Does early puberty cause hair loss ?

[enzyo]

Is there a link between kids who go through puberty early and hair loss ? By early I mean around 9 years of age. Reason I ask, I reached puberty when I was 11, early 1970's. I was considered an early developer by the family physician, by the time reached 18 I was a Norwood 5. Back then, nothing could be done to treat my balding head. I had to accept and live with it, which I did.

My son, age 9 is going through puberty right now. Our family physician says its normal these days for kids to mature early, that there's no risk of it being a factor in early MPB. I can't help thinking that he is wrong on this one, I worry my son has a greater chance of early, more aggressive MPB.

Does anyone have any information, facts or studies on this ? I don't want my son to deal with the same issues I did. I know it can run in your family genes, however I'd prefer to reduce the risk for him.
Thanks all.

 

[ford]

My kid began Puberty when he was 8 years old - it freaked me out at first, I was thinking something must be wrong with him. My wife and I had him checked out by a Pediatric Endocrinologist, by the grace of God all was ok.

There are symptoms associated with early puberty - see the below article from Web MD. Early stages of hair loss is not one of them.

Take your kid for a check up for some reassurance.



Consequences of Early Puberty


For kids, early puberty can cause physical and emotional problems. They include:

• Short stature. While kids with precocious puberty are often tall for their age, some wind up short as adults. Why? Once puberty is over, growth stops. Since precocious puberty ends earlier than normal puberty, these kids stop growing at an earlier age -- and sometimes, the end result may be a shorter height than they would have otherwise had.[/*]
• Behavior problems. Some studies have found an association between early puberty and behavior problems, particularly in kids with developmental delays. However, many experts consider the evidence weak.[/*]
• Early sexual activity. Although parents might worry, there's not strong evidence that kids with early puberty are likelier to be sexually active at a younger age.[/*]
• Stress. Even when it's happening to average 12-year-olds, puberty can be a confusing time. It can be all the more stressful for younger kids with early puberty. They might feel awkward about looking different from their peers.

[/*]




Early Puberty: What Parents Should Remember
As a parent, it's easy to worry about early puberty. There's no doubt that you should take any signs seriously. If your child shows signs of early puberty, they should be evaluated by a pediatric endocrinologist.





But kids and their parents should not view precocious puberty as a fearful medical diagnosis.

Here are a few other things to remember:

• Symptoms that might seem like early puberty are often unrelated and resolve on their own.[/*]
• When a doctor and parents decide treatment is necessary, it is usually quite effective.[/*]
• Most kids with signs of early puberty do fine, medically, psychologically, and socially.[/*]

 

[Bigmac]

This is an interesting topic. I`ve not heard of any research into the possibility of this. These kids may have higher than normal levels of Testosterone which could cause hair loss as this age.

 

[enzyo]

Thank you guys. I have contacted several clinic recently, waiting on their reply.

 

[Bigmac]

enzyo wrote:

Thank you guys. I have contacted several clinic recently, waiting on their reply.

Did you receive any info back from the clinics you contacted?

 

[enzyo]

Back with an update. Early puberty has not been linked to early hair loss. This is the consensus of the clinics I asked.

 

[Bigmac]

Did whoever you contacted have access to clinical studies or data on this? Hopefully, it does not have any effect.