What causes hair loss in adolescents?

I'm a girl (in case the avatar didn't make that obvious :P)





So my hair has been falling out quite a bit. Mainly in the shower. Twice I have cleaned out the drain before I shower. When I'm done, there's about half a handful of hair. My bathroom floor/ sink and my desk also have a lot of hair on them. It doesn't seem to fall out during the day as much, just a bit if I run my fingers through. It started out around the beginning of January I guess, but I can't be certain as I may have just failed to notice before.





I don't really have any other issues. I'm having some trouble breathing at night (my heart seems to race/ flutter) but I can almost always fix that by laying on my stomach. I've been feeling a lot more tired lately, but I'd blame that on starting gym class. I've been forgetting things and losing my concentration a little more too, but I'd blame the on being tired.





My mom's convinced I'm anemic as both her and my grandma are (I don't think it's hereditary, but w/e). She's so concerned about this hair thing and wants me to go to the doctors, but I don't think it's a big enough deal to. (I also don't really like the doctor's, haha)Everyone loses hair. She said I could also start iron supplements, but I don't think that's safe to do unless I know my iron's low. I don't want to get iron poisoning or have digestive issues.





So can someone give me a more likely cause than anemia/ thyroid problems? I doubt it's either





thanks :)What causes hair loss in adolescents?
Count back to June through Sept 2009. Anything going on with your health. Any illness, starting or stopping medication, major life upheaval, death in the family, family stressors... Anything that causes major stress can cause a temporary loss of hair. There is usually a 3-6 month delay in the beginning of the hair loss. If you can not come up with anything that seems enough to cause such a change, consider seeing the dermatologist. Your other symptoms are more concerning than the current hair loss. Fatigue, concentration and heart rate issues can indicate underlying problems. Simple labs can rule out many problems.





See link for info re hair loss.What causes hair loss in adolescents?
I would go to the doc as you could lose all your hair or more. could be either things that are cauising your hair loss. I'm anemic and have been for a long time. my hair is pretty thin because i waited too long to get myself checked out.
you could possibly be stressed out bad but i would go get it checked out to be on the safe side
first of all, iron supplements are totally safe, as long as you take the recommended dosage.


and the hair loss could be a lot of things. could be something hormonal, or could even be due to stress. also, at different times of year, you lose more or less hair. also, if it seems like you're only noticing it in the morning, it's unlikely but possible that you're doing something in your sleep. i wouldn't stress too much about it unless you develop other symptoms, but i would recommend the iron supplements, since they can't hurt.





and btw, speaking from personal experience, the test for anemia is like the simplest thing ever. they just stick the needle in your arm for like two seconds, fill a little tube, and you're done, and they'll mail you your results. it's pretty much painless, and there's like no fuss.
Are you noticing a significant decrease in the thickness of your hair? A lot of my hair falls out when I wash it, yet it is still as thick as it has always been and I am an adolescent.





Your mother seems to have legitimate concerns - she wants what's best for your health and to treat whatever is going on before it gets worse. I will suggest her making an appointment for you with your family doctor so you can both voice your concerns and find out what's going on.