Hair Loss in Children: What to Know and When to Worry
Watch any late-night TV movie and you will see ads for all sorts of hair loss products.
Hair loss is a common affliction for both men and women. leaving many adults reaching for lotions and potions that carry promises to re-grow hair.
What many people don’t know is that hair loss also happens in children. When parents bring kids to my pediatric office for hair loss, they are worried about significant health issues that could be causing the problem. For most kids, however, hair loss is temporary and will be corrected naturally over time.
When noticing hair loss in children, it’s essential to rule out medical causes. But just like adults, finding the cause of a child’s hair loss is not always easy. A wide variety of factors can result in hair thinning, breakage, or loss.
The most common reason for discrete areas of hair loss in children is tinea capitis, or ringworm. Kids with this scalp infection often have patchy bald areas that are red, itchy, and scaly.
When parents notice irregular clumps of hair loss, the most common cause is pulling, traction, or pressure on the hair. Examples include infants spending time on their backs or traction alopecia. Both of these conditions resolve when the stress on the scalp is relieved.
Irregular clumps of hair loss also occur by children repetitively pulling out their own hair. Hair pulling can be seen as early as infancy, thought to be a self-soothing mechanism in these children. In older children, however, pulling out hair can become uncontrollable. This condition of compulsive hair pulling is called trichotillomania.
Alopecia areata (AA) is a relatively common form of hair loss throughout all scalp and body areas. Parents first notice patches of hair loss with normal-appearing skin underneath. The underlying skin is not red, painful, or itchy.
Partnering with your child’s pediatrician is a significant first step in finding hair loss answers. If needed, a full hair assessment can be done by a pediatric dermatologist.
Remember that observation is critical when it comes to determining the cause of childhood hair loss. It’s often the most subtle clues that can lead to the correct diagnosis. The good news is that hair loss can often be stopped when the cause is properly identified and treated. No lotions or potions required!
For more information and details, visit this post I wrote for the US News and World Report Parents blog.
