Catching up with baldness: the alopecia epidemic has taken over the Zoomers
Stress, poor nutrition and vascular problems are already part of everyday life for young people. Zoomers cannot withstand the problems heaped on them, and therefore begin to actively bald. This has become a big blow to the parents' wallet: today the average check for treatment reaches almost 200 thousand rubles, and prices only continue to rise. More about the epidemic of alopecia in Russian zoomers, about what it is associated with and how teenagers to keep a lush hair - in the material "Izvestia".
Forest lake
Russians have become more often suffer from baldness - this is according to doctors-trichologists, to whom for the past year has addressed almost four times more young people than for the same period in the past. Patients aged 15-16 years already have the second degree of alopecia, complaining about the appearance of bald spots on the forehead or a gradually growing "lake" on the top of the head.
The average check for treatment already reaches 160-190 thousand rubles, and by the end of 2025 the cost of hair transplantation may rise to 230-250 thousand rubles.
- In 2024, the number of diagnoses among people under 18 years of age increased 3.7 times compared to 2023, and in 2023 we also saw a multiple increase in applications from teenagers," Ilya Kravchenko, founder of the iHairium hair health startup, shares with Izvestia. According to the expert, 21% of all requests last year came from young people.
Marina Nikolaeva, dermatologist and trichologist at Lahta Clinic, notes that the term "hair loss" is not a diagnosis - in teenagers it can occur for various reasons, including after an acute respiratory infection, deficiency states and ending with autoimmune processes.
- Each of these variations of hair loss requires different approaches to treatment. The most common causes of hair loss in this age group in the daily work of a trichologist include diffuse telogen hair loss, early onset of androgenetic alopecia, and nest alopecia," says the specialist.
Oncologist, certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Abduaziz Kholikov says that in dermatologic practice hair diseases make up to 4% of the total number of such diseases.
To the most frequent causes of hair loss in young people, Izvestia experts attribute increased anxiety and stress levels, improper nutrition, smoking (including vape and electronic cigarettes), as well as the influence of gadgets and even posture.
- Today's millennials and zoomers spend a tremendous amount of time on their phones. Often this disrupts natural biorhythms, changes posture (constant head tilt), which in turn affects the nutrient balance and changes the blood supply, which ultimately affects the body's supply of "building material" for hair and the blood supply to the scalp, - explains psychologist Timur Sultanov. And it is insufficient nutrition of hair follicles that is one of the key factors of hair loss.
Psychologist, CPT-therapist, head of the psychological office "PsyFitness" Elena Gritsenko-Brinkman adds that the reason for more frequent treatment of zoomers to trichologists may be related to the increased attention of the modern world to appearance.
- Social networks, advertising, glossy magazines - all of them broadcast beauty ideals, where flawless hair often plays a key role, - says the expert.
This forces teenagers in the process of searching for their own identity to experiment with their own appearance, subjecting the hair to coloring with the use of aggressive products, perm, frequent styling with irons and hair dryers. Abuse of low-quality oils and masks also worsens the condition of the hair.
The furrow is spoiled
Loss of up to 100-150 hairs per day is considered normal, but trichologist Marina Nikolaeva considers this approach outdated: now experts are guided by the indicators of phototrichogram, mathematically calculated percentage of hair in the phase of loss - ideally it is up to 10% of the processed in the field of view of the device.
- Often our subjective assessment of hair loss may not reflect the real picture of the problem, instrumental diagnostics (trichoscopy, phototrichogram) helps to fully assess the severity of hair loss and to understand how the current volume of loss is within the norm for a particular person, - says the expert.
According to the dermatologist, the reason to consult a doctor is the appearance of visible areas of reduced density of hair growth, flaking, itching, soreness or redness of the scalp, as well as if the loss causes concern.
Surgeon Abduaziz Kholikov agrees that alopecia is a significant cosmetic and psychological problem.
- There are several types of alopecia: androgenic alopecia accounts for 40%, nesting (focal) - 30%, it is this type of alopecia is subjected to a greater number of young people, next in prevalence is telogen - 20% and scarring - 10% - shares statistics specialist.
