Young Girl Is Losing Hair

Dear Dr. Rassman,

I have a question.. I have a nine year old sister who has been losing a lot of hair for about four months now. She loses a lot when combing her hair, putting up in a pony tail, and when showering. She loses the most hair when she showers. She doesn’t have any bald spots, but my mom and I are getting really worried. What do you think the reason might be? Should we consult this with her doctor? I would really appreciate your help. Thank you.

Yes, I’d definitely would have her doctor take a look. There could be many causes for hair loss in women including an iron deficiency (if she is presently menstruating). The showering isn’t causing the hair loss, as you probably suspect, but constantly combing the hair can cause it to come out.