Focal alopecia in children causes

Send

Of course, a sudden hair loss in a child is an alarming symptom for his parents, primarily because this is usually nonsense at this age. However, it should be emphasized that alopecia in children is not a rare occurrence. The only thing that can calm down a little in this situation is the fact that at a young age the hair will grow back over time. So why such a disease as alopecia, children still have a place to be? The fact is that the causes of baldness can be called a lot. At the slightest signs of alopecia, you need to contact a pediatrician who, in conjunction with other specialists (trichologist, neurologist), will prescribe the correct treatment.

So, we proceed to the practical consideration of the question of why alopecia occurs in children.

One of the most common explanations for why a child’s hair falls out is the presence of a cancer.

It is necessary to emphasize that although a cancer tumor is the root of the problem, however, it is often the medications that are directed to the treatment of oncology that are the cause of childhood baldness.

Alopecia in children, the causes of which can be diagnosed only by an experienced specialist, often has a telogen nature. As a rule, this type of baldness most often occurs in a child who had a surgical operation the day before and experienced emotional stress against her background. As a result, he began to lose weight and his temperature often began to rise.

In children with telogen alopecia, as a rule, hair loss occurs continuously for several months. However, six months after the peak stage of the disease, the hair in the areas of baldness begin to grow again.

Trichologists explain this by the fact that for the stress factor comes the stage of rest: it is replaced by a factor of active growth.

Alopecia in children is a consequence of such a common ailment as ringworm of the scalp. Its signs are easy to determine: scaly rims, itching and hair loss. However, this does not mean that ringworm is accompanied only by these signs. It also happens that the peeling and itching are absent, and the hair does not fall out, but becomes brittle. All this also indicates that the person is infected with ringworm.

Various kinds of infections, the sources of which are pathogenic bacteria, can also provoke baldness, while scientifically it is called "ringworm of the scalp, accompanied by desquamation." The cause of the above disease is staphylococcus aureaus.

Children's alopecia: 27 causes of unpleasant illness

For hair restoration, our readers successfully use Minoxidil. Seeing the popularity of this tool, we decided to offer it to your attention.
Read more here ...

Alopecia is called hair loss. In people, alopecia is called baldness. In medical practice, this phenomenon is listed as a disease that can affect all segments of the population: from adults to children. For many, this disease is associated with men. And no wonder. After all, the strong half of humanity due to its hormonal background is more susceptible to baldness. But not so rarely, alopecia occurs in children. What is the cause of the disease and how to cope with it will highlight the article.

Children's alopecia has many causes

Variety of Childhood Alopecia
Causes
Diagnostics
Alopecia Alopecia: Treatment
Focal baldness on the head of a child
Forbidden measures
Hair strengthening
Folk remedies for treatment
Conclusion

Types of disease: diffuse, congenital, autoimmune, universal and seborrheic

Physiological. More often observed in breastfeeds. Alopecia in infants occurs due to systematic lying position. Often it happens: the baby was born with thick hair, but by the age of six months he became completely bald. The loss in this case is provoked by the fact that the child is in one position, respectively, his hair “rolls out” in the back of the head.

Universal baldness is one of the most difficult to treat.

Causes

When a loss occurs, you should contact a specialist. The causes and treatment of alopecia in children can only be determined by a qualified dermatologist. Do not self-medicate. This can only damage, provoke the transition of the disease from one of the stages to universal baldness. It is impossible to identify a single cause of the disease.

Only a doctor can name the cause of baldness.

Often the reasons are:

Often baldness has a hereditary cause.

Eat healthy foods.

In the event of baldness in the chest, it is not necessary to immediately "sound the alarm and begin to treat the baby." It is likely that he has physiological alopecia, and soon it will pass. Yes, pediatric consultation will not interfere. But if it is physiological alopecia, then there is no need to treat it.

With the appearance of hair loss in the chest should visit the doctor. Quite often, rickets becomes the cause of baldness.

When a baby has baldness, you should see a doctor.

In children aged from a year to three, periodic hair loss is quite often observed. Most likely, this is due to the effect of the child on the hair: winding, tearing, etc. If the signs of “games with hair” have not passed before four years, a sensible way out will be a trip to a child psychologist.

In children older than three years of age, baldness often occurs due to failures in the immune system and fungal diseases. Kids at this age often come into contact with peers and street animals, who are "carriers" of various infections.

Dogs may carry disease.

Diagnostics

If signs of baldness appear, parents should contact their dermatologist or trichologist together with the baby.

After the consultation, you will need to undergo a full medical examination to find out the causes of hair loss.

Take a medical examination

Medical examination includes:

Diagnostics should be comprehensive

If there are signs of illness, do not delay in going to the hospital. Independently determine the causes of the disease is extremely difficult.

Alopecia Alopecia: Treatment

Often there is a physiological and breeding alopecia in children. But if the physiological passes itself, then treatment of alopecia areata in children is simply necessary. Treatment of focal alopecia in children should begin in cases where alopecia becomes "large-scale" character. Trichologists recommend at the first signs, just to observe the disease.

