Hair Loss in Children

Hair loss in children is more common than most people actualize. It is significant enough that approximately 2 Million children suffer from at least one form of Alopecia (hair loss) or another in the United States alone. Some newborns appear with enough hair to carpet a room, whereas others present with a shiny pate. Though most lose hair (sometimes all of it) over the first three months of life, some revive their birth endowment. Presently children's hair loss is responsible for about 3% of all pediatric office visits in this country. Children are subject to different causes of hair loss. The most common cause is a clear physiologic pause in hair growth. Termed "telogen" phase, the hair goes through spurs and lags in growth just as does the whole body.

During the rest facet between spurts, the bulb at the end of the hair root decreases in volume and the hair becomes loose. The tinea capitis infection is the most common reason of hair loss in children. Children with tinea capitis normally have patchy hair loss with some broken-off hairs viewable just above the surface of the scalp. The patches of hair loss are generally round or oval, but betimes irregular. Occassionally the hairs are broken right at the surface, and look like little black dots on the scalp. Alopecia areata is another common form of patchy hair loss in children. The typical story is the unexpected appearance of one or more totally bald areas in the scalp. The child with this situation loses hair in circular patches sometimes up to two inches in diameter.

Nearly 3% of paediatric office visits concern problems of hair loss in children. The main cause is possibly a fungal infection of the scalp, but not always. The emotional effects of hair loss are usually significantly more distressing on children than on adults. Trauma to the hair shaft is another common reason of hair loss in children. Usually the trauma is caused by traction or by friction annuling against a bed or wheelchair for example). It can also be due to chemicals burns. Another common cause of hair loss in children telogen effluvium. An individual hair follicle has a long growth phase, producing constantly growing hair for 2 to 6 years. In telogen effluvium, something happens to suspend this normal life cycle and to throw many or all of the hairs into the telogen phase.

Many different happenings can cause telogen effluvium, including, extremely high fevers and surgery under general anesthesia. Tinea capitis is generally cured with an antifungal, such as griseofulvin, which is taken by mouth for 8 weeks. Treatment for children's traction Alopecia is to handle the hair softly, as little as possible, and use natural hair styles. Alopecia areata is an capricious disease and even with complete remission it is possible for it to occur again during your child's life. Hair pulling is usually treated with cognitive/behavioral therapy or resting techniques, which can be very valuable. As long as the hair trauma was not serious or chronic sufficient to cause scarring, the hair will re-grow when the trauma is stopped.