It's usually associated with ageing but stressed-out working women today are suffering hair loss as young as their twenties, a survey has found.
A third of women polled said they had suffered hair thinning, with nearly three-quarters blaming life and work stress on the condition of their hair.
A sixth of women surveyed said they had experienced hair loss by their 30th birthday while eight per cent said their locks had started to thin by the time they were 25.
A third of women said they had suffered hair thinning with a sixth admitting to experiencing hair loss before their 30th birthday
And 2.5 per cent had suffered hair thinning before their 20th birthday.
For British men in the L’Oreal Professionnel poll of 2,000 adults, hair loss set in at an average age of 38.
Two-thirds said they suffered thinning hair or baldness, with half blaming pressures from work or home.
Among both men and women, the condition was more prevalent among high-earners.
One in five high earning men and women on a salary of more than £75,000 a year blamed work stress for hair thinning, compared to just one in ten of those earning up to £15,000.
Meanwhile two out of five men would rather suffer in silence compared to just one in ten women.
Adam Reed, a L’Oreal ambassador whose celebrity clients include model Sophie Dahl, said: ‘This research leaves little doubt that stress is currently the biggest factor facing women when it comes to their thinning hair.
'Given how prevalent hair thinning is across Britain, among both men and women, it is surprising how little awareness there is about the issue.
'British women are facing increasingly stressful lives as they struggle to balance work-life pressures and their hair is suffering as a result.
The average age for hair loss among men was 38 (file image)
‘As soon as a person notices hair loss, you should look at your current lifestyle and target areas causing you stress. Maintain a positive attitude and move forward with steps such as a healthier diet.’
According to the research, thinning hair is now a tell tale sign of ageing, coming third after 'sagging body' and 'wrinkles' among both sexes as the most worrying sign of getting older.
Women were most likely to discover they are losing hair as a result of examining their hair brush (51 per cent) or by finding hair in the shower or sink after grooming.
Nearly a tenth said they had learned of their hair loss from talking to their hairdresser, while just one in 20 was told by their partner.
A third said they wore clothing such as hoodies to 'disguise' or cover up their thinning locks and other said they would wear a wig.
Three per cent used styling products to prevent the problem getting worse.
A quarter said they would rather be celibate than bald and nearly a sixth admitted they would rather be fat than lose their hair.
For British men hair loss sets in at 38 but only half blamed the pressures of work and home for their hair thinning and loss. Two-thirds of men said they suffered thinning hair or baldness.
Yet the survey of more than 2,000 British adults by L'Oréal Professionnel found both men and women did not know what triggered the the relatively common condition.
A tenth of Britons had no idea what causes it and only half of women are aware that changes in hormones caused by pregnancy could trigger thinning hair or hair loss.
For those who are hair aware, one in ten women state their hair loss is due to dieting, one in 30 say it is due to shock or trauma and one in 50 says it is due to extensions.
Two thirds of men attributed their hair thinning to their genes.
But the onset of baldness is not restricted to older men as nearly half of men aged 16-24 and 47% of men aged 25-34 say their hair is already thinning.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2742844/Stressed-women-losing-hair-20s-Third-admit-suffered-thinning-hair-blamed-pressures-life-work.html#ixzz3CMLa7Jh7
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