Alopecia in children

Introduction to Alopecia in Children

Alopecia areata is a condition that affects the skin and hair growth and it is the most common reason for a child that has problems with hair loss.

In children it can progress into a stage of complete hair loss on the head, face and entire body and there is no cure for the condition in children.

However, there is treatment that can help to grow the hair back.

It is a disease that affects the hair follicles and the part of the skin from which the hair grows. IN the U.S. alone, alopecia areata affects four million people, both men and women of all ages and backgrounds.

Symptoms

The most common symptom is obviously hair loss. First, he hair will begin to fall out in small and round patches that are about the size of a quarter. In some cases children will only lose some of their hair, but in other cases, all of the hair might fall out.

However, it is uncommon for the condition to progress to the point of a child losing all of its hair on the entire body.

Causes

It is usually considered an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body instead of protecting it as it should.

In alopecia areata, the immune system will attack the hair follicles, which lead to hair falling out of the scalp and other places on the body.

It is possible that the condition is inherited, but it is not very likely. Most children with the condition do not have parents with the disease, and a majority of parents with alopecia do not pass it to their children.

Scientists believe that it may have to due with a number of genes that are predisposed for certain people who will get the disease.

Even if the child inherits these genes, they may not develop the disease. There was a cases in which identical twins were born where one developed alopecia and the other did not. This shows that there are other factors other than genes and heredity that cause such problems. Treatment

Unfortunately, there are not treatments for alopecia areata in children and there is no medication that has been approved by medical professionals for treatment. However, there are medicine that doctors can prescribe that will help to grow the hair back in some cases, though this does not always work either.

Treatment for the condition usually involves ointments and creams and other topical medicines that can be used to try and stimulate the growth of new hair.