Hair loss in women in their 20s seems more than a little unfair, doesn’t it? Why would you start losing hair at a time in your life when you expect it to be thick and healthy?
Unfortunately for some women, it’s possible to lose hair in your mid 20s for several reasons. Around one third of women experience clinically significant hair loss at some point in their lives [1], and even women in their 20s can be affected.
But why does hair loss happen to women in their 20s? In this article, we’ll explore:
There are several reasons you may be experiencing hair loss in your 20s as a woman, such as early-onset female pattern hair loss, telogen effluvium, and traction alopecia. Here, we’ll explore these potential causes in more detail.
It should be noted that diagnosing hair loss in women in their 20s is often challenging. So it’s important to speak to a female hair loss specialist who can help you find the right hair loss treatment for women.
Alopecia areata is a type of hair loss caused by the body’s white blood cells attacking the hair follicles. This results in patchy hair loss that can occur on the scalp, beard, eyebrows, eyelashes, armpits, and chest.
Alopecia areata affects 2% of the general population, with men and women equally affected [2]. It’s more common in children and young adults.
Telogen effluvium is a type of temporary hair loss characterised by hair shedding that exceeds the normal 50-100 hairs that are lost per day. It causes diffuse hair loss across the scalp, so it may be confused with female pattern hair loss in some cases, until it resolves.
Telogen effluvium can be triggered by injury, illness, and various other hormonal changes. This condition can affect both men and women, and usually resolves within 3-6 months once the trigger is removed [3]. However, chronic telogen effluvium, lasting longer than 6 months, is much more common in women than men [4].
Stress is another established cause of telogen effluvium for women in their 20s. The pressure on young women to perform well at work and compete in busy UK markets can have a serious effect on long-term stress levels which, in turn, may cause stress-induced hair loss.
High stress may also be a risk factor for female pattern hair loss [5]. However, further research on this topic is needed, and stress is not the main causative factor.
Female pattern hair loss is a type of androgenetic alopecia. While hair loss in women is less common than in men, female pattern hair loss usually starts before the age of 40 [6], and over 10% of premenopausal women have some evidence of pattern hair loss. Symptoms of female pattern baldness in your 20s are rare, but possible.
For women, this type of hair loss usually shows up as diffuse thinning across the scalp. Female pattern hair loss occurs when your hair follicles react to your hormones. The exact nature of the relationship between hair follicles, hormones, and genes is still being researched, but experts agree that these are the main determining factors for female pattern baldness [7].
The condition progresses in 3 stages which can be seen on the Ludwig Scale above. Hair thinning starts on the top of the scalp, progressing to noticeable widening of the hair parting and eventually a transparent appearance on top of the scalp.
Hair loss in younger women is often attributed to hormonal fluctuations. Birth control pills, pregnancy, and female health conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome and endometriosis can affect hormone and stress levels, leading to telogen effluvium.
If you’re worried that hormones or hormone treatment are affecting your hair, speak to your doctor. Fortunately, hormone-related women’s hair loss often resolves within several months once hormonal balance is restored.
Trichotillomania is a mental health condition that can lead to hair loss. People with this condition feel an irresistible urge to pull out their own hair and may often pull hair subconsciously. Symptoms may be worsened by stress [8] and trichotillomania is common in younger adults, often starting in adolescence.
A US-based study of 10,169 adults found that 1.7% reported having trichotillomania [9]. Men and women were equally likely to develop the condition.
If you are experiencing hair loss as a woman in your 20s, you might want to take a look at your normal hair care routine. Heat-styling, hair dyes, and chemical treatments like relaxers and perms can damage hair, leading to possible hair loss.
Furthermore, excessively tight hairstyles or hair accessories may cause traction alopecia. Traction alopecia is a type of preventable hair loss caused by constant pulling and tension on your hair, which can cause hair to fall out and even damage hair follicles permanently if severe enough.
Women may be more at risk of traction alopecia due to the hairstyles they choose. Research suggests that traction alopecia affects one-third of women of African descent who wear excessively tight hairstyles for prolonged periods [10]. Other styles or accessories that may increase your risk of traction alopecia include:
Among its many other side effects, smoking can cause hair loss. Studies suggest it may speed up skin ageing and increase the risk of hair loss for men and women by reducing blood flow to the scalp, damaging hair follicle DNA, causing inflammation, and disrupting hormone levels [11].
Two-thirds of adult smokers in the UK started before their teens [12]. Therefore, it’s possible that smoking could affect women’s hair growth by their mid-20s, as many smokers have already smoked for over a decade by this age.
