Alopecia in children: types, causes and photos of childhood baldness

Last update: 10/24/2019

Contrary to popular belief, the problem of severe hair loss is relevant not only for people of advanced age. In recent years, baldness has become increasingly common in very young children, which, of course, cannot but worry loving parents. The disease can strike in infancy, but older children often suffer as well. Children before adolescence are at risk.

Alarm signal!

If you begin to notice a large amount of hair on a baby's pillow or on a comb, carefully examine the baby's head for gaps on the top or back of the head - the most common form of the disease is patchy baldness.

Causes of childhood baldness

Before you panic, find the reason. Most likely, there is nothing wrong, and the problem is easy to fix.

Not all babies are born with hair on their heads. Some are born bald, and if there is no hair for the first few months, it’s too early to sound the alarm. Normal hair growth should begin by the age of six months.

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If the baby was born with a head of hair, and then bald patches appeared in the occipital or frontal region, do not be alarmed either. Most likely, this is due to constant friction of the head against the pillow or crib. When the fluff of newborns is replaced by more or less strong hairs, everything will work out. Something similar, by the way, can also occur in older girls whose mothers braid their hair tightly.

Another external factor that causes baldness on the scalp in children is radiation or chemotherapy, which are widely used in the treatment of cancer.

This type of alopenia is called traction alopenia and disappears along with the factors that provoke it.

Why do men lose hair at a young age and how to stop it

If the cause of hair loss is a lack of vitamins or minerals, then you can start taking medications: Pantovigar, Alphabet, Nutricap, Rinfoltin, Revalid and others. If the body does not have enough iron, and this causes hair loss, then Sideral, Pantovigar, Foltena Pharma and other products are recommended.

If you lose an average of 50-150 hairs per day, then there is no need to worry. How do you know if you are one of those who should see a trichologist? We offer this option: do not wash your hair for three days, and then lightly pull the hair at the temples and on the top of the head. If more than 5 hairs have fallen out, you should see a doctor.

However, it is worth understanding that all of these methods have certain limitations. In addition, not every type of alopecia can be treated with these procedures, even despite their effectiveness. Much depends on the man’s health, the stage of baldness, and the type of alopecia.

Congenital alopecia in children

The baby is already six months old, time passes, but the hair does not appear... It happens. True, rarely. We are most likely talking about congenital alopecia in a child.

It is almost always combined with other developmental anomalies: congenital epidermolysis and skin folding, endocrine disorders.

With congenital alopecia, certain areas of the skin are damaged even at the embryonic stage: hair follicles are simply absent on them.

Duration of recovery

The time it takes to treat baldness in a child will depend on the cause of the problem, as well as the treatment options. If you start therapy early and approach the problem comprehensively, you will be able to cope with hair loss in 2-3 months.

If the problem is very serious, treatment may take up to 6 months. In some cases, people cannot get rid of ringworm for a whole year. However, there is no need to panic. The speed of hair restoration is also influenced by the individual characteristics of the child.

The main thing is not to self-medicate, and if your child shows the first signs of baldness, contact your pediatrician.

Internal causes of baldness in children

Ringworm. It is easily recognized by its specific symptoms: red lesions, scaly skin and itching.
Bacterial infections. At the same time, the skin also peels off, and the overall picture is similar to dermatomycosis.
Acute infections such as pneumonia, influenza, chickenpox, erysipelas, typhus, etc. sometimes they cause complications in the form of bald spots.
Blood diseases.
Alopecia areata often becomes a symptom of a malfunction of the immune system, which suddenly begins to attack the child’s hair follicles. Hair falls out, but with adequate treatment, hair growth resumes.

PATHOLOGICAL CAUSES OF HAIR LOSS

In the event that a child’s previously strong hair loss has been observed for several weeks and the condition of the hairstyle only worsens, it is necessary to exclude the negative impact of internal and external irritants on the scalp.

Among the most common causes of baldness in a child, there are several:

RINGWORM. The disease develops when two types of fungi penetrate the skin - Trichophyton and Microsporum, which cause all changes in the skin. In places where fungal spores develop, almost perfect round spots, devoid of hair, form.

A characteristic feature of lichen is that the hair does not fall out completely, but only breaks off, leaving “stumps” of several millimeters on the head. The area of baldness can be single or multiple. In addition to the scalp, bald spots are also noticeable on the eyebrows. When examining the skin in areas of fungal development, it looks rough, and there are many white scales on its surface, and an inflamed corolla is often located along the edge. Ringworm is one of the most contagious diseases and children from 3 to 13 years of age are most susceptible to it.
ALOPECIA AREA – the appearance of large areas completely devoid of hair. With alopecia, there are no remnants of curls left, and the condition of the skin does not change.