Trichologist - a doctor who treats hair problems

Focal baldness on the head of a child

After all, the main causes of occurrence are immunity disorders and stressful situations. Quite often, focal alopecia in children occurs due to hormonal disorders or rearrangements. Alopecia areata in children is very difficult to treat, as there are no special medicines for this ailment. Infantile alopecia is often treated with steroids, minoxidil and corticosteroids.

Strengthen child immunity

But before treatment it is necessary to undergo a medical examination. This is done in order to exclude from the likely causes of the disease thyroid diseases or problems with the gastrointestinal tract. If the medical examination revealed such health problems, then initially they need to be addressed. Most likely they are the cause of baldness, so if you cure their alopecia will pass.

Vitamins to help improve health

If the reason was reduced immunity, then the child is prescribed such vitamins:

For topical treatment, burdock oil is prescribed to strengthen the hair follicles. It is not recommended to use for the treatment of hormonal drugs.

Hair strengthening

As previously noted, often alopecia in children is a consequence of a disruption in the body’s work or severe stress experienced. Parents should take care of the psychological health of their crumbs and begin to intensively strengthen the baby's hair.

Alopecia should be treated

Hair strengthening measures:

Do not use tight rubber bands, hairpins or crabs. Do not do tight hair.

Folk remedies for treatment

Traditional medicine has long been known for its unique and miraculous methods of combating baldness. We present to your attention the most popular and effective recipes for combating hair loss:

Do not self-medicate the child, at the first signs of the disease, consult a doctor

Hello, dear girls, members of the HairManiac community!

Recently, I am a member of this community, however, I cannot relate myself to the hair makers: I do not grow up to the waist length, I do not have a large arsenal of hair care products. But I consider myself obliged to share with you the story that happened to me, and nearly ruined all of my hair.

So, I would like to dedicate my first post on this wonderful site to vitamins called Pantovigar, because they saved me from the problem of focal hair loss. Or more simply, baldness.

Problem detection:

The situation in which I found myself was trivial and familiar to many: after prolonged breastfeeding of their second daughter, I, like all young moms, began to notice that every time after washing my head, the plums in my soul become clogged with hair more and more. It was with me and after the first birth, I knew that everything will recover with time. However, the peak of this problem has already been reached: once, with a hair dryer, I found LYSINA on my head ...

For hair restoration, our readers successfully use Minoxidil. Seeing the popularity of this tool, we decided to offer it to your attention.
Read more here ...

These were not just plain bald patches near the forehead, but bare and smooth SPOT. Clear skin the size of a five-ruble coin! The closest person is a husband, it was to him that I turned first. He tried to calm me down, however, from his round eyes, I realized that it was better not to ignore such a problem!

As many usually do, I began to look for information about similar situations on the Internet, but only put myself more upset ... Therefore, I realized that first of all you need to contact a specialist to diagnose him, and then select a proper treatment.

Visit to the doctor:

In our Russian outback there is no narrow specialist, trichologist, so I went to an ordinary dermatologist. After all, my problem was connected with both hair and skin.
At the reception, the doctor, seeing my nervousness, first calmed me. He said that the condition of the scalp does not reflect a serious disease, and the local absence of hair is alopecia areata.

Alopecia (baldness, baldness) - pathological hair loss, leading to their thinning or complete disappearance in certain areas of the head or torso.

The cause of hair loss in my case are:

stress (to be a mother of two children is not easy),
prolonged breastfeeding (up to 1 year and 5 months), and as a result, lack of vitamins and trace elements,
hormonal adjustment of the body - about a month before the discovery of baldness, I began to take oral contraceptives, since I finished breastfeeding.

But the most important thing that I was overjoyed about is that this problem is amenable to solution!

Ways of struggle:

As a therapy, I was prescribed vitamins called Pantovigar.

The composition of Pantovigar:

Typically, these multivitamins are prescribed for a period of one to three months, because the restoration of hair growth is a long process.

Vitamins for hair and nails Pantovigar are available in capsules, 90 capsules per pack.
When they are taken three times a day, the package lasts exactly one month. Price in pharmacies from 1500 rubles.

The doctor also noted that it was necessary to stimulate hair growth as a local effect on the problem.
It lies in the fact that on the bald area of the skin with a toothbrush should be applied with light movements, for example, alcohol tincture of pepper. According to the doctor, this contributes to local irritation of the skin and improvement of tissue microcirculation. As a result, hair follicles "wake up" and begin to restore their function.

Results:

I tried to strictly follow all the requirements of the doctor. And the changes became noticeable soon: after two weeks from the start of taking vitamins, I began to feel with my fingers the “hemp” of new hair. I preferred to look less at my bald spot in the mirror, but I consistently took photos.

The result, starting from 2 weeks from the start of hair restoration and during the month:

Arriving at the re-inspection, I was already in a better mood. The doctor also noted with pleasure the progress in combating my baldness.
So, as a result of a month intake of the Pantovigar vitamin complex, I noted a positive trend, however, according to the doctor, some may have more serious problems that require serious treatment.

