Treating Child Hair Loss

Treating Child Hair Loss

Learn about the cause of child hair loss, treatment strategies and what you can do to help your child.
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The Cause Of Hair Loss In Child

* An Uncommon Occurence. It is not common for children or teenagers to experience hair loss.

Nevertheless, it is estimated that several million children and teenagers do have hair loss problems with the accompanying confidence and embarrassment issues associated with it.

Typically, the child hair loss or teenage hair loss problem resolves itself once the underlying problem is identified and corrected. But for a minority of the affected children and teenagers, the hair loss problem lingers and requires more aggressive hair loss treatment strategies.

* What Are Those Small Round Bald Spots? Alopecia areata (balding) in children and teenagers involves the sudden appearance of small, circular bald spots up to one to two inches in diameter. The hairs around the outer circumference of the bald spot may be loose, perhaps shorter and lighter in color.In the exposed scalp area there may be peach-like hairs but the scalp skin is not inflamed.

Another symptom in child hair loss or teenage hair loss may be the pitting of their nails (hair and nails are composed of the same keratin building blocks).

Teenagers with genetic alopecia areata start to show signs of balding between the ages of 15-19. If less than half of the child or teenager's scalp has lost hair, then there is a good chance of re-growth. It can be expected, however, in a number of cases that there will be recurring instances of alopecia areata.

* Treatment Options. Hair loss treatments include topical applications like minoxidil (the active ingredient in the commercial product Rogaine) and cortisone applications (which can stimulate new hair growth but cannot prevent the reoccurrence of balding).

* Fungal Cause Of Hair Loss In Child. Tinea capitis (scalp ringworm) is a fungus induced hair loss in a child and teenagers. The fungus can cause patchy hair loss, broken hairs and even a large red abscess on the scalp.

The type of tinea capitis is classified according to the type of dermatophyte fungus and the manner in which the fungus infects the hair shaft. The various fungi that cause tinea capitis are contagious to humans and can infect hairbrushes, towels and clothing and which may be infectious for months.

* Fungal Treatments. A suitable child hair loss treatment for tinea capitis is an anti-fungal shampoo, applied twice a week, comprised of equal (2%) portions of seleniuim sulfide, zinc pyrithione and ketoconazole.

* What's Considered 'Normal' Child Hair Loss Patterns? Telogen effluvium is the normal process of replacing baby hair. Sometimes in older infants or children, after an illness, hair loss may be caused by an interruption of the hair growth cycle.

The hair loss in a child, involving a significant change in the hair follicles going into dormancy, can last up to six months. If there are no signs of infection or inflammation, there should be no cause for concern even though it may appear that the child's hair loss is significant.

The hair loss in a child doesn't show itself in patchy hair loss or major loss of hair on the scalp. Instead, the hair loss shows as a thinning of the hair across the scalp. Since it takes 3-6 weeks for hair to re-enter its growth cycle, it may take time to re-establish an acceptable hair mass.

* Parents Tip - Watch For Excessive Hair Pulling. Traction alopecia is hair loss caused by excessive pulling of the hair (such as pony tails) or excessive hair care treatment (hot combing, bleaching, teasing or curling). This is primarily a young female problem, which can be reversed by better hair management regimes. Tight hairstyles can be altered. Rational use of hair care products should quickly reverse the teenage hair loss.

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