Son 16, loosing hair

[Mazzle]

Please help and advise the best way I can help my son. He has thinning hair. It started at the sides and is now also thin on the crown towards the back of his head. You can see through the sparse hair to his scalp where it has thinned. I first noticed it about a year ago. It could possibly have started after he got c vid or around that time. A year later and it has not improved, with no new growth.

He is physically active (cycles and walks, dance and sailing etc) but is not doing any crazy gym work or anything intense.
He is well built, 6ft. Slim.
I have noticed a slight loss in muscle strength in him.
I have noticed he feels cold often
I have noticed he gets massive hunger pangs and needs lots of food (beyond the normal teenage boy eating levels)
I have noticed that he gets stressed and wired and emotionally unstable, especially after a long day and this resolves after eating.
He is involved in a lot of extra curricula activities and lives a full life which can sometimes raise stress levels but otherwise has a relaxed home and social life.
His teeth are not strong (crumbling and enamel not quite right since birth but no fillings)
I had some liver supplements and he really liked taking those, said he felt better and had more energy.
Was a low birthweight baby (badly formed placenta) so possibly didn't get everything he needed to develop.
Not jabbed. Not other health problems.

I have not done any testing or bloods on him. I am trying to keep this all very low profile or he will get paranoid and stressed.

What does this picture say to you? What can I do to help him, either through diet or supplements.
All thoughts and advice greatly appreciated. Thank you

 

[Jkbp]

I’m curious what liver supplements he used that made him feel better. Thank you

 

[Mazzle]

I’m curious what liver supplements he used that made him feel better. Thank you

It was dried liver from Ancestral supplements

 

[Jkbp]

Have you had his iron checked? Maybe he is anemic? My hair falls out when I’m low in iron. Do a “full iron panel” when you check his iron. Edit- when I am low in iron and I take an iron supplement it makes me feel incredible! Perhaps that would explain why the liver supp (high in iron) made him feel so good. Also, what is his vitamin D level?

 

[TTorque]

Are you concerned about his hairloss, or his overall health?

If he's thinning, that would general indicate a good T level (thus converting into DHT). Assuming his balding pattern is "normal", but if patches of hair is falling out in random blotches, that's different. Now being 16 - medication isn't an option for hairloss. If you find a derm willing to prescribe something like finasteride at that age, they need to be shot.

If he grows concerned about his hair, look into Toppik and Dermamatch (and there's some cheaper Amazon copies). I was thinning since 18 and this got me to 28 without an issue.

Cold, weak teeth (sensitive) sound like inflammation. What's his body temperature, iron level? Long 'vid usually includes lower body temperature.

 

[Mister]

Whatever you do avoid 5ar inhibitors like fina, duta, saw palmetto,... (goes even more for anyone under 25 since your endocrine system, etc is still developing)


Best option: micro needling + minox (although some have bad sides from minox too so watch out and only use in small quantities)

Another option is just getting mutliple hair tansplants, yes it's possible without fina. (Look up Zarev, most men have enough donor hair). If I could go back in time this is what I would tell myself when younger.

 

[TheCalciumCad]

Please help and advise the best way I can help my son. He has thinning hair. It started at the sides and is now also thin on the crown towards the back of his head. You can see through the sparse hair to his scalp where it has thinned. I first noticed it about a year ago. It could possibly have started after he got c vid or around that time. A year later and it has not improved, with no new growth.

I have noticed he feels cold often
I have noticed that he gets stressed and wired and emotionally unstable, especially after a long day and this resolves after eating.
I had some liver supplements and he really liked taking those, said he felt better and had more energy.

I wonder if Covid triggered Thiamine/B1 loss so you could try Thiamine HCL (say 100mg with meals) and add Magnesium to counter the cortisol induced hair loss (topical chloride and oral glycinate in combo totalling around 1gram daily). Also i'd drop the liver supplements they're garbage and lay off coffee if he drinks it as that will further deplete Magnesium and Thiamine triggering more cortisol to be released.


