Causes of Hair Loss in Children

by Max Jones | Sep 9, 2019 | hair loss | 0 comments

Normal hair loss in children is not a big issue to worry about. However in conditions when the hair loss is abnormally high, it becomes clear that there might be some serious cause of hair loss.

There are many causes of hair loss in children, but the most common cause of hair loss in kids is alopecia. Just like adult hair, the kid’s hair also follows a specific hair cycle. The hair strands follow a patterned growth from 2-6 years and then they go through a resting phase called the Telogen phase.

Here are the few common reasons behind the excessive or abnormal hair loss in children:

Tinea capitis or Scalp ringworm

The tinea capitis is one of the most common causes of hair loss in children. Tinea capitis means a type of ringworm that forms a ring like lesions on the scalp. The infection caused by tinea capitis is contagious and even spread to eyelashes and scalp. The infected area becomes flaky and scaly. A UV light is required to diagnose the presence of this fungal infection.

Telogen effluvium:

It is another reason behind a child’s hair loss. When the child’s hair enters the Telogen Phase then the hair growth is interrupted. In this case of Telogen effluvium, rather than normal 10-15% of hair going into Telogen phase, all hair on the head are thrown into Telogen phase. As a result of which hair loss occurs followed by complete baldness. Loss of hair goes on for 3-4 months but after that regrowth follows. This kind of baldness in children is seen during extreme fever, vitamin A overdose, medicinal side-effects, injury and use of general anaesthesia etc.

Alopecia areata:

It is a rare condition occurring in only 1 out of 1000 children. In this case symptoms are similar to those seen in adults. In children with alopecia areata, hair fall can be observed as small bald patches on the head. It is an autoimmune disorder when the body’s immune system becomes active against the body itself. The diagnosis of the problem of hair loss due to alopecia in children is done by examination only and ther are no specific tests for confirmation.

Hereditary hair loss:

This type of hair loss in children is an autosomal trait and one can also observe the loss of lash hair and eyebrows. Hereditary hair loss is mostly permanent and may effect a wide area of the scalp region.

Chemical hair loss:

Use of various kinds of medicines are also known to cause hairloss in children. Toxicity from alkylating agents, antimetabolites, and mitotic inhibitors are known to cause loss of hair and weakening of hair follicles. The irradiation caused by the chemical hair loss is also another cause of permanent or temporary hairloss. Many other drugs such as thyroid drugs and sodium valproate are also known to cause hair loss.

Endocrine causes:

In many cases of hormonal disbalances, you can observe a hair loss. Hair loss in children can be due to hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, hypoparathyroidism and problem of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus.

Nutritional deficiency:

Deficiency of a few important nutrients in the body can cause hair fall. The important minerals for the body like zinc, iron, biotin, magnesium and nutrients like omega 3 fatty acids etc can cause hair loss.

Hair shaft trauma:

Hair shaft trauma is another condition of loss of hair. It is usually caused by the damage to the hair shaft caused by actions such as excessive pulling of hair, excessive use of chemical /heating agents and finally due to excessive friction caused by rubbing with the pillow/chair head.

Some children who are suffering from trichotillomania are known to pull their hair out of head obsessively.

Be it any cause of hair falling, the doctor will diagnose the issue and will plan the treatment accordingly. If you see that your child is facing excessive hair loss, then visit your paediatrician immediately as he will determine the cause of hair loss in children. The earlier is a problem detected, the more easy is the treatment procedure.