Causes and treatment of hair loss in children

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor II Cao Thi Thanh - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology, Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.
Children lose their hair due to many reasons. Depending on the degree of hair loss of the baby, parents need to have different treatment solutions to best overcome this situation.

1. Causes of hair loss in children

1.1 Causes of hair loss unrelated to pathology Hair loss in babies
It is completely normal. Hair loss during the first 6 months of life - known as TE (Telogen Effluvium - hair loss during the resting phase of hair follicles), then healthy hair growth.
The cause of this phenomenon is that the hair has a growth phase and a resting phase. The growing phase lasts about 3 years and the resting phase lasts about 3 months. During the resting phase, the hair remains in the hair follicle. About 5 - 15% of the hair on the scalp is in the resting phase at some point. During stress, fever or hormonal changes, a large number of hairs will stop growing at once and hair loss will begin until the hair growth phase 3 months later.
In newborn babies, their hormone levels drop right after birth so that's one cause of baby's hair loss. This situation is similar to new mothers who lose their hair due to sudden hormonal changes during childbirth.
Hair loss in places where the scalp rubs a lot
Babies can lose their hair from rubbing their scalp with the mattress. If your baby always sleeps in the same position or tends to sleep with the back of his head against the chair, then he or she is likely to experience hair loss in that area. This situation will stop and the baby's hair will grow normally when the baby starts to sit, the head rubbing behavior stops
Hair loss due to hair pulling addiction
This is a mental stress that makes children always want pulling her hair uncontrollably. As a result, the baby's hair gradually falls out, sometimes even eyebrows and eyelashes. This cause is often not easy to detect because most children pull their hair at night. The affected areas of hair are usually on the baby's dominant hand.
Hair loss due to the impact of chemicals or tied too tightly
Children's hair is often quite fragile, not as strong as adults. Sometimes, tying a child's hair too tightly, using too many chemicals on the hair, or using an electric comb can cause hair loss.
1.2 Causes of hair loss in children due to certain medical conditions Alopecia alopecia
Some children may experience hair loss because of an autoimmune disease called Alopecia. In this form, hair falls out in one area forming a round, smooth bald area, sometimes eyelashes fall out, and young nails become pitted and brittle. This is a disease that causes the immune system to automatically attack the hair follicles, slowing down hair growth.
Although the exact cause of alopecia areata is still unknown, studies have shown that most children with the condition will grow their hair back within a year or so. Although this hair loss is not contagious, it cannot be completely cured.
Usually, when this phenomenon is limited to a few patches of hair, the prospect of full recovery is very high. However, when the condition persists and worsens, the child can be treated with topical corticosteroid creams or injections. And the treatment helps prevent this condition from developing into totalis - a symptom of hair disappearing completely or losing all hair and hair such as eyebrows, eyelashes, ... on the body.
Scalp hair loss
Scalp fungus is the most common cause of hair loss in children . This is a contagious fungal infection that damages patches of hair, causing hair to become sparser and scratchy on the scalp.

Hair loss due to vitamin deficiency
Children with hair loss are deficient in what? Lack of certain essential vitamins and minerals is also the cause of hair loss in children. Excessive hair loss in children is often caused by a deficiency of: Vitamin H (also known as biotin), one of the B vitamins, zinc, iron and anemia caused by iron deficiency. In addition, children with hair loss combined with other symptoms such as delayed teething, slow movement, wide soft fontanel, premature babies, ... may be due to calcium deficiency.
Hair loss due to endocrine diseases
In children, hair loss can be a warning sign of hypopituitarism or hypothyroidism - a state of underactive thyroid hormone.
Hair loss as a side effect of certain medications
Sometimes hair loss in children is a side effect of certain treatments or certain medications. One of the main causes is chemotherapy leading to total or partial hair loss. Some medications also cause temporary hair loss in children. Therefore, parents can consult a doctor about the side effects of some medications that their children take when they see that their baby shows signs of hair loss.

