I'm nervous about my teen daughter...?!
Question: She will be 15 next month, and she hasn't gotten a period yet. Also, her hair has been getting thinner and thinner. Not that it's falling out, but its consistency is becoming so fine, I can see her scalp. I looked online, and every website says it's still in the normal range for a girl not to get her period up to the age of 16. Should I wait a year and then take her to the doctor about this? I'm hesitating because I'd hate to put her through all these invasive womanly tests when she's still an innocent kid. She's growing normally, isn't overweight, is growing a chest, has hair "down there"... Everything's normal but the absence of a period and this thinning hair. Could it be a hormonal thing? A thyroid thing? What would you do if this was your daughter?
Answers: She will be 15 next month, and she hasn't gotten a period yet. Also, her hair has been getting thinner and thinner. Not that it's falling out, but its consistency is becoming so fine, I can see her scalp. I looked online, and every website says it's still in the normal range for a girl not to get her period up to the age of 16. Should I wait a year and then take her to the doctor about this? I'm hesitating because I'd hate to put her through all these invasive womanly tests when she's still an innocent kid. She's growing normally, isn't overweight, is growing a chest, has hair "down there"... Everything's normal but the absence of a period and this thinning hair. Could it be a hormonal thing? A thyroid thing? What would you do if this was your daughter?
I wouldn't worry at all that she hasn't gotten her period. It's totally normal for some girls to start later than others, just as it's normal for some girls to start earlier - some girls get their period as young as 9.
As for her thinning hair, I would take her to a doctor. It probably has nothing to do with the fact that her period hasn't come yet, but if her hair is getting so thin that you can see her scalp, there may be something wrong. I suppose it could be hormonal or to do with her thyroid - many different problems have roots in thyroid or hormonal issues. And if you take her to the doctor about her hair loss, she won't necessarily have to have "womanly" tests - the doctor will probably rule out some other causes first. And if she does need a pelvic exam, she's 15 - her body is getting ready to become that of a woman, and although pelvics aren't fun, they're part of being female.
I wish you the best of luck and hope all works out well for you!
If it were my daughter, I'd take her in to be seen about the hair issue, if nothing else. That COULD be indicative of a hormonal problem...especially thyroid.
If she's got the rest of it going on (breast development, hair growth, etc), then I would expect that her period won't be far behind. But certainly DO say something to the doctor because it CAN be related.
And just an FYI, chances are they won't perform any "invasive" exams beyond starting with blood & urine before moving on to see what else might be causing problems. So do not let that stand in the way of getting your daughter seen promptly. Listen to your instincts.
First off Calm Down.
It totally okay for a young woman to not get her period at her age.
Just wait a little bit and it will be fine.
But for the thinning hair issue this could be a number of things,
It could be your daughter is not getting enough nutrients so her body is pulling them from other places for her body to be able to cope with going through puberty.
It also could be a thyroid problem as well.
But as for some people saying that its a hormone problem I do not believe this.
Girls can't get their period until they have 10 percent of body fat. So I wouldn't worry or put her through the humiliating process and countless test just to here the end result be that she is developing normally! her hair could be falling out because of shampoo, styling products or a hormonal change which might bring on her menstrual cycle!!!