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Hair falling out kids: Conditions That Cause Hair Loss in Children – Hair Loss Center

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Conditions That Cause Hair Loss in Children – Hair Loss Center

It is normal for kids to shed some hair each day. But certain conditions can cause abnormal hair loss in children. In fact, hair loss in children is estimated to account for 3 percent of visits to the pediatrician.

Just like adult hair, kids’ hair has a fairly predictable life cycle. Each strand of kids’ hair grows actively for two to six years. After that, the hair goes through a resting cycle called the telogen phase. After about three months in the telogen phase, the hair falls out and a new one grows in its place.

Causes of Hair Loss in Children

There are many reasons kids’ hair might fall out abnormally or excessively. The following conditions are the most common causes of hair loss in children:

  • Tinea capitis. The most common cause of hair loss in children is an infection known as tinea capitis. Tinea capitis is a type of ringworm that attacks the hair and causes scaly, ring-like lesions to form. It is a contagious fungal infection, and is commonly spread among school-aged children. Tinea capitis can affect hair of the scalp, eyebrows, and eyelashes. The area of hair loss is often flaky or scaly, and contains hairs that appear to be broken off at the surface. Most cases of tinea capitis are diagnosed by the appearance of the scalp. An ultraviolet light may be used to confirm the diagnosis. Tinea capitis is treated with antifungal medications and special shampoo for eight weeks. This condition is generally not contagious during treatment.
  • Alopecia areata. Alopecia areata is when patches of kids’ hair suddenly start falling out in a round or oval pattern. This hair loss occurs within a matter of a few days, and the bald patterns are smooth and not inflamed. Alopecia areata is thought to occur when a child’s immune system mistakenly attacks her own hair follicles. This condition is relatively rare, affecting about 1 in 1,000 children at any given time. There is no specific test for alopecia areata; it is diagnosed after an examination of the scalp, and once other conditions are ruled out. Alopecia areata cannot be cured, but dermatologists can use medications to help promote hair growth. In some cases, alopecia areata will progress until all of the hair on a child’s head falls out.
  • Telogen effluvium. Telogen effluvium is a condition in which the hair life cycle is interrupted. Normally, about 10 to 15 percent of the hairs on your child’s head are in the telogen phase. But in telogen effluvium, many or all hairs are thrown in to the telogen phase. After a few weeks or months, partial or complete baldness occurs. Telogen effluvium can occur for a number of reasons, including extreme fever, the stress of general anesthesia, vitamin A overdose, injury, side effects of a medication (for example, accutane), or severe emotional stress. There is no diagnostic test for telogen effluvium; it is usually diagnosed after a careful examination and medical history. This condition tends to go away on its own, and kids’ hair usually grows back fully within six months to a year. 10 Surprising Things That Cause Hair Loss
  • Hair shaft trauma. Physical stress to the hair, known as hair shaft trauma, commonly causes hair loss in children. Hair shaft trauma can result from consistent pulling of the hair (for example, tight ponytails or braids), excessive friction (like rubbing against a pillow or wheelchair), or by chemical burns to the hair shaft. It can also in occur in children who have trichotillomania, a mental condition that causes people to obsessively pull out their hair. If your child’s doctor suspects hair shaft trauma, he will determine what action is causing it. Once the cause of hair shaft trauma is identified and stopped, hair will usually re-grow. But in some cases, hair shaft trauma can go on long enough to cause scarring, and hair may not grow back.

If you are worried about your child’s hair loss, talk to her pediatrician. The earlier the cause of the hair loss is diagnosed and treated, the more likely the treatment will be successful.

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Hair Loss After Surgery: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention

Post-surgery hair loss is most commonly caused by telogen effluvium (TE), a condition that’s triggered by a disruption of your normal hair follicle cycling.

Normally, you lose between 50 to 100 hairs per day. However, sometimes certain health events, such as surgeries or underlying medical conditions, can cause hair follicles to not produce hairs as they should.

The good news is, while hair loss after surgery is possible, it’s usually temporary. If you’re concerned about hair loss after your operation, talk with your doctor about the possible risk factors and treatment options.

In a typical hair cycle, your follicles go through a growth process that lasts for a few years at a time. Hair follicles don’t continuously produce new hairs — they cycle through resting phases known as telogens.

According to the American Hair Loss Association, it’s estimated that 10 to 20 percent of your hair follicles are in a telogen state at any given time.

If the proportion of telogen hairs is greater than 20 percent, it’s an indication of telogen effluvium, one of the most common forms of hair loss.

Surgery can sometimes put your hair follicles in a longer resting state than normal. Rather than large bald spots associated with alopecia areata, you’re more likely to see progressively thinner hair as a result of TE.