After two months from the moment of finding the bald spot on my head, this is what this place looked like:

The result is perfectly visible, and I have no doubt that I acted correctly and went to a specialist. It is not known how this would end if I ignored such negative changes with my hair.

The further fate of my hair:

Multivitamins Pantovigar did not cause any side effects, only a positive effect: in addition, I began to note the strength of the nails. The decrease in hairfall for me was an incentive to grow a “braid”. I would not have achieved good results if I had not received positive motivation from you, dear girls.
At the moment from my hair "under the boy" is not even a trace:

For half a year I haven’t visited a hairdresser, made nourishing masks, reduced the time of using a hairdryer. My hair looks like this:

I don’t set big goals for myself - I just want to grow hair up to my shoulders))

In conclusion of the post, I would like to point out the main idea: in my deplorable case, when a bald spot was on my head, I was helped by a complex of vitamins and local stimulation of hair growth. However, mindlessly drinking all the vitamins in a row is not the best way, because hypervitaminosis can also cause disturbances in the body.

Restoration of normal hair development is a long process ... Therefore, I wish myself and you, girls, patience to grow hair, their beauty and smoothness!

Treatment methods

The success of treatment of focal alopecia in a child is determined by several factors:

timely visit a doctor,
A complex approach,
individual program of medical therapy for each child.

The process of treating baldness is very long and complicated. Only by fulfilling all the recommendations of the doctor in full, you can achieve positive results.

The medical process involves the use of such techniques:

Exposure to irritating substances.
Vitamin therapy.
Acceptance of steroid drugs.
Physiotherapeutic methods.

Taking vitamins

Vitamin therapy is very important in treating baldness in a child. Saturating the body with the necessary elements can enhance the growth process of new hair.

Particular attention should be paid to drugs with a high content of biotin (source of sulfur), retinol, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, panthenolic acid.

Steroid drugs

When focal alopecia is in the active stage, injections of steroid drugs (for example, Prednisolone) are shown to small patients.

Important! Steroid drugs are approved for use by children from fourteen years of age.

When the process of baldness enters the stage of regression, medical therapy is supplemented by another drug - Minoxidil. This is an ointment, the application of which helps to restore the damaged hair structure, strengthen the hair follicles.

Physiotherapy

The purpose of this technique is to strengthen the hair follicles, normalize blood flow to certain areas of the scalp.

The most effective and popular procedures:

Darsonvalization - suggests a point effect on the skin of a high-frequency current activates the growth of new hair follicles.
Laser therapy - activates the process of regeneration of damaged cells and the formation of new, hair follicles.
Cryomassage - provokes a sharp narrowing and expansion of blood capillaries, as a result of which blood circulation in the tissues is normalized and hair growth is activated.
Electrophoresis - helps to better penetrate the necessary nutrients into the scalp, activating the process of new hair growth.

Preventive measures

To prevent the development of baldness in a child by observing simple rules for prevention:

monitoring the health of the baby and the timely treatment of diseases,
organization of full and varied nutrition,
control of compliance with the daily regimen
It is forbidden to weave braids for girls.

Focal alopecia in a child is a signal that a failure has occurred in the children's body. Only timely diagnosis of the pathology that caused baldness, a competent approach to treatment and accurate adherence to the recommendations of specialists will help restore hair density and health.

Useful videos

Causes of focal alopecia in childhood, methods of its treatment.

Practicing dermatovenerologist Makarchuk Vyacheslav Vasilyevich tells about the causes and treatment of alopecia (alopecia) in children, the prevention of illness in children and adults.

Characteristics of some types of alopecia

Trichologists distinguish another type of baldness - the so-called "traction alopecia", when the hair on the back of the head thins.

As a rule, this happens with infants when they constantly rub their heads against the bed. Traction alopecia is often found in children who regularly tuck their hair into tight pigtails and tails. This disease is more common in girls.

Also, specialists consider alopecia alopecia to be a type of baldness, which is an autoimmune pathology characterized by complete hair loss on both round and oval areas of the head. A symptom of this variation of the disease are absolutely smooth skin without any redness and dandruff. However, in patients suffering from alopecia areata, there are unusual for the healthy person cavities on the nails. As a rule, the disease is diagnosed in patients under 25 years of age.

It is necessary to emphasize that focal alopecia in children is not the most dangerous type of baldness: over time, the hair begins to grow on its own.

Much more significant damage to health is caused by complete baldness of the skin. Total alopecia in children is characterized by absolute hair loss, not only on the head, but also on the eyelashes and eyebrows. It should be noted that the period of remission lasts a very long time, while the hair cells are destroyed by the action of a special substance - perforin secreted by blood lymphocytes. Immuno-containing drugs (cyclosporin, corticosteroid hormones) are used as a treatment for this pathology.

Other factors contributing to hair loss

In addition to the above reasons, there is still a huge arsenal of others: prolonged depression, poor heredity, unfavorable ecology, and so on. Some types of pathologies can also lead to the fact that doctors ascertain baldness in a young child. These primarily include: diseases of the thyroid gland, lupus erythematosus, iron deficiency anemia, an excess of vitamin A, diabetes.

