair falling out.

She initially chalked it up to post-pregnancy changes but then realized it was something more.

“Every time my hair would fall out, every time I’d look in the mirror, every time I’d brush my hair, especially in the shower, globs of hair would just fall down,” she said.

Damian initially tried drug store treatments and searched for DIY remedies on YouTube. When nothing worked, she turned to board certified dermatologist Candace Thornton Spann.

“Millennial hair loss is something that I’m seeing quite a bit of in my practice,” Spann said.

There’s no evidence hair loss happens more to millennials than earlier generations, but while many in previous generations hid under wigs, millennials are different.

“In this generation, there is no taboo,” Spann said. “There is only the drive to seek answers, and I think that’s probably what’s driving the increase in numbers that we’re seeing.”

There are many known causes of hair loss in young women, including hormonal changes, autoimmune conditions like thyroid disorders, and stress, which is what caused Damian’s hair loss.

“I suffer from anxiety, from depression, and especially when you notice that you’re losing so much hair, the stress only gets worse,” Damian said.

Diet also makes a difference.

“The trend these days is to exclude large parts of the diet,” Spann said. “So, I see young women who may have completely stopped eating meat. Hair is made of protein, so it makes sense that if you are not getting adequate protein, you cannot grow adequate hair.”

Treatments for hair loss can vary from supplements to surgery. Damian resorted to using a professional three-step regimen Spann recommended and is seeing results.

“I’m so much happier now,” Damian said. “I’m always just flippin’ my hair.”

In addition to all the health-related causes of hair loss, popular styling practices like tight braids, over-bleaching, dying or improper extension use can damage hair, Spann said.