Hair diseases in childhood are not common, but require careful attention and proper therapy. The most unpleasant ailment is considered alopecia - thinning and loss of hair, up to complete baldness.
What it is?
Alopecia in children is not as common as in adults, but this does not diminish its importance. To this day, pediatricians, dermatologists, endocrinologists, neurologists and gastroenterologists are trying to understand together why and how hair loss occurs at a tender age. Alopecia belongs to the category of chronic dermatoses, when it affects the hair follicles, in connection with which the hair becomes thinner, breaks and falls out in those places where nature provides for their natural growth - on the head, on the eyebrows, cilia.
If we parse the word "alopecia" into its derivatives, we get Greek (λωπεκ α) and Latin alopecia. Both mean "baldness", "baldness", which fully reflects the essence of the disease.
With alopecia, not only the existing hair thinns and falls out, but the formation and growth of new hair shafts is also disrupted at the place of damage. The prevalence of the disease, according to WHO, at a tender age is low - no more than 2.5-3%.
Why does it occur at different ages?
Hair loss by children does not always have the same prerequisites as in mature people, and this is the main difference between age-related baldness and its child version.
If in adults the causes of hormonal properties are in the first place, then in toddlers, the traumatic effect on the hair follicles is usually considered the root cause of such a pathology. This effect itself can be exogenous or endogenous.
Rarely, but sometimes doctors meet with cases of hereditary baldness or total hair loss, while age does not play a big role here. Most often in babies at the age of 2-3, at 5 years and older, the root cause is a violation of the ratio of important elements. Usually, such baldness is closely related to the child's diseases of the stomach, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, intestines... For example, a baby with gastritis or gastroduodenitis at both 3 and 7 years of age has a higher risk of baldness than healthy peers, almost 4 times. Often the child begins to go bald against the background of a tendency to constipation, as well as with intestinal dysbiosis or the presence of intestinal parasites - helminths.
Hair follicles suffer from a lack of copper and selenium, zinc and chromium, as well as a lack of molybdenum and folic acid. Lack of B vitamins also often becomes a prerequisite for the destruction of hair follicles.
Another common root cause of hair loss in children is a tendency to allergies. Any violations of the state of immunity (and allergy refers precisely to such conditions), can provoke the process of progressive hair loss. Many cases of alopecia have been recorded against the background of a child with atomic dermatitis or vitiligo.
It is also not excluded the development of alopecia on the "nervous soil" - severe stress, for example, divorce of parents, moving to a new place of residence, psychological trauma, the beginning of school at the age of 6-7 years, the first love experiences in a girl in an emotionally difficult period of maturation or in a teenage boy at the stage of rampant sex hormones are quite capable of becoming the beginning of pathological the process of loss of hair.
Children of absolutely any age category baldness can be the result of burn injuries, injury to the hairline... If a girl is diligently weaving too tight braids, then by the age of 8-10, mechanical thinning of the hair shaft may well develop.
In both boys and young women, iron deficiency anemia may be the root cause of hair loss. The start of hair loss can be given by contact with radioactive radiation, a severe form of influenza, especially complicated by pneumonia, chickenpox.
Classification
Naturally bald children are rarely born - genetic forms of alopecia are not widespread, these are rather isolated cases. Such children usually have concomitant congenital pathologies - endocrine, dermatological. In this situation, the hair follicles on the entire head, or partially simply undeveloped, are absent. Accordingly, hair growth does not appear to be real in principle.
Children under one year of age have natural baldness for physiological reasons, which is not a reason for worries and the experiences of mom and dad, and which absolutely does not need any therapy. It is manifested by hair loss in the periapical region, on the back of the head. It is believed that this comes from the mechanical friction of the baby's head against a pillow or diaper. Recent studies, however, have shown an interesting fact: wipe the hairs on the back of the head and in those babies who sleep only on their side or only on their stomach... Such a mechanism, according to scientists, is associated with internal restructuring after birth (similar to how baby animals “shed” their infant undercoat and acquire permanent hair).
As already mentioned, there is no need to treat such alopecia - the hair begins to grow by itself, without intervention from parents and doctors.
There are two types of alopecia that are most common in childhood - focal and atrophying..
- The first one has another name - nest (nest)... It is manifested by the formation of areas of baldness of an oval, but more often round shape.
- Atrophying alopecia also manifests itself as foci, but only they can merge and form large areas. They usually start from the parietal region and are very similar in shape to tongues of flame.