A poor diet is widely acknowledged as a cause for hair loss, and it can affect women in their 20s. A diet for healthy hair growth should contain plenty of protein, iron, zinc, vitamins and minerals. Without these essential nutrients, you’ll struggle to grow healthy hair and may experience hair loss.
On the other hand, extreme dieting and anorexia nervosa can lead to hair loss in women in their 20s. Care should always be taken to ensure a balanced diet and maintain a gradual, healthy weight loss with the support of a dietitian if needed.
Illnesses and medical conditions such as thyroid disorders and lupus can trigger hair loss in women in their 20s. Additionally, hair loss can also be attributed to some medications. Learn more about which medications cause hair loss.
If you suspect that your hair loss is due to an underlying medical condition or medication, speak to your doctor or healthcare professional to discuss alternative medications and treatment options.
Depending on the cause of your hair loss, there are several treatments that may help your hair regrow. Speak to a trichologist to learn which treatments are suitable for you.
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is an effective way to treat thinning hair. This hair loss treatment uses low-powered lasers to stimulate cell activity and encourage blood flow to the hair follicles, helping to promote hair growth.
Minoxidil is a popular hair loss treatment used by women to treat female pattern baldness and other hair loss conditions.
Minoxidil works as a vasodilator, encouraging blood flow to the hair follicles which in turn stimulates hair growth. It is available in both oral and topical forms, including sprays, foams, and topical solutions of varying concentrations and strengths.
Women are more likely to be prescribed topical Minoxidil than oral Minoxidil, and often take lower doses than men. This is because at higher doses, Minoxidil can cause hypertrichosis [13] (excessive body hair growth), which women are often keen to avoid.
PRP hair treatment is a type of regenerative medicine. It can be highly effective as a hair loss treatment, and involves using platelets from your own blood to stimulate hair follicles for growth.
Depending on the cause of your hair loss, you may be a good candidate for a hair transplant. For example, in severe cases of traction alopecia, a hair transplant may be the only way to fix a messed up hairline.
A hair transplant involves moving healthy hair follicles from a donor area to areas of hair loss. There are two main types of hair transplant: follicular unit extraction (FUE) and follicular unit transplantation (FUT).
Our team at the Wimpole Clinic are experts in young women’s hair loss. If you’re unsure what’s causing your hair shedding, our trichologists can help.
With thorough assessments and diagnostic trichology tests (such as blood tests for hair loss), these hair doctors can identify the reason your hair is falling out. They’ll then work with you to create a comprehensive treatment plan.
You may even be eligible for a natural-looking hair transplant. If you are, you’ll have access to some of the best hair transplant surgeons in the UK.
If you want to learn why you have hair thinning in your 20s as a female, and how to resolve it, book a consultation at your nearest clinic location today.
For women in their 20s, several conditions can cause frontal balding, including traction alopecia and trichotillomania. Early-onset female pattern hair loss and telogen effluvium can also cause shedding around the frontal hairline, although these conditions tend to cause diffuse thinning across the whole scalp. Frontal fibrosing alopecia causes frontal hair loss but it tends to affect postmenopausal women, and is rare for women in their mid-20s.
Stress is common in young women juggling studies, work, and major life changes, and in some cases this can lead to hair loss. Fortunately, it’s possible to regain hair loss from stress. Once the stressful trigger has been removed, hair loss from stress usually grows back within 3-6 months.
Treatments like Minoxidil, low-level laser therapy, and PRP hair treatment may speed up the process. Be gentle with your hair by limiting heat styling to prevent heat-damaged hair, and avoid tight ponytails and buns while your hair regrows.
Stress-related hair loss may come on more suddenly than female pattern (genetic) hair loss. You may also be able to trace it back to a stressful event in your recent history.
If other women in your family have experienced female pattern hair loss, it may be more likely to affect you. A gradual widening of your parting is also typical of genetic hair loss. However, it can be difficult to self-diagnose, and it’s best to consult a trichologist if you’re unsure why your hair is falling out.
Young women are particularly at risk of iron deficiency — nearly 40% of young women don’t get enough iron [14], likely due to menstruation. Studies on iron deficiency and hair loss have produced different results.
Some have found no correlation between iron deficiency and hair loss [15], while some small studies have found a higher rate of iron deficiency anaemia in women with certain types of hair loss [16]. Iron deficiency may play a role in some types of alopecia, but it’s unclear exactly what that role is [17].
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