Treatment: general recommendations

Today, medicine has still not revealed all the secrets of why a person is balding. At the same time, science can offer a fairly solid set of drugs and tools that eliminate the problem under consideration.

The treatment of alopecia in children in any case should not be carried out without the qualified assistance of a doctor. Today trichologists have focused enormous efforts in order to create new modern and at the same time highly effective drugs that eliminate hair loss.

In the fight against childhood baldness is often used method of waiting. In other words, the doctor suggests parents to delay a little with the treatment, because an exact diagnosis has not yet been made: it happens that in a year the hair is restored on its own. However, such cases do not occur so often. In particular, it is focal alopecia in children, the treatment of which may well provide for a waiting method, since the hair on the problem areas later grows by itself.

The specificity of treatment depends on the diagnosis.

One way or another, the doctor is obliged to make an accurate diagnosis of the pathology of his patient. Often he does this with his colleagues. In the treatment of each patient should be used an individual approach. What medications often appear in a prescription for hair loss?

First of all, these are psychotropic drugs and nootropic drugs. To strengthen the immunity, trichologists advise to eat as many vitamins of groups A, B and E as possible. Treatment of alopecia in children with complicated forms involves the use of special injections of medical preparations that promote high-quality blood flow in problem areas. Since the hair follicles “stay” in them at rest, the task of the trichologist is to activate his work.

To the use of corticosteroid drugs, experts resort only to complicated forms of hair loss.

A very common way to combat baldness is to use the Darsonval apparatus and ultraviolet radiation on the affected skin. In some cases, to achieve an even greater effect, the above remedies for the treatment of alopecia are combined with chemotherapy.

Do not self-medicate

Experts very often prescribe a substance such as arthalin in the fight against hair loss.

Without the recommendations of a doctor, it cannot be used, otherwise its incorrect use can provoke a severe form of dermatitis. This method of treatment is considered one of the most complex and time consuming. It is best to use it at home, but under the regular supervision of a medic.

Doctors in certain cases advise to use immunomodulators as a method of treating alopecia in children. However, it is also important to emphasize here that you cannot use them yourself, without consulting a specialist.

Conclusion

It must be remembered that the problem of hair loss must be paid attention to immediately, because hair is one of the main indicators of health status and to save them is your "holy" duty.

Causes of baldness in children

Stress. Also, as in adults, alopecia in children can occur as a result of intense experiences (neurosis, psychotrauma, nervous disorders). Often, on the background of such experiences, babies develop the habit of pulling out hair (trichotillomania), the consequence of which is damage to the hair follicles, leading to the loss of hair.
Genetic predisposition. Most parents whose children suffer from baldness have also been or remain susceptible to this ailment.
The presence in the body of the autoimmune process. In this case, the immune system takes any organ for a foreign one, which leads to its rejection.
In babies under one year old, physiological alopecia may occur, in which hair falls in the temporal and parietal parts of the head. This is due to the habit of children to rub these places. In children up to three years, along with the habit of sucking on a finger or a pacifier, often develops a tendency to pull at their hair or stroke their hair over their heads. It can also trigger physiological hair loss.
Fungal diseases of the scalp. These diseases include mild lichen and microsporia. When shearing herpes occurs, focal alopecia in children occurs, the child complains of severe itching, and the affected areas have an inflamed contour covered with scales.
Older children (4-5 years) may experience traction alopecia, caused by a strong pulling of hair when weaving braids.
Thermal (burn) or mechanical damage to the scalp. Children during the game like to drag each other by the hair, in the process of which the hair is simply pulled out.

In addition, the loss of hair in children can have the following causes: various infectious diseases, dysfunction of the thyroid gland, staphylococcus, dental disease, appendicitis, etc.

Types of children's alopecia

Unlike alopecia in adults, children's alopecia is divided into only two types: focal and nesting. With focal alopecia on the head, bald areas of rounded shape appear, having a clear outline. The skin on the bald areas is smooth and shiny, with thin, whitish hairs along the edges.

Alopecia areata in children begins with hair loss in the parietal zone. Gradually, the affected areas become more and in the absence of the necessary treatment, the disease covers the entire scalp, even spreading to the eyebrows. This leads to total alopecia in children.

Treatment of child baldness

Treatment of alopecia in children begins with identifying the cause of the disease. Having noticed the first signs of hair loss in their offspring, parents should immediately show it to a specialist who will prescribe vitamins and trace elements necessary for growth and strengthening of hair.

In some cases, hair loss in babies is caused by poor nutrition or chemotherapy. In the first case, it is necessary to adjust the diet, include in it the use of products containing vitamins B, A, E and C.

As for the second reason for baldness (chemotherapy), along with measures to restore the hair, all efforts should be directed at the general recovery of the body and the normalization of the immune system.

But, unfortunately, childhood baldness very rapidly and rapidly progresses, so the method of prevention and active observation is not always effective. And here you will need treatment, which, depending on the degree and cause of the development of the disease, may be limited to taking the same vitamins. If this is not enough, then physiotherapy methods based on the use of ultraviolet radiation can be prescribed.

