Teen Girl Losing Hair for Years Since a Crash Diet

Hi, I am a 19 year old female and ever since a crash diet almost 4 years ago, I have noticed hair loss. It hasn’t bothered me as much till I started losing and shedding like crazy a year and a half ago. It would be on my pillow, on my shirt and just touching my hair will cause hair to fall. The hair is falling from the root with white thick bulbs and some have long white sheaths. I also have dandruff but shampoos like nizoral are making my shedding worse. It is possible that I have have gotten the balding gene from my father who has mpb? or can I still hope that its just telogen effluvium?

Women do not necessarily bald, but they lose hair and they “thin” out. Have you ever seen a bald woman aside from those who had chemotherapy or have a distinct disease like alopecia totalis? The genetic factor may be there in your case, but it can just as well be passed on from your mother as it could your father.

If your hair loss is telogen effluvium (usually stress-induced loss) it can take around a year or so to fully recover. You should also consider getting a complete physical exam by your doctor so that any medical cause of hair loss can be ruled out. The examination should include a complete analysis of your hormones and endocrine glands like the thyroid. For more information on other possible causes of female hair loss, see here.