During puberty, young men and women may develop seborrheic alopecia, which is associated with excessive functioning of the sweat and sebaceous glands, which is accompanied by increased production of sex hormones in the body.
The total diffuse phase of the disease, in which hair loss is rapid and widespread over the entire area of the head, is somewhat less common than in people who have reached adulthood or old age. Usually it is associated with hormonal imbalance, stress, malfunctioning of the thyroid gland. In this case, the hair follicles simply go into the "resting" stage, and the growth of new hair trunks in place of the fallen ones stops. Long-term treatment with antibiotics, antidepressants can provoke this type of baldness... Often, total baldness occurs in babies who are "kept" by their parents on diets with micronutrient deficiencies - for example, in children growing up in vegan families.
If the child injured his head, cut the skin of the scalp, burned them, then the so-called cicatricial alopecia can form. After the wound is healed, connective tissue is formed, in which the hair follicles cannot develop and cannot exist. This type of alopecia occurs in children who have had severe infectious diseases with the formation of abscesses on the head, for example.
Children who have cancer and are undergoing chemotherapy to treat a serious illness often develop specific alopecia. Children go bald because the drugs used for chemotherapy attack the hair cells themselves from the moment they divide. Hair growth usually resumes after treatment ends.
Symptoms
Symptoms and signs of pathology depend on what causes the hair loss, and to which classification group alopecia can be attributed. According to the symptoms, in fact, the definition of the type and the choice of treatment tactics are established.
Because the in childhood, the most common is nested (focal) alopecia, then you should start with it. This form rarely develops in children under three years old, usually babies from 3 years old and older complain about it. First, a bald patch appears on the head of a small size. The focus may be one, or there may be several. The areas of baldness have clearly defined boundaries, the size of the focus can be very different - from the size of a coin to the width of the palm. Individual foci can expand in size, merge with neighboring ones. With the nesting form, eyebrows often begin to go bald.
The skin in places where hair has fallen out in the focal form of the disease does not change in color and appearance, there is no peeling, redness. But along the edges of the hearth, the hair is thinned, easily breaks off. Often the nail plates also become brittle. Baldness becomes total when the head is affected by 70 percent or more and the merging of individual foci into one.
This form is treatable in the early stages, then - only to surgical treatment.
If the child has atrophying baldness, then this is manifested by foci, having a characteristic form of tongues of flame. The skin in the places where the hair is climbing is changed - they are smooth, unhealthy shine, never peel off, do not redden or become inflamed. One may get the impression that the child's hairs have fallen out in clumps - in the middle of the "tongue" a fragment of hair growth, separate bundles, may remain.
It is impossible to restore normal hair growth with this form of alopecia, but it is possible to suspend the dynamics of hair loss if you consult a doctor in time.
The seborrheic form of hair loss in adolescents is preceded by a very characteristic symptom - increased hair fat... Even if the child washes his hair regularly, the hair becomes very salty, and gradually crusts and scales form at the hair roots. The head itches, the child may complain of itching. Hair loss with seborrhea does not begin immediately. At first, hair thinning starts, then a receding hairline is formed in the direction from the frontal part to the occipital. Hair grows unchanged usually continues only at the temples and the lower part of the nape. The crown of the head is usually completely bald.
Diagnostics
If the child has a receding hairline, the mother notices that the hair falls out a lot when combing, you should not hesitate to contact a pediatrician... You should start by visiting the pediatrician at the clinic. Be prepared for the pediatrician to immediately give referrals for consultation to other specialists - the child must be examined by a pediatric dermatologist, a trichologist (hair health specialist), a gastroenterologist (to identify possible problems with the gastrointestinal tract, parasites), an endocrinologist and a pediatric neurologist.
In some cases, when a comprehensive examination does not show any abnormalities, it is recommended to visit a child psychotherapist to exclude psychogenic and psychosomatic causes of sudden loss of hair.
A study of feces for the composition of the intestinal microflora, for the ovipositor is mandatory. An ultrasound scan of the abdominal organs and gastroscopy are performed. Do a blood test for the concentration of thyroid hormones (thyroid), conduct an ultrasound scan of the "thyroid", track the level of calcium according to the results of biochemical laboratory blood tests.
The hairs themselves are taken for spectral analysis - it helps to establish the ratio in the body of certain trace elements necessary for the normal growth of the hair shaft. The trichologist makes a trichogram, examines the scalp. If nothing is found, and baldness develops, then a biopsy of the scalp is done.
Children are often recommended rheoencephalography.... This examination makes it possible to exclude possible problems with the blood supply to the scalp.
How to treat?