The doctor also prescribes topical preparations: various hair growth stimulants (gels, creams, lotions). If this is not enough, then steroid medicines (glucocorticoids) are used. Most often they are part of the healing ointment, which is rubbed into the scalp.

In more severe cases when external use of steroids does not bring effect, their subcutaneous administration directly in the affected areas of the scalp is prescribed. The introduction procedure is quite painful and poorly tolerated by children. However, if the need for an injection has arisen, the doctor must first anesthetize the desired area.

Thus, alopecia in children has more diverse causes and progresses much more strongly than in adults. But even taking all the necessary measures, it is not always possible to restore the lost hair. This can cause psychological discomfort for your offspring, and stress in turn will lead to even greater hair loss. That is why, in addition to drug therapy, psychotherapy is often resorted to in the treatment of childhood alopecia, the aim of which is to eliminate possible complexes and increase the self-esteem of a small patient.

Causes of Alopecia in Children

In general, the cause of alopecia in children is the effect on the hair follicles of various adverse factors leading to progressive hair loss. Alopecia in a child can be hereditary: there are reports of familial forms of baldness, when parents of children with alopecia have hair loss from an early age.

At the heart of alopecia in children may be an imbalance of trace elements. In this case, the problem usually develops in children with gastrointestinal diseases (gastroduodenitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, malabsorption syndrome, constipation, helminthiasis, dysbacteriosis, etc.). In the development of alopecia in children, a significant role is played by the lack of such elements as zinc, copper, selenium, molybdenum chromium, as well as vitamins - cyanocobalamin, folic acid, etc.

According to clinical studies, there is a close relationship between baldness and immunological disorders: alopecia is often found in children with vitiligo and atopic dermatitis. Neuroendocrine disorders can cause alopecia in children: thyroid dysfunction (hypothyroidism), nervous and psychological trauma.

Among other causes of alopecia in children, there are indications of burns, injuries to the hair shaft (for example, with tight braiding of pigtails in girls, trichotillomania), blood diseases (anemia), X-ray exposure, infectious diseases (influenza, pneumonia, erysipelas, pyoderma, chicken pox and others).

Classification of alopecia in children

Congenital alopecia in children is a rare occurrence and is usually combined with a number of other anomalies: congenital epidermolysis, folded skin, endocrine disorders. The cause of congenital alopecia in children is ectomesodermal dysplasia, in which part of the hair follicles are simply absent, therefore the hair does not grow in certain areas of the scalp.

In children of the first year of life, the so-called physiological alopecia is possible - hair loss in the forehead and occiput due to constant friction. In this case, hair growth resumes with time without special treatment.

In most cases, children have focal or atrophy alopecia. Focal (alopecia) alopecia is characterized by the appearance of rounded hairless areas on the head. When atrophy of alopecia in children (Broca's pseudopelade), some small pockets of baldness are more often located in the frontal parietal areas, merging with each other, they form outlines resembling flames.

Seborrheic alopecia in children usually manifests in the pubertal period and develops against the background of previous seborrhea.

Symptoms of alopecia in children

Focal (gnezdny) alopecia often develops in children older than 3 years. In typical cases, one or more areas of baldness appear on the head of the child. The areas devoid of hair have clear borders, round or oval shape, the size from coin to palm. Outbreaks tend to increase peripherally and merge with each other. The typical localization of baldness zones is the occipital or parietal region. Loss of hair can also occur on the eyebrows.

When nesting alopecia in children, the skin color in the area of hair loss is not changed, hyperemia and desquamation are absent, however, there is a widening of the mouths of hair follicles visible by eye. Along the periphery of the foci of baldness, the hairs are broken off, have a thickened root and a narrow rod, resembling an exclamation mark in shape. These hairs easily fall out, contributing to the expansion of the affected area. Quite often, a child with alopecia alopecia is diagnosed with vitiligo, atopic dermatitis, increased brittleness of the nails, and discoloration of the nail plates.

With a favorable course of focal alopecia in children, single foci eventually become covered with hair — initially discolored, then pigmented. The presence of multiple foci with a tendency to increase the area of baldness may be accompanied by their merging into polymorphic figures and the transition to total baldness not only of the head, but also of other parts of the body.

When atrophy of alopecia in children, centers of baldness are formed in the form of flames. The skin in the area of the affected areas is atrophic, smooth, shiny, without flaking and signs of inflammation, the mouth of the follicles are not visible. In the foci of baldness can be found separate bunches of preserved hair. Restoration of natural hair growth during atrophy of alopecia is impossible, but the progression of baldness can be stopped.

Seborrheic alopecia in children begins with the appearance of oily hair, the roots of which form scales and crusts. Peeling is accompanied by intense itching and scratching of the scalp, with which hair loss begins. The process of thinning the hair is replaced by the formation of a bald patch that extends from the forehead to the back of the head. Over time, at the top of the hair completely fall out, normal hair growth remains in the form of a border on the back of the head and temples.

Treatment of alopecia in children

Treatment of alopecia in children should be multi-layered and based on the causes of hair loss. Pathogenetic treatment of baldness is prescribed and monitored by a specialist.