Externally, such a spot looks completely smooth and matches the color of the rest of the skin. Foci of alopecia can appear literally overnight; there are many reasons for such a pathology, and in order to quickly cope with the problem, you should undergo an examination as quickly as possible.
TELOGEN EVA TYPE OF BALDING. When the hair follicles are in normal condition, hair begins to grow, develops and falls out in several cycles. The last cycle of a hair's life is called the telogen phase; during this time, the hair is at absolute rest and after some time must be replaced by a new hair. If the old hair falls out and a new one does not begin to grow in its place, then this condition is called telogen effluvium.

Most often, the cause of this pathology is a lack of essential vitamins, especially vitamin A, psychological stress, surgery under general anesthesia, severe intoxication of the body, and prolonged febrile syndrome.
DISRUPTION OF INTERNAL ORGANS. Impaired functioning of the kidneys, liver, intestines, and stomach. These diseases can affect the fact that incoming nutrients are not completely processed and absorbed by the body and therefore there is not enough nutrition for the hair follicles.
LACK OF VITAMINS. Acute and long-term lack of the most basic microelements and vitamins. Most often, hair begins to thin intensively due to a lack of calcium, zinc, magnesium and B vitamins.
HORMONAL IMBALANCE. A malfunction of the endocrine system organs leads to various pathological changes in the body, including a pronounced deterioration in the condition of the child’s hairstyle.
ALLERGIC REACTIONS. Hair loss is not a typical sign of allergies, but if the child is allergic, then this reason for the appearance of a cosmetic defect in the hairstyle cannot be completely excluded. In some cases, the problem may appear after a course of drug therapy and most often it goes away after the components of all medications are completely removed from the body.

If your child is experiencing increased hair loss, you need to determine how to care for your hair.

Severe trauma to the strands and hair follicles themselves occurs when combing improperly and roughly, when using too hard and tight elastic bands, and all kinds of hairpins.

The condition of the hair follicles is also negatively affected by the high-intensity electromagnetic field, into the zone of influence of which the child falls when playing at the computer, often using a mobile phone and tablets.

Poorly studied types of alopecia

Alopecia areata occurs in older children and looks exactly like this in children; over three years of age, alopecia areata sometimes develops - a disease, the etymology of which doctors have not yet really understood.

Some scientists are inclined to the version of hereditary factors, others are developing the endocrine theory, which is more substantiated. In addition to thyroid dysfunction, patterns of baldness can also be caused by infections (caries, tonsillitis, otitis media, etc.) or fungi.

The disease manifests itself as hairless, sharply defined lesions on the head. The skin does not turn red. Typically, such baldness begins from the back of the head and temples, gradually moving to the crown. The disease is successfully treated, but sometimes relapses.

The disease “Broca's pseudopelades”, which is characterized by small lesions in the parietal and frontal areas of the head, is very poorly studied.

The hairless areas merge to form a pattern similar to flames. Their skin is smooth, shiny, without crusts and scales.

The disease progresses slowly. Unfortunately, hair in bald areas is not restored.

Diagnosis of the disease

If you notice even minor bald patches on your baby, immediately contact the clinic. The fact is that alopecia areata, if the causes are not eliminated, tends to turn into total (complete baldness of the head) or universal, in which hair falls out not only on the head, but throughout the body.

The beginning of treatment for alopecia areata in children is to determine the causes of the symptom. A child with signs of alopecia areata should visit a pediatrician, dermatologist, gastroenterologist, trichologist and endocrinologist.

The pediatrician will recommend undergoing a series of studies and passing the necessary tests.

Gastrointestinal tract:

ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity;
stool analysis for oviworm;
stool analysis for dysbacteriosis;
fibrogastroduodenoscopy (for children over 12 years old), prescribed only in extreme cases.

Blood analysis:

for the presence of antibodies to streptococcus, lamblia, fungus, herpes;
for microelements.

Trichological analysis:

histological examination of the scalp;
rheoencephalography;
hair examination for the presence of microelements;
trichogramma;
phototrichogram.

Endocrine system:

ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland;
analysis to determine the level of hormones in the blood.

Of course, the baby will not have to undergo all of the above tests - the doctor will first find out the suspected problem and recommend certain studies.

Psychology and baldness

It would seem - what is the connection? But it is there. Because hair is one of the “favorite” objects of neurotics.

