Why does the child lose hair? This occurs as a result of damage to the follicles, as in adults, which is a completely natural process. However, in some cases there is increased hair loss. Such cases can signal a violation in the body and the appearance of serious health problems. That is why, when hair falls out in children, it is important to urgently identify the causes of the phenomenon and take appropriate measures.
Hair loss in infants
For the first time, parents have to face a problem during the infancy of their children. The main part of the day the baby is in a supine position. Intensive friction of the skin on all kinds of surfaces when turning the head leads to the formation of bald patches and bald patches. Soft fluffy hair rolls into lumps and falls out naturally.
If the hair falls out in children at this age, parents should not worry, associating such manifestations with serious diseases, provided that the general health of the baby is normal. Pretty soon, the old “fluff”, which came off the child’s head, is restored in the form of coarser hair.
Hair Loss in Preschool Children
The next period of active hair loss in babies is the age of 5-6 years. At this time, active hormonal transformations take place in the child's body, during which soft, thin hairs are replaced by more rigid "adults".
The indicated process proceeds in some babies completely imperceptibly for parents. Hair falls out gradually. In their place, others quickly arise. If the child has severe hair loss during this period, most likely the cause may be their tangling in lumps. Therefore, in order to avoid such manifestations, parents should provide the baby with careful care.
Hair loss in children 6-8 years old
Hair loss by children at this age is a separate matter. During this period, children have to adapt to school, adult rules, increased physical and mental stress. Being in constant stress often causes profuse hair loss.
The main reason for hair loss at this age is excessive tonus and overstrain of tissues, which results in pinching of the hair follicles and, accordingly, interruptions with proper nutrition of growing hairs. However, sometimes qualified medical care is required to eliminate profuse baldness. Next, we consider what to do if the child has hair loss, the causes of such manifestations.
What should not be done to eliminate baldness in a child?
There are a number of common methods that parents resort to trying to improve their children's hair condition. However, most of them make no sense. Let's look at what should not be done if the hair falls out in children:
- Cut the baby bald. Each baby gradually forms an idea of their own appearance. Repeated haircuts bald in order to improve the condition of the hair after periods of wearing long curls does not lead to anything positive. Such actions cause only discomfort in babies, especially in girls.
- The use of tar, oils and plant extracts. Regular application of the latter to sensitive baby skin not only brings little benefit, but can also cause chemical burns. The vast majority of healing oils and extracts are forbidden to use for the care of children's hair. Some of them cause allergic reactions.
- The use of therapeutic cosmetic preparations. Hair falls in children and adults for various reasons. Based on this, certain therapeutic agents should be used only on the basis of the true etiology of the disease.
Ringworm
It is one of the most common causes of profuse hair loss in babies. At the root of the problem is a fungal infection that affects healthy follicles.
On the head of children who suffer from ringworm, characteristic bald spots arise with broken off and fallen hair. These areas are oval or round.
The optimal solution for identifying the disease is visiting a qualified specialist, taking a skin scraping and examining the sample under a microscope.
Eradicating ringworm allows the use of appropriate antifungal medications. Additionally, special shampoos are used to restore the hairline.
Alopecia areata
As in the previous case, the manifestations here are the formation on the skin of bald areas of a rounded shape. The latter have no signs of inflammation and appear completely smooth. Moreover, extensive affected areas may appear within a day.
The reason for the development of alopecia areata is considered to be a decrease in immunity. As practice shows, most bald spots with high-quality treatment overgrow hair for several months. Unfortunately, there is still no single drug that can eliminate alopecia areata. The only right decision here is a proper, balanced diet, intake of vitamin complexes.
Hair follicle injury
This is another common problem that causes a child to lose hair. The reasons for this phenomenon lie in the excessive tension of the hair. Regular weaving of tight braids, all kinds of tails - all this leads to injuries of the hair rods.
Often, children themselves do harm to themselves, suffering from the so-called trichotillomania, which is expressed by the habit of pulling their own hair. Most often, such a diagnosis is obvious to the parents themselves, since it is not difficult to trace such actions. To eliminate the problem allows behavioral therapy, the use of relaxing psychological techniques.
The child has hair loss - what to do?
To solve the problem, to begin with, it is worth identifying its real cause. Parents should consult a pediatrician, conduct appropriate examinations, and do tests. In general, the following measures can help improve the situation:
- Proper hair care. Only hypoallergenic shampoos, natural-based products should be purchased. To keep the baby's hair in good condition, just washing your hair several times a week is enough.
- Nutrition - the child should consume a plentiful amount of food, saturated with vitamins and minerals necessary for hair growth. Fruits and vegetables, berries, dairy products, meat and fish, cereals, and legumes must be included in the diet.
- The mental state of the baby. As already noted above, if a child's hair falls out a month, the amount of which does not correspond to the concept of the norm, this can be caused by a deterioration in moral condition. To avoid such manifestations, it is worth spending more time with the baby, surround him with attention and care. In extreme cases, you can seek help from a child psychologist.
- The use of traditional medicine is a good solution for restoring lost hair. Effective remedies here are: kefir, chamomile broth, almond oil. However, healing masks should be kept on the child’s head for no more than 20 minutes, carefully observing the skin reaction. Otherwise, redness and allergic reactions may occur.
Finally
As you can see, in most cases, the causes of hair loss by babies are quite harmless. Therefore, in order to avoid causing harm to the health of your own child, you should first contact a specialist. In fact, it is better to be safe again. After all, hair loss is often a consequence of the development of serious diseases.