In all cases of alopecia in children, the appointment of a general tonic therapy is indicated: immunomodulators, vitamins (A, C, E, B1, B6, B12), phytin, pantothenic acid, methionine in age dosages. Systemic use of hormonal drugs is advisable only for total alopecia in children.

Topical therapy of alopecia in children includes ultraviolet irradiation of baldness foci after smearing them with photosensitizing preparations based on the extract of parsnip, ammi large, methoxalene, darsonvalization of the scalp. A daily cooling of the scalp with chloroethyl, rubbing emulsions and tinctures, prednisone ointment (with Broca's pseudopelade) is carried out. In cicatricial alopecia, which has developed as a result of a burn, conservative treatment is ineffective. In the future, such children can be hair transplanted.

In the process of treating alopecia in children, the help of a child psychologist may be required, since baldness seriously injures the child’s psyche, lowers self-esteem, creates insularity and difficulty in communicating with peers.

Prognosis of alopecia in children

Some children have spontaneous regrowth of hair growth throughout the year without any treatment. Unfavorable in relation to the prognosis are cases of alopecia in children, developing in early childhood, accompanied by widespread alopecia or complete loss of hair, associated lesions of smooth skin and nails. In the event that the causes of alopecia in children have not been identified or have not been eliminated, relapses are possible.

Prevention of alopecia requires the medical examination of children for the timely detection of abnormalities in health, treatment of chronic infections, organization of good nutrition. Hair care in children includes the systematic grooming of boys, and the avoidance of braiding of tight braids in girls. To prevent the loss of weak hair in children with alopecia, it is recommended to wash your hair no more than 2 times a week.

Detection of focal alopecia in children

According to statistics, alopecia diagnosed in approximately 3% of children aged from one month to twelve years. In infants, focal baldness is temporary and is mainly triggered by constant friction in the occipital and temporal parts of the head.

If the hair falls out in a child at the age of three years, you should contact a specialist who will conduct a thorough diagnosis and prescribe the best course of treatment.

Alopecia areata is characterized by the appearance of hairless areas, differing in size and having a rounded or oval shape.

Sometimes the symptoms of this disease can suddenly and suddenly disappearwithout therapeutic intervention.

Pockets of hair loss on the child’s head usually appear within twenty-four hours. In each individual case, the disease manifests itself in different ways - the areas without hair cover can either remain solitary or unite together with others in one continuous baldness zone.

As the child grows, nesting alopecia begins to acquire more pronounced features, and, in the absence of proper treatment, runs the risk of becoming total. To prevent this, it is important to identify signs of illness at an early stage and take appropriate measures.

Most often, alopecia areata in children develops in two age periods:

from 5 to 7 years
from 12 to 15 years.

In order to determine the best way to treat pediatric alopecia areata, complex diagnostics required, which includes a variety of medical research conducted in the laboratory.

These include:

abdominal ultrasound,
computer diagnostics of the skin of the head,
tests for dysbacteriosis and the presence of worms eggs,
checking hormone levels
Thyroid ultrasound,
a blood test for the presence of antibodies to Giardia, helminths, streptococcus, herpes, as well as fungal infections,
hair biopsy.

As a result of laboratory research, the doctor prescribes the most appropriate therapeutic course. Now that you have learned a little more about focal alopecia in children, the causes and treatment are the following topics that will be covered in this article. You can read about other types of alopecia here.

Causes and stages of childhood hair loss

Most common The causes of alopecia areata in childhood and adolescence are infectious diseases, psychological trauma and disorders of the thyroid gland.

Also, this disease may be the result of injuries or burns in the scalp.

At the initial stage, small individual areas of alopecia appear, having an oval or rounded shape. Without treatment, over time, the lesions may grow in size and unite with each other.

During the progressing or active stage within a radius of 1.5-2 centimeters from the center of alopecia, the hairs are pulled out painlessly after a slight sling. If you look closely at such a hair, you can see that it has no root gapas well as numerous splits.

The skin in this area redden and slightly swell. This is followed by a stationary stage in which the pockets of baldness become less pronounced, both in shape and color.

At the regressive stage, hairless areas are covered with hairs in the form of a gun. Later, the fluff becomes more dense and becomes a natural hair color.

Having dealt with the causes and stages of focal alopecia in a child, treatment is a matter of concern to many parents. The main stages of baldness in adults can also be found on our website.

Focal alopecia in a child: treatment

Diagnosed in the early stages of children's focal alopecia successfully treated. Before you begin therapy, it is important that the doctor identifies all the factors that could trigger the development of this ailment.

Approximately 60 cases out of 100 this disease passes without a trace in a natural way. If not, the child is prescribed a complex therapy, as a result of which autoimmune imbalance is corrected in all organs and tissues.

A good effect can be achieved with the help of an internal intake of vitamin-mineral complexes and external exposure to tinctures or ointments based on garlic or red chilli pepper extract.

In clinical and salon conditions for the treatment of nesting alopecia in children, the following physiotherapeutic methods are most often used:

Darsonvalization leads the ranking of the most effective and safe procedures. It implies the influence of currents on small vessels, nerve endings, fat and sweat glands, as a result of which their functions are activated.

