for the majority of children suffering hair loss one of the following conditions is the cause. your child's pediatrician or a pediatric dermatologist should be able to diagnose these conditions and prescribe the appropriate treatment. tinea capitis. tinea capitis commonly known as ringworm of the scalp is a fungal infection often seen in children. it can show up in a number of ways but often as scaly patches of hair loss on the head. the patches are usually round or oval. the hairs may be broken off at the surface of the skin and look like black dots on the scalp. because ringworm is contagious your child should be careful not to share any objects that touch the head such as hats pillow cases or brushes. alopecia areata. alopecia areata is a non-contagious condition of hair loss thought to be caused by the body's immune system attacking the hair follicles. it is characterized by the sudden appearance of round or oval patches of hair loss. the patches are slick or smooth without scaling or broken hairs. about 25% of children also have pitting and ridging of the nails. while there is no cure for alopecia areata treatment can control the disease in some children. many have their hair back within a year although regrowth is unpredictable and many will lose hair again. for about 5% of children the disease progresses to alopecia totalis -- loss of all of the hair on the scalp. some of these will develop alopecia universalis -- a total loss of body hair. trichotillomania. trichotillomania is hair loss caused by pulling plucking twisting or rubbing. the hair loss is patchy and characterized by broken hairs of varying length. patches are typically seen on the side of the child's dominant hand. trichotillomania may be triggered by a stressor in your child's life such as the loss of a grandparent birth of a sibling or a divorce. if you notice your child pulling hair scolding will not likely be helpful. however counseling to help your child deal with the source of stress that triggered the habit may help stop it. telogen effluvium. telogen effluvium is a condition in which a sudden or severe stress -- such as extremely high fever surgery under general anesthesia the death of a loved one a severe injury or the use of certain prescription medications -- interrupts the normal cycle of hair growth. the hair follicles stop growing prematurely and enter a resting phase (called the telogen phase). between six and 16 weeks later hair sheds excessively leading to partial or complete baldness. there are no conclusive tests to diagnose telogen effluvium; there is also no treatment for it. however once the stressful event is over full hair growth usually returns within six months to a year. nutritional deficiency. though less common hair loss can be a symptom of deficiencies in certain nutrients including: vitamin h or biotin one of the b complex of vitamins which help the body to convert carbohydrates into glucose to fuel the body. zinc an essential mineral involved in numerous aspects of cellular metabolism. it also supports normal growth and development during pregnancy childhood and adolescence. in some cases hair loss can be a symptom of too much vitamin a. with a healthy varied diet most children will not experience nutritional deficiencies that lead to hair loss. however if you suspect a problem speak to your child's doctor before giving nutritional supplements. endocrine problems. in some children the cause of hair loss is hypothyroidism a condition in which the thyroid is underactive and is producing an insufficient amount of thyroid hormones required for regulating metabolism. a diagnosis of hypothyroidism is made by a blood test and possibly a scan of the thyroid gland.
what are the medical causes of hair loss in children?