Hair Loss in Children
Hair loss can be an embarrassing experience for most people, especially when it is beyond their control. However hair loss in children is not as common as hair loss in adults, but there are millions of children who have at least one form of hair loss conditions during their adolescent years. Fortunately for children a large percentage about 1/3 of children will out grow their hair loss conditions as well as eliminate treatments. A small percentage will most likely have to deal with their hair loss throughout their lifetime or most of their teenage and adult life, until new treatment and prevention plans are develop to assist the stimulation of hair growth. Hair loss in children can be caused by several conditions such as Tinea Capitals , Children's Trichotillimania, Traction alopecia and many other conditions.
Lets go over some of the most common hair loss issues in children:
Tinea Capitis
Tinea Capitis is a fungal infection disease that attacks the skin, eyebrows, eyelashes and scalp. This is also commonly known as "ringworm" which is common in lots of children. This disease can produce slight itching and discomfort to the scalp and will result in hair loss that forms round patches.
Tinea Capitis is caused by a parasite which this is a spreadable disease that can be spread through objects such as hair care products like, combs, brushes, barrettes or anything that comes in contact with the skin. So it is wise if you have a young child to make sure she /he is not sharing any products with another child and is washing his/her hands frequently to prevent transmission of any kind. Most common symptoms of this type of hair loss would be small black dots, itching, round and scaly lesions, inflamed or swollen affected area.
The good thing about Tinea Capitis is that it is treatable and there are ways such as antifungal medications that should be taken orally to kill the fungus and eliminate the "ringworm" or investing in a medicated shampoo that will get the job done as well.
Children's Trichotillimania
This is the compulsion to pull one's hair, this is not a hair loss disease but a psychological disorder usually caused by trauma or stress and the underlying problem should be discussed with your child's psychiatrist. However trichotillimania affects can be a worrisome for some parents because some children pull patches of hair on their scalp, which can be an uncontrollable cycle unless professional help is seeked. Other places may be the eyebrows, legs, eyelashes or anywhere else on the body where hair is present. The cause of this hair loss problem in children can be stress or trauma and the only treatment that would be effective is the help of a psychiatrist that has experience in dealing with obsessive compulsive disorders.
Traction Alopecia
Traction Alopecia which is also identified as damage to the hair, which is very common in girls. This is one type of hair loss that can be prevented. This type of Alopecia is usually caused by constant meddling with the hair such as straightening, adding chemicals or basically styling your hair. A child's hair is thin and fragile; therefore it can only handle so much treatment and tension to the hair. The most common cause for Traction Alopecia would be the overuse of chemical hair products and styling the hair in styles that the hair cannot handle, like tight ponytails, barrettes and other styles that pull the hair instead of letting it relax. There are really no symptoms for Traction Alopecia, one can notice when there hair starts falling out around their sides as well as the hair line to see if Traction Alopecia is occurring.
The simple treatment for Traction Alopecia for a child is to be gentle with the child's hair and let it flow naturally, use as many natural hairstyles as possible and avoid tight and pulling hairstyles that create tension and does not give room for the hair to breathe. Fortunately hair grows back after Traction Alopecia occurs however the hair growth process may be slower than usual.
These are some of the known causes responsible for hair loss in children. With proper hair care and treatment methods this problem can be ovecome.
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