Surgery may cause TE-related hair loss in the following ways:

Stress

Surgery is considered an invasive process, which can put your body — and your mind — under a lot of stress.

According to the American Skin Association, hair loss after a major stressful event of this nature is most likely to occur within 3 to 6 months.

Your body needs certain nutrients for hair growth, such as:

  • biotin
  • iron
  • zinc
  • protein

A stressful event, like surgery, may cause your body to divert these nutrients away from your vital organs. This can lead to hair thinning and TE.

Positional alopecia

According to a 2012 research review, while not common, this type of hair loss occurs from your head being in one position for several hours at a time. This can cut blood flow to your hair follicles.

Positional alopecia isn’t as common in short procedures because your head isn’t in one spot for too long.

The same research review above showed that this type of hair loss has been reported most commonly in cardiac surgeries.

Positional alopecia is also possible after extensive reconstructive surgeries, due to the length of time spent laying in one position.

Anesthesia

According to Larry S. Nichter, MD, FACS, a board certified plastic surgeon with Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery in Newport Beach, California, while still debatable, some doctors suspect there may be a link between anesthesia and hair loss, particularly with surgeries lasting several hours.

It’s thought that lengthy anesthetic periods could possibly lead to TE-related hair loss by causing reduced cell division. Slower cellular division may in turn inhibit hair follicle production. But this has not been proven in clinical studies.

The type of anesthesia used may also contribute to hair loss. A 2012 research review found that hypotensive anesthesia, which is primarily used in maxillofacial surgeries, may increase the risk of positional alopecia.

A 2015 research review showed that while not tolerated by all patients, hypotensive anesthesia is still used to help decrease blood loss during certain operations, such as dental surgery.

Medication side effects

Certain medications taken post-surgery may lead to hair loss, especially if you’re allergic to them. The American Skin Association advises that you may also talk with your doctor if you take any of the following drugs linked to TE:

  • anti-seizure medications
  • anti-thyroid medications
  • beta-blockers

Type of surgery

It’s also important to consider the site of your surgery. While all surgeries have the potential to cause TE and hair loss, you may be at an increased risk of hair follicles shutting down if your incisions are made on your scalp.

According to a 2012 research review, head and neck surgeries, as well as the use of hypotensive anesthesia, have also been linked to increased risk of positional alopecia that may lead to hair loss.

While hair loss after surgery isn’t entirely preventable, you may be able to help minimize the effects of TE. This includes:

  • eating a nutritious diet full of plant-based foods
  • regular exercise
  • better sleep
  • stress management

Make sure you don’t have any nutritional deficiencies

Nutritional deficiencies may play a role in hair loss — with or without surgery.

According to a 2018 research review, the following micronutrients have been identified by researchers as possibly supporting healthy hair follicles and, subsequently, typical hair growth cycles:

  • iron
  • selenium
  • zinc
  • antioxidants, including vitamins A, C, and E
  • B vitamins
  • vitamin D

Ensure you’re getting enough protein and iron

According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, adequate protein and iron intake has also been linked to healthy hair growth.

You may be able to help minimize hair loss by eating foods rich in these nutrients, but it’s unclear whether you can prevent surgery-related hair loss with any particular diet.

A blood test can determine whether you’re deficient in any of the above nutrients, and your doctor may recommend certain foods or supplements based on the results.

However, you shouldn’t take supplements on your own without any established nutritional deficiency. According to a 2017 research review, doing so may increase your risk for worsening hair loss from toxicity.

Talk with your doctor about hair loss concerns before surgery

It’s also important to discuss the possibility of surgery-related hair loss with your doctor before your operation.

If you expect a long surgery or an intensive care treatment, you may ask about the medical team’s plan for head turning schedules to help prevent positional alopecia.

Your doctor can help assess other risk factors for hair loss, and potentially offer an action plan to help minimize it. This may involve the preventive strategies listed above, as well as potential post-surgery treatments.

While it may be concerning to see thinning hair or increased hair loss after your surgery, there are steps you can discuss with your doctor to help treat it.

A dermatologist can determine whether a home or professional treatment is best, but either option can take several months to take full effect.

At-home treatments

At-home treatments may include:

  • minoxidil (Rogaine) topical treatment applied to your scalp once or twice daily
  • microneedling devices, which stimulate hair follicles via fine needles
  • laser caps or combs applied to your scalp up to three times per week

Medical treatments

Depending on the severity of hair loss, your dermatologist may recommend one of the following professional treatments:

  • corticosteroid injections
  • laser therapy
  • platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, with or without microneedling
  • prescription medications for hair loss, including spironolactone for women and finasteride for men

The chances of experiencing hair loss after surgery isn’t well-established, but it’s possible that this major stressor can interfere with healthy hair follicle cycles and lead to temporary hair loss.