This increases the nutrition of hair valuable components, as well as accelerated metabolic processes. As a result, hair grows faster, becoming strong and strong.

Cryomassage causes intense narrowing and dilation of the capillaries. As a result, the blood rush to the tissues and stimulates active hair growth.

For this procedure, use a swab with liquid nitrogen at very low temperatures.

Procedure phonophoresis involves the introduction of drugs through ultrasound. After that, all metabolic processes are enhanced, and hair regeneration is accelerated. Preparations for this procedure can be made on the basis of ethyl alcohol or distilled water.

For the purpose of general strengthening therapy, doctors prescribe taking vitamins of group B, as well as drugs that have an immune-modeling effect.

For the treatment of severe stages, special injections or taking corticosteroids are prescribed. As you can see, it is important to recognize alopecia areata in a child in time; treatment will depend on timely referral to a specialist.

telogen hair loss what is it? Does the treatment for this type of alopecia?
How to recognize and cure total alopecia, what it is and how serious?

Hair transplantation

When do you need a hair transplant? Hair transplantation procedure for focal alopecia in children extremely rare due to the unpredictability of development and the risk of recurrence.

However, in some cases it is the only method to get rid of the problem. A hair transplant is recommended if other treatments have no effect.

This method helps to restore hair growth in areas with scars and other injuries of the skin. However, in any case, it is important to consult a doctor.

Timely diagnosis of alopecia areata in a child gives all chances for a quick recovery. The maximum effect can be achieved through an optimal combination of external and internal effects.

Baldness in children: species

Forms of alopecia are determined by the causes of its occurrence.

There are the following types of baldness in children:

Physiological. Most often manifested in infants. It usually occurs in the temples and the back of the head, which is explained by the friction of the head of a child who is constantly lying down.
Hereditary. It occurs in children whose parents also suffer from this pathology.
Congenital Rarely found as an independent type of alopecia. In most cases, such alopecia is one of the signs of a congenital disease - ectomesodermal dysplasia (characterized by the absence of hair follicles), folds in the skin, and epidermolysis.
Anagenic, developing in the treatment of cancer.
Traction. Occurs when the hair follicles are injured as a result of wearing tight hair (tails, braids, knots).
Telogenic. It develops as a result of rapid weight loss, surgical intervention, or a previous illness, accompanied by high fever.
Nesting (focal). Develops with disorders of the immune system.
Seborrheic. Occurs with seborrhea. This form of alopecia occurs, as a rule, in adolescents.
Atrophying (Broca's pseudopelade).
Universal. It is characterized by hair loss in all parts of the body.

In addition, babies up to a year can suffer from baldness, which arose against the background of rickets.

Causes of hair loss

Depending on the type of baldness, the following causes of alopecia are distinguished:

chemotherapy,
congenital diseases, including infantilism,
genetic predisposition
violation of vitamin balance, weight loss - first of all, it concerns the deficiency in the body of folic acid and vitamin B12, as well as such useful elements as zinc, chromium, molybdenum, copper, selenium,
surgical intervention,
weakening of immunity
general poisoning of the body.

In addition, baldness in children can be triggered by the following factors:

Disorders of the endocrine system, in particular, hypothyroidism (weakening of the thyroid function),
failure of the nervous system,
psychological disorders and psychological traumas that cause the development of trichotillomania, that is, the child has the habit of pulling out hair,
burns and other head injuries,
bad habits of children - winding hair on the finger, constantly stroking his head and so on,
helminthic invasions,
inflammatory processes localized in the body (appendicitis, otitis media, caries or angina),
taking antibacterial drugs and other medicines
infectious diseases - typhoid, influenza, erysipelas, chicken pox, diabetes,
Iron-deficiency anemia,
overdose when using vitamin A,
infection of the skin by staphylococcus,
starvation,
violation of the structure of the hair, which leads to its fragility,
X-ray exposure
Alopecia in a child may indicate the development of a number of pathologies, for example, systemic lupus erythematosus, rickets, ringworm, pyoderma.

As a rule, each of the above types of alopecia develops at a certain age and for corresponding reasons.

In newborns and infants, baldness (in the absence of genetic disorders) most often occurs due to regular friction of the baby’s head on the pillow or develops against the background of existing rickets. If the pediatrician diagnosed with rickets, appropriate therapy is prescribed. Effects of friction disappear independently after a few months.

Toddlers most often suffer from alopecia caused by mechanical stress. Scarce constantly twitches hair, pulls them, twists on a finger. Parents usually do not pay attention to this behavior of the baby, however, if it lasts too long (up to 3-4 years), you should still think about visiting child psychologist.

Older children (3 and more years) enter the age when their social circle expands significantly - new peers acquaintances appear, the child actively communicates with animals and adults. It is during this period that the risk of infection with fungal infections increases, for example, ringwormthat can trigger the development of alopecia.

Broca's pseudopelade and focal alopecia also most often affects children of this particular age group. The exact cause of the occurrence of these diseases has not yet been established, but experts are inclined to believe that they arise due to disruptions in work. immune system.

