Child Hair Loss
Hair loss in children is much more common than most people suspect. Possible causes are listed below:
Hair Loss in Child Due to Traction Alopecia or Trichotillomania
Trauma to the hair shaft is another common cause of hair loss in children. Often the trauma is caused by traction (braids,
pony-tails, curlers, etc.) or by friction (hats, hairbands, or rubbing against a bed or wheelchair). Hair loss in children
can also be caused
by chemicals or by burns. Another important cause hair loss in children is called trichotillomania -- the habit of twirling or
plucking the hair. Trichotillomania is very similar to thumb-sucking or nail-biting. Children with trichotillomania tend to
damage their hairs while they are falling asleep or watching television.
Hair Loss in Child Due to Telogen Effluvium
Telogen effluvium, the other common cause of hair loss in kids, affects children and adults. It is responsible for more
hair loss than any other cause except male-pattern baldness. To understand telogen effluvium, one must understand a hair's
normal life-cycle. An individual hair follicle has a long growth phase, producing steadily growing hair for 2 to 6 years
(on average 3 years).
Hair Loss in Child Due to Alopecia Areata
Alopecia areata (which means "localized baldness") is the sudden appearance of sharply circumscribed round or oval patches of
hair loss in children. These patches are smooth -- without inflammation, scaling, or broken hairs. They appear literally
overnight, or
sometimes over a few days. Sometimes the hairs around the border of the bald spots are very easily plucked, and look like
exclamation points due to the swollen bulb at the base. Alopecia areata is thought to be caused by the body's immune system
attacking some of the hair follicles. At any given moment about 1 per 1,000 children has hair loss due to alopecia areata.
Hair Loss in Child Due to a Fungal Infection
A fungal infection similar to athlete's foot is the most common cause of hair loss in children. Tinea capitis is the technical
name for this scalp infection (tinea pedis is the name if the infection is on the foot). Tinea capitis is rare after puberty.
Children with tinea capitis usually have patchy hair loss with some broken-off hairs visible just above the surface of the scalp.