18 years old and losing some hair

[jacob007]

Hi, I'm 18 years old and for the past year or so I have been noticing the very slight but continual loss of hair on the top of my head. I have been on various antibiotics for acne for about 2 years. Now, this slow loss of hair is becoming somewhat visible to me, whereas before my hair still seemed fairly thick. This does not follow the typical male-pattern baldness. Instead, my hair has thinned evenly over the entire top of my head, and also on the sides of my head like near my ears.  I'm wondering what this is and how to stop/reverse it if possible.

Thanks

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
It can be due to the side effects of antibiotics or telogen effluvium. It is nonscarring alopecia characterized by diffuse hair shedding, often with an acute onset. There is a chronic form also which persists for a longer duration and starts with insidious onset.

I suggest you to get an evaluation done from a trichologist. It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[jacob007]

Thank you, that was very informative, I can rest a little easier now knowing what it probably is. Do you know if the hair will grow back, now that I just stopped taking the antibiotics?

[Caryopteris]

If you can stop the antibiotics and take prebiotics, that may be the answer.  If your skin is oily and breaks out and that is why you are on antibiotics, consider using soap with tea tree oil to control the oil and bacteria instead of the antibiotics.  White vinegar also controls oil, but at the strength right out of the bottle, it might cause reddening of the skin.  You could use it at night or dilute it a little.  Nizoral shampoo may help if there is a buildup of skin cells on the scalp from being on antibiotics.  

Lots of people have reported hair thinning from lots of antibiotic use.