I'm 18 With Thinning Hair on Top and a Painful Scalp'

Shana

Question: Hi, I’m 18 years old and my hair is thinning all over the top of my scalp, my bottom hair is fine however on top it is thinning. I have experienced some stressful events during the past couple of months due to losing a member in my family and some exam stress. I find myself stressing over my hair thinning more, usually it never thins that badly. In addition to that, my scalp is extremely sore and I have painful bumps which sometimes bleed I’m not sure whether this may be the cause of my hair loss or not. I’m worried that I will go bald since I am very young. My crown is also thinning and the bumps are located there. My scalp is visible too. I need a solution as I fear I may be going bald.

Answer: Hi, Shana. Thinning on top is a classic sign of genetic hair loss. For people who have an inherited predisposition to this condition - better known as Male and Female Pattern Hair Loss - this can start any time following puberty and its onset can be accelerated by stress.

There are temporary hair loss conditions - telogen effluvium and chronic telogen effluvium, also known as diffuse thinning - which cause excessive shedding and make the hair thinner. These are also brought on by stress but they affect the whole scalp; the hair loss only affects the top of the head if it is androgenetic alopecia (genetic hair loss).

Your scalp condition could have a number of causes so the best thing to do is to seek a personal consultation with a hair loss specialist so that they can provide you with an expert diagnosis of both your hair loss and scalp conditions. They will also be able to recommend bespoke courses featuring effective hair loss treatments and boosters to help restore your hair to its optimum condition, as well as treatments to soothe your scalp. As you are 18 years old, you are both eligible for treatment and highly unlikely to go bald as you are seeking help early on.

This trichocheck can take place either at one of our central London clinics or, if you are based outside London or the UK, you can complete our Online Consultation form which allows you to upload photos. In the meantime, try to relax more and find ways to manage your stress and grief, as well as making sure you use only gentle formulations of shampoo on your scalp, which you should keep clean by washing your hair daily and not scratching the bumps.