Hair Loss in Children - Causes and Treatments

By Jessica Tanady

The problem of loss of hair isn't something that only happens to grown ups, because hair loss in children is also a possibility. The fact that it gets little attention from parents and most pediatricians does make the problem feel less exposed. Though there's a general feeling that children can't suffer from loss of hair, surveys shown that at least 3 percent of visits made to pediatric clinic involve cases of hair loss in children.

There are a number of medical conditions that can cause hair loss in children. Though most children can recover well without needing any medical treatment, some may require medical attention in order to reduce the hair loss and to promote hair growth back.

The most common cause for hair loss in children is the tinea capitis, which is also known as the ringworm of the scalp. This fungal infection affects not only the scalps area, but also the eyebrows and eyelashes. Attacking the hair shafts and follicles, this fungus can cause quite significant loss of hair in children.

There are some medications that can be administered to treat this type of parasite, one of which is the use anti-fungal medicine. The most widely used is the griseoulvin, an oral medicine that will need to be taken for two months for maximum result. In addition to taking the oral medicine, using anti-fungal shampoo such as Nizoral will also help.

The other cause of loss of hair in children is the autoimmune condition known as alopecia areata. It is a condition that occurs when the body's own immune system starts attacking the hair follicles, which will result in hair loss. Bald patches will occur all over the head within a couple of days. If left untreated for too long, a complete loss of hair may occur. Unfortunately, no effective medical treatment can be prescribed to treat the condition for now. Though doctors may prescribe some drugs that can lessen the effect instead and promote hair growth, the hair loss can recur anytime after the treatment.

Another common cause of hair loss in children is telogen effluvium. It occurs when some of the hair follicles are unable to give out new hair. This could be trigger by high fever, injuries, surgery, stress and more. Since the effect is temporary, no specific medication is required. The hair will resume normal growth after the successful treatment of the underlying cause.

Jessica Tanady loves to write articles since 4 years ago, both offline and online. While she's keen on topics of beauty, fitness and weight loss, she has demonstrated her writing skills on a wide array of topics. Visit her latest articles on blank t-shirts wholesale [http://www.blanktshirtswholesale.org] which reviews and discuss about Gildan t-shirts [http://www.blanktshirtswholesale.org/gildan-t-shirts.html].

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