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Hair Loss in a child

Hair loss, sometimes called alopecia, can have a number of causes in children. Some are obvious such as treatment for childhood cancer. There may be a fungal cause, or an inflammatory condition. Hypothyroidism can also result in hair loss.

Tinea Capitus is a fungal infection of the scalp that often features broken off hairs in patches. The child will also have enlarged lymph glands. It is sometimes referred to as black spot ringworm. Sometimes a large, red, boggy spot develops on the scalp. Your doctor will be able to prescribe suitable anti-fungal treatment and also prescribe special shampoos so that your child is less likely to infect others. Treatment may take as long as 6 weeks to be completed.

A common cause of hair loss at the temples is Traction alopecia i.e. the hair is braided or pulled back into a pony tail so tightly that it is pulled out.

Alopecia areata – Children suffering from this will have complete loss of hair in one or more areas of their scalp. They may also have pitting of the nails. Treatments available are unreliable, but most cases clear up after about a year.

Telogen effluvium. This a diffuse hair loss over the whole scalp. It can occur in infancy as part of the normal change over from infancy to adult hair. It can also occur after a febrile infection. There should be no signs of inflammation or infection and the hair will regrow after a few months.

Scarring alopecia – After trauma hair will not regrow in the scarred area.