View: https://twitter.com/Beteljuice/status/1433232732348239882



View: https://twitter.com/Beteljuice/status/1486778453214957570

 

[BrianF]

It will be very stressful for a 16 years old and quite traumatic. But he is young and he has every chance of reversing this.

Make sure he starts eating liver, regularly. At least twice a week to begin with and dropping down to once a week after a few months if things improve and he still doesn't like the taste (I'm presuming he doesn't like the taste because of the liver supps) if the taste grows on him then keep it at twice a week. The vitamin A levels are very, very important, as are the b-vitamins.

Your son also sounds hypoglycemic and hypothyroid, both easily resolved unless there is some sort of underlying condition.

I would also suggest that a short treatment of niacinamide and d-ribose might be incorporated as post-viral, people often end up insulin resistant or 'pre-diabetic'.

 

[thisoldtown1978]

I'm afraid I can't offer much help, only to say that this sounds a lot like me when I was about 18. Very skinny, emotionally unstable unless I'd eaten enough, and felt freezing cold without enough calories. And my hair also thinned very early on. It sounds like a common type. Blood sugar related?

 

[aniciete]

Get a full iron panel done with calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, vit D/A. You don’t mention his current diet but make sure he’s getting 3000+ calories a day especially for a growing 16 year old who is 6ft. Lots of red meat, rice, potatoes, eggs, some dairy if tolerated, fruits and other foods he enjoys. He’s too young to be balding and he’s probably dealing with diffuse thinning due to multiple deficiencies/malnourishment.

 

[tallglass13]

Please help and advise the best way I can help my son. He has thinning hair. It started at the sides and is now also thin on the crown towards the back of his head. You can see through the sparse hair to his scalp where it has thinned. I first noticed it about a year ago. It could possibly have started after he got c vid or around that time. A year later and it has not improved, with no new growth.

He is physically active (cycles and walks, dance and sailing etc) but is not doing any crazy gym work or anything intense.
He is well built, 6ft. Slim.
I have noticed a slight loss in muscle strength in him.
I have noticed he feels cold often
I have noticed he gets massive hunger pangs and needs lots of food (beyond the normal teenage boy eating levels)
I have noticed that he gets stressed and wired and emotionally unstable, especially after a long day and this resolves after eating.
He is involved in a lot of extra curricula activities and lives a full life which can sometimes raise stress levels but otherwise has a relaxed home and social life.
His teeth are not strong (crumbling and enamel not quite right since birth but no fillings)
I had some liver supplements and he really liked taking those, said he felt better and had more energy.
Was a low birthweight baby (badly formed placenta) so possibly didn't get everything he needed to develop.
Not jabbed. Not other health problems.

I have not done any testing or bloods on him. I am trying to keep this all very low profile or he will get paranoid and stressed.

What does this picture say to you? What can I do to help him, either through diet or supplements.
All thoughts and advice greatly appreciated. Thank you

Sounds like he has a raging super metabolism. 6 feet tall, Slim, only 16, hunger pangs. Your little man needs upwards of 5000 calories or more. Ray Peat said when he was younger he needed that much or more, due to high metabolism. Until he starts gaining fat, feed him. I would drop Liver Supplement only because Ray said Vitamin A can cause hypothyroid symptoms, especially if already hypo from not enough calories.
My opinion on his teeth is linked to Vitamin overdoses. A few people in the Vitamin A Toxicity thread have complained about teeth issues. Only to get relief and get stronger teeth once they stop the Vit A.

 

[Jkbp]

Have you had his iron checked? Maybe he is anemic? My hair falls out when I’m low in iron. Do a “full iron panel” when you check his iron.