To choose a therapy method the cause of baldness is of great importance, which is why it is important to pay close attention to diagnostics. Treatment is always quite long, parents need to be patient. Whatever the unpleasant symptoms are associated with, the child is recommended treatment aimed at general strengthening of the body - This is the intake of immunomodulators and vitamins. Pantothenic acid and methionine preparations are often recommended. Hormones are prescribed only to children with total baldness.
Good results in the focal form of the disease are shown by physiotherapy with ultraviolet irradiation of the affected foci. Before that, bald patches are lubricated with a special composition with photosensitizing properties. In some cases, an ointment based on prednisolone, emulsion and tincture is recommended.
If the baby is bald after a scalp injury, tinctures and emulsions will not have an effect. In this case, surgical treatment is indicated - transplantation of healthy hair follicles, this operation is often called simply - "hair transplant".
In addition to local treatment, they treat the disease that led to baldness. - in case of anemia, iron preparations are prescribed, in case of stomach diseases - appropriate treatment is carried out by a gastroenterologist.
Especially pediatricians note the need for psychological help and support. - the child in most cases requires the help of a psychologist throughout the course of treatment.
Baldness forms in children a sense of their own inferiority, it is considered by them as an obstacle in communicating with other children, children are shy, withdrawn into themselves. That is why it is important to support the child on time and correctly.
Folk remedies in the fight against baldness are used in a variety of ways, the reviews about them are also different - something, according to the parents, helped, something did not.
Nevertheless, we will tell you about the most common methods of treating alopecia areata with non-traditional means.
- Onion applications... They need to be done once a day, but every day. Onions are peeled and passed through a meat grinder. The resulting onion gruel is mixed with a raw egg and applied to the areas of hair loss for 15 minutes, easily rubbing the fragrant mass into the skin with your fingertips. After a quarter of an hour, the mixture is washed off. The treatment is continued until light, not yet pigmented hair begins to grow.
- Garlic and pepper applications... In this case, prepare a gruel of garlic and red pepper with the addition of olive oil. Be careful - the mixture may be allergenic, it is better not to use it for children under the age of 7.
- Castor oil or burdock oil... These two oils have a unique effect on hair growth. You shouldn't mix them, choose one. On a spoonful of oil, take half a spoonful of mustard powder. The mixture is applied to the foci of baldness for 20 minutes. The local irritating effect of mustard is considered a good hair growth stimulant.
The mask is done 2 times a week, after each it is important to thoroughly wash your hair.
- Burdock and calamus... For daily rubbing into the scalp, a decoction is prepared, the main ingredients for which are burdock rhizome and calamus roots. They are boiled for 15 minutes, cooled, and the scalp is treated with this mixture 1-2 times a day.
- Yolk head mask... Several times a week, parents can prepare a healing mask for their child from egg yolks. To do this, the yolks are separated from the proteins, rubbed with a fork until whiteness and applied to the baldness foci for an hour. You can add warm olive oil to the mixture.
It is important to wrap your head with a warm towel during the procedure, and then wash off the yolk mass with warm water without using detergents.
Remember that herbal remedies can harm and worsen the child's condition, and therefore be sure to consult with his doctor about the possibility of using traditional medicine recipes for treating a child. And also do not rely too much on traditional medicine and abandon traditional treatment in favor of non-traditional.
Folk methods are sometimes good, but only in combination with a multi-level drug and physiotherapy treatment prescribed by a doctor.
Forecasts and prevention
The prognosis for infantile hair loss is more favorable than for adult hair loss. Often, within a year, the hair is restored on its own, without treatment, at all. But in many ways, the prediction is influenced by the age of the child: the younger the child was at the time of total baldness, the less favorable the predictions in this case.
More accurate predictions can be given by the doctor after the examination.
Much attention should be paid by parents and educators to prevention. In many ways, a systematic medical examination is beneficial. Regular medical examinations allow timely identification of children who are experiencing problems with digestion, the work of the thyroid gland.
A balanced and proper diet, saturated with everything necessary for proper metabolism and metabolism, will help protect a child from baldness. Boys need to get their hair cut on time, and girls should not weave too tight pigtails, which disrupt the blood circulation of the layers of the scalp.
If your child has weak, thin and vulnerable hair from birth, it is important to wash it not too often: washing the head twice a week is considered optimal. More frequent washing leads to a violation of the condition of the scalp, to disruption of the sebaceous glands. It is important to timely and correctly treat digestive disorders, constipation.
You will learn more about the causes of alopecia and its treatment in the next video.
