Teen losing crazy amounts of hair

[Anonymous]

This happened to me when I was 17 and it turned out I had a zinc deficiency.

See a dermatologist.

But it sounds like Telogen Effulvium. Did anything happen within the last 3 months such as an extreme diet, fever, surgery, some other type of body stressor?

[Anonymous]

Please take her to a doctor for a full work up. Not a derm but a pediatrician, GP, internist.

[Anonymous]

She definitely needs a full work up. That is a sign of a healthy issue. It could be any number of things so it isn't really worth speculating what is causing it, just start with a good panel of bloodwork and go from there.

[Anonymous]

You daughter is older, but I wanted to share that this happened to my daughter when she was 11 (and prepubescent--she had her period a month before she turned 12). Anyway, my then eleven year old had significant hairloss coupled with a very oily scalp (she also has thick curly hair--South-Asian descent). I took her to the dermatologist who said the hairloss was due to hormonal changes which lead to a very oily scalp and hairloss. She prescribed a steroid ointment (sorry, can't remember the name!) that I put on her scalp for a month, and much of the lost hair is growing back.

[Anonymous]

Thyroid. I had the same happen when I was 16

[Anonymous]

Get her to a doctor risky ssso

[Anonymous]

Do a blood panel in case, but this also happens for no satisfying reason. I have alopecia and it’s autoimmune. It just started one day. Lots of testing and no interesting findings. It’s apparently fairly common.

[Anonymous]

My daughter has a true phobia of throwing up. She has not thrown up since she had the flu when she was about 7 years old and is literally terrified of ever throwing up again. Bulimia is out of the question. I prepare and serve her every meal so anorexia is also out of the question. She’s not had any major life stress other than starting high school a few months ago.
Thyroid sounds like the most logical culprit. For some reason is this a typical age for this to happen? She’s had her period for several years now. Does it coincide with puberty or starting menstruation?

Thanks for any more details people can provide. By the way, I have doctors appointments lined up for her, but I thought I could come on here and get some firsthand advice. The snarky comments about taking her to a doctor or not necessary.

-OP

[Anonymous]

Get a full thyroid panel - not just TSH and T3/T4, but also TPO and TgAb (which can be elevated and cause autoimmune symptoms like hair loss even if TSH and T4 are normal).

And yes, a full blood panel as well. See if they will test for autoimmune markers.

Could also be dermatological. I don't remember the whole thread - any new products or medications?

[Anonymous]

This was my kid around the time of her type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Hair loss started before diagnosis. Yes, clumps. Very upsetting. It was telogen effluvium from the stress, and it did grow back eventually.

Other symptoms she had: losing weight/muscle, thirsty, hungrier than usual (especially for simple carbs). No family history.

No matter what it is, I agree with PPs: don't wait. Get bloodwork. Something is out of whack, and sometimes those things move fast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter has a true phobia of throwing up. She has not thrown up since she had the flu when she was about 7 years old and is literally terrified of ever throwing up again. Bulimia is out of the question. I prepare and serve her every meal so anorexia is also out of the question. She’s not had any major life stress other than starting high school a few months ago.
Thyroid sounds like the most logical culprit. For some reason is this a typical age for this to happen? She’s had her period for several years now. Does it coincide with puberty or starting menstruation?

Thanks for any more details people can provide. By the way, I have doctors appointments lined up for her, but I thought I could come on here and get some firsthand advice. The snarky comments about taking her to a doctor or not necessary.

-OP

DD had this as a teen, still loses quite a bit as a 20 something. Zero signs of ill health or any deficiencies, she's very healthy. She's been to every type of doc. Seems to be "normal."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just want to put out there this is a big sign of bulimia and bulimics do not look super "skinny"

+1 This, stress-induced alopecia, or a thyroid issue would be my first guesses. Take her to her PCP and let them tell you what they suspect.

[Anonymous]

I am the one who posted that in my case it was autoimmune. FWIW my primary care doctor could not have been less interested in my hair loss and basically said it was not a medical issue, just aesthetic, and that it would either grow back or not.

My dermatologist was vastly more sympathetic and treated me with steroid shots, and mine did grow back (though periodically it falls out again). Although she too was very dismissive of the idea of a "root cause" that I should treat.

Perhaps in a teen they would handle it differently, but I just add this in case you are surprised by the doctor's reaction. They really acted as if I were crazy to think it might be significant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s probably telogen effluvium. Next most likely probably anemia. Unless it itches-does it itch?

I don’t think it itches, but I haven’t asked her. What would itching mean?
-OP

[Anonymous]

That was one of my daughter's primary symptoms of PCOS.