 

[AVTISTICVS]

He is physically active (cycles and walks, dance and sailing etc) but is not doing any crazy gym work or anything intense.
He is well built, 6ft. Slim.
I have noticed a slight loss in muscle strength in him.
I have noticed he feels cold often
I have noticed he gets massive hunger pangs and needs lots of food (beyond the normal teenage boy eating levels)
I have noticed that he gets stressed and wired and emotionally unstable, especially after a long day and this resolves after eating.
He is involved in a lot of extra curricula activities and lives a full life which can sometimes raise stress levels but otherwise has a relaxed home and social life.
His teeth are not strong (crumbling and enamel not quite right since birth but no fillings)
I had some liver supplements and he really liked taking those, said he felt better and had more energy.
Was a low birthweight baby (badly formed placenta) so possibly didn't get everything he needed to develop.
Not jabbed. Not other health problems.

I have not done any testing or bloods on him. I am trying to keep this all very low profile or he will get paranoid and stressed.

What does this picture say to you? What can I do to help him, either through diet or supplements.
All thoughts and advice greatly appreciated. Thank you

Sounds like elevated cortisol (cushings) or hyperthyroidism to me. Much more likely to be the latter unless he is taking cortisol increasing medications or a family history of cortisol. You said he feels cold. What’s his body temp?

 

[Mazzle]

Thank you all so much for your amazing replies. Lots to research and think about here.
@AVTISTICVS He is not taking cortisol but it is a problem I think I have and there is a family history. Not taken his temp but could do. He goes from hot and sweaty at night to cold in the day.
@Jkbp @aniciete Yes, I think I will get Iron panel done - family history there as well. @aniciete His diet is pretty much as you describe - home cooking - meat two veg organic etc. Not too much crappy stuff. I think he is not getting enough though. Like @tallglass13 says it seems like he is burning through food and I need to get more in him. @tallglass13 I will drop the liver supps and get pate or similar to get liver in him. He likes that. I didn't know that about Vit A and teeth - thank you, I will investigate.
@BrianF I can get him to eat liver in the form of pate no problem and thank you for the suggestions of niacinamide and d-ribose I will look into those as well. Also @TheCalciumCad - noted re 'Thiamine/B1 loss so you could try Thiamine HCL (say 100mg with meals) and add Magnesium' I will look into that and get those supps in him. Funny you should mention coffee - he has been making iced coffee for the last 4-6 months Great big glasses of it. I will put a stop to that.
Thank you @Mister - It's really good to know there are options for him should he need it. Thank you @tjanok - I will stay away from finasteride.
Again - thank you all for your guidance. It is really appreciated.

 

[Lilac]

Ray has told the story that when, as a young man, he would return to the U.S. from Mexico, he would have milkshakes to build himself up again. So perhaps best-quality milk and ice cream, maybe with a raw egg.

 

[Mazzle]

Ray has told the story that when, as a young man, he would return to the U.S. from Mexico, he would have milkshakes to build himself up again. So perhaps best-quality milk and ice cream, maybe with a raw egg.

Great idea. Thank you.

 

[PeskyPeater]

Goodday, to me it seems like

hypothyroidism (high food intake, cold, bad teeth, stress from endurance work and school, teenager)

low calcium, high parathyroid stimulating hormone with hypothyroidism leads to loss of hair.

 

[Raw Egg Gnostic]

Ray has told the story that when, as a young man, he would return to the U.S. from Mexico, he would have milkshakes to build himself up again. So perhaps best-quality milk and ice cream, maybe with a raw egg.

do this and add a little raw liver too. and maybe multiple egg yolks

 

[PeskyPeater]

Also Aspirin and Magnesium are good supplements to reduce the effects of PTH and improve calcium metabolism which can improve hair quality.

 

[SonOfEurope]

Have you had his iron checked? Maybe he is anemic? My hair falls out when I’m low in iron. Do a “full iron panel” when you check his iron. Edit- when I am low in iron and I take an iron supplement it makes me feel incredible! Perhaps that would explain why the liver supp (high in iron) made him feel so good. Also, what is his vitamin D level?

How do you get low iron as a male?