2. How to handle hair loss in children

2.1 Situation that should be examined quickly Parents should take their child to a pediatric specialist if the child has unexplained hair loss accompanied by symptoms such as:
Fatigue; Redness along the bridge of the nose; Fever, other signs of illness; Loss of eyebrows and eyelashes. 2.2 Treatment of hair loss in children for common causes Hair loss due to lack of nutrients and environmental factors can be prevented with appropriate preventive measures. In the case of hair loss stemming from a medical condition, treatment needs to be done right away. Specifically:
Hair loss in infants, children have a habit of rubbing their heads: No need to intervene, waiting for the baby to get older, this symptom will go away on its own because the baby can change the sleeping position on their own. In addition, parents should create a comfortable living environment for their children and ensure a nutritious diet for them. Hair loss due to the habit of pulling hair: Because the cause of this condition is due to mental stress, parents need to pay attention to eliminate troubles for their children, help them have a comfortable psychology, balance nutrition, get enough sleep; Hair loss tied too tight: Should be gentle with the baby's hair, change the child a more comfortable hairstyle; Alopecia-related hair loss: Can be treated with steroid medications and UV light. In addition, biotin is also a substance that helps young hair grow back. If the child has hair loss in patches, parents should give the child foods rich in biotin such as kale, carrots, tomatoes, ... Hair loss due to scalp fungus: The disease can be treated by using certain medications such as griseofulvin or antifungal shampoos. Parents can also prevent fungal infections of the scalp from children by not sharing pillows, combs, and other items that come into contact with their baby's scalp. Hair loss due to vitamin deficiency: Parents need to give their children nutritious foods to provide the nutrients the body needs; Hair loss due to endocrine diseases: Parents should take their children to a doctor to get an accurate diagnosis of the disease they are experiencing and have a positive and effective treatment plan; Hair loss due to chemotherapy, medication: Hair loss caused by chemotherapy does not require treatment because when chemotherapy is over, the child's hair will grow back. Regarding the use of medication, parents can consult the doctor about changing to another medicine for the child or just using the medicine that when stopping the medicine, the hair will grow back to normal.

3. How to take care of your hair to help your child have healthy and beautiful hair

Use coconut oil for hair because coconut oil has the ability to clean hair, prevent dandruff, help hair grow faster; Olive oil, jojoba oil, linden oil all work to promote health and prevent hair loss; Make sure to provide your child with a healthy diet with foods rich in vitamins A, C, E, iron and zinc; Use apple cider vinegar to provide essential nutrients for healthy hair growth by rubbing apple cider vinegar on your baby's scalp and washing it off after 6 hours; Give your baby a vitamin B supplement every day at a dose approved by the doctor to help your baby's hair grow faster after shedding because vitamin B helps to quickly regenerate lost hair follicles; Avoid using chemicals with strong detergent ingredients on children's hair; Help your baby learn the habit of being gentle when washing, combing or drying hair; Instruct the baby to massage the scalp with essential oils to enhance blood circulation, help hair grow quickly; It is possible for children to use chemical-free organic products to treat hair loss.

4. Measures to help children overcome the guilt of hair loss

Hair loss often makes children feel inferior, especially children who are going to school because they are often teased by friends. Therefore, in addition to treatment, parents need to pay attention to their children's emotions to comfort and encourage them. If the baby is old enough to understand, parents can explain why the baby is losing hair and how to treat it so that the child can understand more about his condition and coordinate with the best treatment regimen. Besides, parents can also choose for their children accessories such as hats, scarves to cover their heads or let their children use wigs if desired.
Most causes of hair loss in children can be effectively controlled and treated with appropriate methods. Therefore, when children have a lot of hair loss, parents should take their children to a reputable medical facility to determine the cause of hair loss, thereby having a timely and effective treatment plan.
As a key area of ​​Vinmec Health system, Pediatrics Department always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts with:
Gathering a team of top doctors and nurses in Pediatrics : consists of leading experts with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. Doctors All doctors are well-trained, professional, conscientious, knowledgeable about young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment.

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