Why Millennials Are Losing Their Hair
If you monitor news about hair loss like we do, you may have noticed a surge in stories related to Millennials losing their hair. It’s an interesting concept – a generation suddenly experiencing hair loss – but the story, which was originally reported by Cheryl Lasseter of Mississippi News Now, is just a little misleading.
Here is a link to the original article, “More millennials suffering from hair loss,” which tells the story of 32 year old Diana Damian who described the disappointment of hair loss.
While the story makes clear that there is no evidence that millennials are any more likely to experience hair loss than to other generations do, that fact certainly seems to be at odds with the headline to the story.
What is happening is that millennials are getting older! This year, the oldest millennials will celebrate their 35th birthday, according to most common definitions of when the first millennials were born. Try as we might (this goes for all of us) to look young forever, a portion of every generation begins to experience hair loss as they reach their mid- to late-20s. For some, the hair loss can start even younger.
As noted in our overview of male pattern baldness, about 25 percent of men between the ages of 25 and 30 are affected. That will increase to 40 percent by the time millennial men reach age 40. Among women, pattern hair loss can occur at any age.
Millennial women who notice hair loss may have heredity (from one or both sides of the family) to blame. Other factors known to contribute to hair loss include stress, hormonal imbalances, menopause, anemia, thyroid conditions, skin conditions, pregnancy, vitamin/mineral deficiencies, and the discontinuation of birth control pills. Even certain hairstyles that pull on the scalp can cause hair to fall out. For more information, visit our page about pattern hair loss among women.
But according to a study from market research firm Mintel, millennials aren’t interested in the “A” word -- AGING. In fact, they are terrified of it, which might explain why they are looking for every explanation for hair loss except for the obvious one – the fact that they are getting older.
Mintel’s study found 57 percent of millennials are afraid of getting older. Three out of five say they are doing all that they can to fight the physical signs of aging. In comparison, 49 percent of Generation X (turning 52 this year) does all it can to fight the physical signs of aging. For more details, see Mintel’s post, “Race Against Time: 57% of U.S. Millennials are Afraid of Getting Older.”
Of course, all of this is great news for those of us devoted to helping men and women regain their confidence through surgical and medical treatment for hair loss! As you can see from our before and after photo gallery of Arocha Hair Restoration patients, we regularly achieve natural and undetectable results.
It seems the real shocking news is that millennials are just like every generation that came before them. Even though they grew up with the Internet and find it nearly impossible to separate from their connected devices, millennials are just as likely to experience hair loss – both from hereditary factors such as male pattern baldness, and from environmental factors such as stress and poor diet.
As those of us who have reached a certain age like to say, you might not like everything about getting older, but it sure beats the alternative!
If you would like to schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss your hair loss, please contact Dr. Bernard Arocha today or call 713.526.4247.
