Going bald

Hair loss among young women is a growing phenomenon. finds out why

THICK, shiny, lustrous hair is what every woman aims for. There’s no denying that beautiful hair makes everyone take notice. It’s quite literally the best beauty “accessory” one can have. But there may come a time when one’s crowning glory starts to disappear, and young women are not immune to this. Besides genetic factors, lifestyle related reasons can cause women in their 20s and 30s to experience hair loss. These include not eating or sleeping well, yo-yo dieting, the over use of hair products and heat styling tools and colouring, straightening or perming.

Hair loss is almost as frequent in young women today as older women and it can begin as early as 16, says Candice Lim, principal trichologist at Tricho Hair Care.

Lim adds that it’s actually a growing phenomenon but rarely acknowledged or discussed because it’s just not socially acceptable for a young woman to have hair loss.

Instead we are constantly bombarded with images of young, pretty women with thick, long, shiny hair.

THE LIFESTYLE LINK

But in her practice, Lim is seeing more young women between 19 and 37 seeking help for hair loss and thinning.

She explains that generally, factors that adversely affect our body will affect hair as well. “In fact, hair is a barometre of a person’s health.”

Given that more women today smoke, consume alcohol and have poor diets that are high in fat, salt and sugar, hair loss is almost as big a problem among women as men.

“My patient ratio between women and men is now 50/50 compared to 20/80 when I first joined the industry 16 years ago,” says Lim. Lim explains that there is a connection between hair loss and high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels and heart problems.