Hair Loss in Children

If you’re a parent and you notice your child suddenly losing their hair, this might be a shocking and even scary thing. However, fortunately, the majority of children that suffer from hair loss have a type of condition that can easily be diagnosed by a pediatrician or a pediatric dermatologist.

The first type of condition is known as tinea capitis, and is the most common cause of hair loss in kids. It is a disease caused by a superficial fungal infection of the scalp, eyebrows and eyelashes. It is known for attacking hair shafts and follicles. This condition is considered to be a form of superficial mycosis or dermatophytosis. Some other names this disease is referred by are ringworm of the scalp and tinea tonsurans. In America and other parts of the world, the incidence of tinea capitis is on the rise. Children who get tinea capitis typically have patchy hair loss, including some broken-off hairs which can be seen just above the surface of the scalp. The hair loss patches are usually round or oval, but may be in irregular shapes as well. In some cases, the hairs are broken right at the surface, which gives the appearance of little black dots on the scalp. Gray flakes or scales, may be seen as well. The best way for your doctor to diagnosis any type of fungal infection in the skin is by scraping the area, then analyzing the specimen under a microscope to see if it contains fungi. Tinea capitis is typically treated with an antifungal, such as griseofulvin and is taken for 8 weeks via the mouth. A special shampoo, known as Nizoral shampoo, is also used to treat the condition, along with the oral medication.

Alopecia areata is another hair loss condition seen in some children. This disease will show up as the sudden appearance of round or oval patches of hair loss. These patches are totally bald and smooth, without any signs of inflammation, scaling or broken hairs. They can appear overnight or over the course of a few days. The disease is caused by the body’s immune system attacking the hair follicles. About 1 in every 1,000 children has alopecia areata, so it is fairly common. With proper treatment for alopecia areata, the large majority of patients will have all their hair back within a year, even possibly sooner. Children with this condition should be under the care of a dermatologist. A small percentage of children may develop alopecia totalis, which is the loss of all the hair on the scalp. However, as long as the condition is treated at its early stages, this should easily be avoided.

Lastly, trauma to hair shaft can cause hair loss in children. Many times this trauma is cased by traction or by friction. For example, if the child is consistently wearing tight braids, ponytails or have a habit of rubbing against a bed or wheelchair, they may develop this condition. Chemical burns can be another cause. Some children may also have a form of trauma hair loss known as trichotillomania, which is the habit of plucking or twirling the hair. This is considered to be an obsessive-compulsive disorder and may be very hard to treat, however, with proper cognitive and behavioral therapy, the child may be able to overcome the disorder. As long as the hair trauma was not severe or chronic enough to cause scarring, the hair lost will typically grow back as soon as the trauma stops.