Trichologist Marina Nikolaeva says that most often encounters telogen loss - it makes up to 60% of the reasons for the treatment of adolescents. Nest alopecia, early androgenetic alopecia, scarring variants of hair loss, as well as hereditary syndromes are less common.
According to the doctor, telogenic loss is often provoked by a situation, such as stress before exams, restrictive diets, iron deficiency, transferred acute respiratory viral infections. In this case, the loss begins within two to four months of contact with the trigger factor and ends on its own when it is eliminated within a few months.
Androgenetic alopecia occurs due to increased sensitivity of the hair follicle to testosterone, this variant of loss is considered chronic. Nest type of loss is an autoimmune process, in this case the immune system damages the hair, and loss develops. It can manifest itself in the form of individual foci, almost complete deprivation of vegetation on the body, including eyebrows and eyelashes.
In this case, as noted by Ilya Kravchenko, the problem of baldness is quite acute in both sexes, but in different ways.
- In women, diffuse hair loss is more common, when the hair is thinning evenly all over the head. This is due to hormonal changes (e.g. pregnancy, childbirth, menopause), heredity, stress, poor diet and lack of important vitamins and minerals. All of these factors can weaken hair and disrupt its natural growth cycle.
At the same time, experts note that the cost of alopecia treatment was affected not only by the zoomers, but also by men over 30. Psychologist Timur Sultanov connects their interest with the fact that adult representatives of the stronger sex enter the phase of "confirmation of status": there is competition in the career, the need to provide for the family, stress increases.
- If in youth, the body still compensates for blood flow disorders, then with age the body can no longer cope. That's why men start to notice bald spots and actively seek solutions," he says.
Reconstructive surgeon Abduaziz Kholikov, in turn, adds that mature men suffer from the most common type of alopecia, namely androgenic alopecia, which is most often associated with high levels of dehydrotestosterone. The expert attributes the increase in the number of their visits to trichologists and plastic surgeons to the fact that cosmetic medicine has become more accessible in recent years.
Where to transplant from
Hair loss is not a diagnosis, but a symptom. Specialists specify that only after a full-fledged interview, examination, trichoscopy and phototrichogram (if indicated), the doctor can develop a plan of examination - additional examination, if necessary, as well as a treatment strategy.
The most effective method is still hair transplantation, assures Abduaziz Kholikov. The surgical procedure involves moving hair from one part of the head (or body) to the area where it is falling out or thinning. The average price for the service is 85,060 rubles (but the range can be wide - from 70 thousand to 280 thousand rubles). However, in the early stages, doctors recommend minoxidil-containing therapy.
- Minoxidil increases blood supply in the area of hair follicles, has anti-apoptotic (helps prevent cell death) and immunoregulatory effects. It shortens the telogen phase, lengthens the anagen phase and promotes the growth of hair follicle diameter and length. Significant hair growth is observed in 30-40% of patients. Treatment of androgenetic alopecia is a long process, cosmetically acceptable recovery comes on average after 10-12 months from the beginning of therapy, - says the doctor.
Ilya Kravchenko also adds that modern methods, such as FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction), allow hair transplantation without scars and long recovery. The result looks natural, and the new hair grows like native hair.
No one is immune from alopecia areata, Izvestia experts note. In the case of finding a large amount of hair on the comb or after washing the head, it is important to check yourself. The hair tension test allows you to assess the condition with diffuse hair loss on the head. It is necessary to take a small strand (about 40 hairs) in your hand and pull them. It is important to repeat the test on at least three areas of the scalp. If more than four to six hairs have fallen out in each area, this may be a sign of pathology.
To minimize the possibility of hair loss, you should follow a few simple rules:
- take proper care of your hair and scalp - perform regular maintenance with a shampoo suitable for your hair and skin type;
- refuse excessive use of styling products, as well as thermal effects on the hair (hair dryer, hair iron, etc.), as this can lead to damage to the hair and scalp;
- eat a proper diet rich in vitamins and minerals such as vitamin, A, C, E, iron, zinc and biotin, which are essential for healthy hair and skin;
- minimize stress;
- massage the scalp regularly to improve circulation and stimulate hair growth;
- periodically visit a specialist trichologist or dermatologist for preventive examinations and advice on hair and scalp care.
Psychological support and a competent approach to self-care will help to preserve not only beauty, but also mental balance.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