Other risk factors for hair loss include:

  • the type of surgery you have
  • your overall health
  • your lifestyle

In most cases, hair loss after surgery will reverse itself over several months’ time.

If you do lose hair post-surgery, talk with a dermatologist about potential treatments and possible ways you can regulate your hair growth cycle once again.

Treatment of hair loss in children

03/16/2021

Doctors of the Ryazan Kozhven told about the treatment of hair loss in children.

Hair loss on the head in children and adolescents is rarely an independent disease. Most often, this suggests that the growing body has a problem, and hair loss is a symptom of it.

The head of the children’s clinical and diagnostic center of the State Budgetary Institution of the Republic of Kazakhstan RO OKKVD spoke about the possible causes and treatment Ludmila Maslevskaya .

Factors that may cause hair loss in young children.

  1. Dermatological diseases , in particular ringworm, is a typical “childish” cause of hair loss in children. This disease is fungal and should be treated by a dermatologist.
  2. Traumatization of the hair shaft is associated with strong mechanical pressure, the consequences of exposure to the scalp of strong mechanical pressure. For example, girls braid their braids too tightly or use hair clips and elastic bands that hurt their hair. In this case, it is enough to loosen the weaving of the braids or even abandon it altogether at least for a while, as well as choose more comfortable soft elastic bands.
  3. Another factor is diseases associated with disorders of the endocrine system, disorders in the liver, adrenal glands or kidneys. In this case, it is necessary to undergo examinations.
  4. The doctor notes that often the hair in children begins to thin and fall out due to neurotic disorder . It’s called trichotillomania. The disorder manifests itself in the desire of the child to pull and pull his hair, and quite strongly.

Treatment of hair loss in children

We note right away that any treatment is carried out after examination and as prescribed by a doctor. If the child’s hair does not grow or falls out, it is necessary to contact the specialists of the Department of the Children’s Clinical and Diagnostic Center of the GBU RO OKKVD.

“Timely detection and treatment of endocrine disorders most often leads to a positive result, because when the root cause is eliminated, the symptoms go away, and the hair begins to grow normally. The same applies to telogen baldness.0041 – said the head of the children’s center of the GBU RO OKKVD Lyudmila Maslevskaya .

For ringworm, the doctor will prescribe a course of treatment with antifungal drugs. With this diagnosis, it is necessary to wash your hair with a special therapeutic shampoo. The course of treatment can only be prescribed by a doctor.

Trichotillomania requires an integrated approach. These questions are addressed by child psychologists. In addition to a psychological diagnostic program, a course of relaxation therapy may be required. As soon as the child stops pulling hair, the problem will be solved.

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Question to the doctor: What should I do if my child’s hair falls out?

  • Health

January 30, 20232

Source:
iStockphoto

“My daughter, 5 years old, noticed a lot of hair falling out on the bed and pillow after sleep, in some places she even found tufts of hair, I was in a panic … The fact is that when combing there is not a huge amount of hair on the comb – pieces 6-7, but after sleep, when my daughter gets up, the whole pillow and bed are covered in hair, I’m very worried, I can’t find a place for myself, what could it be?

Margarita, 26 years old.

Causes of hair loss in children

– Hair loss in children is a frightening and frustrating symptom for parents, – dermatovenereologist Svetlana Turbovskaya answers the reader’s question. — There are many possible causes of hair loss in children, the most common being infections, physical, autoimmune and reactive causes.

  • Infections

Ringworm of the scalp (tinea capitis) is one of the most common causes of hair loss, it is easily recognizable by characteristic signs on the scalp: a rounded red spot with a border of scales around the periphery, broken hair and itching.

See also

  • Physical causes

Traction alopecia .

Trichotillomania is a condition in which a child compulsively pulls out his or her hair. These children have noticeable hair loss and often require treatment by a child psychiatrist or psychologist who specializes in this condition.

– Alopecia areata – a condition in which the child’s immune system attacks the hair follicles and the hair falls out in patches, forming round or oval areas with no hair, – says the doctor.

– Another cause of hair loss in children, which occurs 6-12 weeks after surgery, a recent illness (usually with a high fever), weight loss or emotional stress, explains Svetlana Turbovskaya. – In this state, children lose their hair for several weeks or months , but then their growth resumes again – without any outside interventions and procedures.

See also

Vitamin deficiency

Other causes of hair loss in children are thyroid disorders, including hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, systemic lupus erythematosus, diabetes mellitus and iron deficiency anemia.

– Hair loss in a child can also be caused by deficiency of vitamin H , or biotin, one of the B vitamins that helps the body convert carbohydrates into glucose to fuel the body, the doctor explains. – And also – lack of zinc, an essential mineral involved in many aspects of cellular metabolism.