Hair Loss in Children

As the parent of a child suffering from hair loss, you want the safest solution to your child's problem. However there is a lot of conflicting data on the web.

The good news is that in many children with alopecia hair loss, a small patch can correct itself without treatment. In many children it reverses on its own and may be gone for ever. In some cases the childs alopecia may return at a later date. There is currently no way of being certain.

However the dilemma that a parent such as you faces is that in many children the patch (or patches) can spread rampantly and may extend to the eyebrows and eye lashes too. So it is difficult to just wait and hope that in your child it stays contained.

That is why we encourage parents of such children with alopecia hair loss to seek help as fast as possible. The standard medical treatment is Corticosteroids which act on the immune system by blocking the production of substances that trigger allergic and inflammatory actions.

However, they also impede the function of white blood cells which destroy foreign bodies and help keep the immune system functioning properly. This immune supression increases susceptibility to infection so this is not a treatment that can be used over a prolonged period of time.

So all in all, seek medical advice as early as you can.

Where can I get help?

The National Alopecia Areata Foundation (www.naaf.org ) was founded in 1981 when a young Californian with the disease looked for others to share and understand her problems. It has grown into the world center of alopecia areata information, research, and service. Located in San Rafael, California, the Foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and has a professional Chief Executive Officer and staff. The Foundation is represented in Washington, D.C., and the Chief Executive Officer and others have testified before Congressional Committees.