The habit of stroking or tugging often appears in infancy, but disappears with the attraction to the pacifier or finger. As a last resort, you can give your baby a short haircut in order to wean him off. And if it doesn’t help, it’s time to suspect problems with nerves. This deviation even has a name - trichotillomania. It manifests itself in compulsive hair-pulling by a child or teenager, who thus release nervous tension. Over time, the result of pulling out becomes noticeable - bald spots are striking. And this makes the situation even worse.

Psychotherapists play an important role in the fight against alopecia. After all, baldness is a trauma for any person, and especially for a child. But you still need to start treatment by visiting a specialized specialist.

How should you care for your child’s hair so that it is not prone to falling out?

Ensuring proper nutrition. A growing child's body must receive the required amount of nutrients, minerals and vitamins. It is worth understanding that the following groups of vitamins are responsible for the condition of hair: B, E, F, zinc, magnesium, omega fatty acids, calcium.
Washing head. It is not recommended to wash your child's hair too often. 1-2 times a week will be enough. In this case, you should only use special children's products with a neutral pH. Soap for children's hair will be unacceptable. If possible, you should also soften the water for washing your hair and massage your baby's scalp with your fingertips. After washing your hair, you should never use a hairdryer, because hot air is a real attack on children's hair. It is also undesirable for a child to comb his hair while wet.
Combing. It is worth purchasing a high-quality comb made of natural material. It’s good if the child has at least 2 combs: a comb and a brush. They must be his personal belongings. It is necessary to comb your child's hair twice a day, because this process is an excellent stimulation of blood supply to the scalp. It is important to avoid creating monotonous tight hairstyles and using tight elastic bands.
A haircut. Constantly trimming the ends of your hair has a beneficial effect on its growth and appearance.
Headdress. In summer, it is worth protecting the child’s head from direct sunlight, and in winter, from winds and low temperatures. Hats should allow enough air to pass through and not crowd the child’s head.

Especially for you: Several good hair loss remedies for women

Childhood baldness as a consequence of the disease

Childhood baldness looks scary. But everything is not necessarily as scary as it seems

The condition of hair, skin and nails is an indicator of human health. Any deviation from the norm may be a signal of some disease. It happens that a child’s hair rapidly falls out, bald spots appear, bald spots appear... Most likely, the body has malfunctioned in some place. And it is very important to understand in time exactly where.

Why do nails on a child's toes or hands peel?

If the clinic suspects a fungus or an infection of the tissues on the toes and hands, then laboratory and hardware tests are prescribed:

Treating onycholysis (fungus) in children at home without doctor’s recommendations and examination is dangerous! You risk contracting the infection yourself and spreading it outside your home and work.

Salt strengthens the plate, prevents brittle edges, but dries out the nails if you use the bath too often. Celandine fights fungi and infections, disinfecting the cuticle and the space under the root of the nail.

What diseases lead to baldness

Make sure everything is fine.

In most cases, baldness in children is temporary. The hair will grow back, and everything will be forgotten like a bad dream. But there is no smoke without fire. If you encounter this problem, you need to find its roots. To eliminate the cause, not the effect.

Once you are sure that the bald spots on your child’s head are not the result of friction against a crib or pillow (if we are talking about a baby), or the result of tight braids or ponytails (if we are talking about an older baby), be sure to consult a doctor.

Perhaps we are dealing with hereditary baldness, or maybe (most often) alopecia is just a side effect as a complication after an illness or one of the symptoms of a current one.

Treatment

For the treatment of alopecia in children, various methods and means are prescribed. Each situation is individual and requires a specific approach. In most cases, taking various vitamins is sufficient. The problem of treatment also lies in the fact that only a few drugs are indicated for children, so the problem should be addressed carefully.

REFERENCE!

for children under three years of age, use ointments and creams that promote hair growth. There are quite a few of them and they are all made on the basis of natural ingredients - plants and organisms;
in adolescence, procedures such as Darsonval, ultraviolet irradiation, and various injections can already be used.

It is also recommended to take psychotropic drugs in combination to normalize the functioning of the nervous system. These include regular valerian extract or other sedatives.

Methods that are intended only for adults should be abandoned. especially careful when using various injections, as they can frighten the baby. Masks containing herbal ingredients should not be used for infants; they can cause an allergic reaction.

Traditional methods

If you want to resort to folk remedies, they also exist. Someone soaks burdock oil and leaves it under a cap for a few minutes, and then rinses it off.
Someone rubs an infusion of peppercorns into the scalp, which can “awaken” the hair follicles. There are also known recipes using mustard and red pepper for alopecia. However, these recipes should be used with caution, as if they come into contact with the eyes, unpleasant consequences may develop.