Treatment also gives unpredictable results. Some children are treated for a long time, but the pathology continues. developwhile for others, hair is very quickly restored.

Junior schoolchildren (children 6–7 years old) are most susceptible to trichotillomania and telogenous alopecia. This is due to the increased load on immune and the nervous system.

In adolescence, baldness can be triggered. hormonal changes occurring in the body of the child.

Diagnostic measures for pathology

First of all, children suffering from alopecia should be examined by such pediatric specialists as mycologist, endocrinologist, dermatologist, neurologist, gastroenterologist, and, naturally, trichologist. The next stage is a full-fledged examination the whole body.

Medical examination is to conduct the following examinations:

Analysis of dysbacteriosis,
the study of feces on the eggs of worms,
Thyroid and abdominal ultrasound,
trichogram
hormone research
biopsy of the skin.

In the seborrheic form of the disease, the following symptoms occur:

Total baldness in the crown area,
increase the fatness of hair,
the formation of crusts and scales in the root area of the hair,
severe itching, forcing the child to constantly scratch the head, resulting in injury to the skin.

The psychosomatic form of alopecia is characterized by the absence of severe symptoms. As a rule, baldness in a child begins as a result of exposure to any psychological factors.

When the first signs of baldness appear, it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor, as the therapy started on time significantly increases the chances of achieving a positive result.

Symptoms and treatment

The symptoms of baldness are determined by the form of the disease.

There are the following signs of alopecia areata in children:

Most often the affected areas are round, the skin on them does not itch and does not peel off,
hair loss mainly occurs in the back of the head,
dimensions of lesions may vary.

With focal alopecia, hair breakage can occur on healthy areas, as well as nails. Often focal alopecia is complicated by vitiligo and dermatitis.

Atrophic form of baldness is accompanied by the following symptoms:

The mouth of the hair follicle is not dilated,
the skin on the bald areas is shiny, but at the same time itching and flaking is not observed,
the shape of lesions resembles flames.

Unfortunately, atrophy alopecia is not amenable to treatment and hairline can not be restored.

Treatment of alopecia areata

Children most often develop gnezdnuyu and physiological alopecia. The second type of baldness does not need therapy, because over time it disappears on its own. As for the nest variant - here treatment is simply imperative.

Focal form in children

The treatment of the disease is carried out only if necessary, that is, if the disease takes a large scale. In other situations, doctors recommend simply watching the development of the disease.

Before proceeding with the treatment, it is necessary to accurately determine and then eliminate the cause that provoked hair loss. In addition to the treatment of the main disease, the doctor may prescribe additional therapy on an individual basis. These may include the following events:

Ultraviolet irradiation. It is carried out after the treatment of lesions with photosensitizing agents (psoralen, meladin, ammifurin, beroxan).
Taking multivitamins, pantothenic acid, phytin, methionine.
Darsonvalization.
Iron preparations.
Photochemotherapy.
Injection of placenta and aloe extract.
The introduction of drugs that help improve blood flow in the affected areas.
Photosensitizing herbs.
Nootropic and psychotropic drugs.
Treatment of the affected skin with special emulsions, tinctures or burdock oil.
Immunomodulators.
Ointment, based on steroids.
Cooling with chloroethyl.

A new trend in the treatment of baldness is the method of waiting. In some cases, the specialist, examining the patient, offers to wait with the appointment of drugs and just wait until the hair recovers independently. But this method is not used in the development of alopecia against the background of helminthiasis, rickets, ringworm and other pathological conditions.

If the child’s hair continues to fall out even after he has reached the age of two, it is likely that the problem will continue for a lifetime. In such a situation, it makes sense to seek help from plastic surgeons who will conduct a special treatment.

If hair loss in a child is associated with a weakened immune system, the following vitamin preparations are prescribed:

Vitamin C,
Retinol,
Tocopherol,
vitamin F,
Thiamine
Pantothenic acid.

Topical treatment is performed using burdock oil. The action of the drug is aimed at strengthening the hair follicles. It is highly undesirable to use hormonal agents in the treatment process.

What not to do

With hair loss in children it is not recommended to hold the following activities:

Impose oil masks, as this can lead to blockage of sebaceous glands, which will provoke a violation of their work.
Cut the baby "under zero". This is a completely useless exercise, which does not affect the thickness and thickness of the hair, since such indicators are laid from birth.
Apply tar, as well as essential and vegetable oils, as they, even in a diluted state, can cause an allergic reaction.
Treat hair loss in children with medication for adults. The causes of childhood and adult alopecia can vary significantly, as well as the dosage, as well as the type of drugs.

As an additional therapy, you can use traditional medicine.

Types of alopecia in children

Alopecia in children is of three types:

Focal - hair falls out foci, as a rule, rounded only in some parts of the head,
Total - hair falls all over the scalp, that is, total alopecia is a complete loss of hair on the head,
Universal - hair falls out not only on the head, but throughout the body. It should be noted that baldness in children on the head is much more common than universal alopecia. This is due to the causes of this pathology.