Alopecia
The medical term for hair loss in adults, children and veterinary medicine is alopecia. Hair loss can occur at any age and for a wide variety of reasons, but hair loss in children is often a symptom of another problem. Because of this, alopecia without an underlying cause in children is usually diagnosed by eliminating other possibilities. Treatment of hair loss in children tends to focus on identifying and eliminating the cause of the problem rather than trying the creams, transplants and laser combs often used in adult hair loss.
Tinea Capitis
Tinea capitis is the medical term for ringworm of the scalp. Ringworm has nothing to do with worms or other parasites but is actually a fungal infection. Ringworm is not uncommon and tinea capitis is the primary cause of hair loss in children. Hair loss due to tinea capitis is cured by eliminating the fungus, This is achieved through oral antifungal medication and shampoo. Both the medication and shampoo are typically used for a period of six to eight weeks. It is very important to follow your doctor's instructions about the length of treatment in order to eliminate tinea capitis. Children who stop taking their medication early often fail to improve.
Physical Trauma
Sometimes hair loss in children is the result of some sort of physical damage to the hair follicles. Often the trauma is the result of a traction or a friction. Traction alopecia is due to a pulling on the hair usually because of frequent wearing of tight ponytails or braids. Friction alopecia is hair loss due to rubbing against something like a pillow or the headrest of a wheelchair. Trauma can also be caused by the obsessive-compulsive disorder trichotillomania, which causes children to twirl and pull on the hair until it comes out. Unless the damage caused by trauma to the scalp and has been extreme enough to leave scars the hair will start to grow back as soon as the trauma causing the problem ends. Curing trichotillomania requires the helps of a psychiatric professional and can be difficult.
Alopecia Areata
Alopecia areata is a condition in which smooth bald patches appear on a child's scalp. This condition comes on very quickly and can literally appear overnight. It is believed that these bald patches are the result of the body's immune system attacking the hair follicles. There is no known cure for alopecia areata and the condition may go into remission and then reappear at a later time. Most of the time the hair will grow back in its own within a year; however, approximately five percent of children affected by alopecia areata will lose all of the hair on their head and may lose the hair on the rest of their body as well. Although there is no approved treatment for alopecia areata many doctors have been able to treat the condition using drugs approved for other purposes. Children with this condition should be taken to a dermatologist to see if anything an be done to improve the condition.
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