Alopecia in children: causes and treatment. Focal and total alopecia in children

Certainly, sudden hair loss in a child -this is an alarming symptom for his parents, primarily because usually at this age it is nonsense. However, it should be emphasized that alopecia in children is not so rare. The only thing that can calm down a little in this situation is the fact that at a young age the hair grows with time. So why such a disease, as alopecia, in children still has a place to be? The fact that the causes of baldness can be called a lot. At the slightest signs of baldness, you need to turn to the pediatrician, who, together with other specialists (trichologist, neurologist), will appoint the right treatment.

So, let's turn to the practical consideration of the question of why there is alopecia in children.

Causes

One of the most common explanations for why a child has hair falling out is the presence of a cancer.

It should be emphasized that although a cancerous tumorand is the root of the problem, but often the cause of child alopecia are precisely the drugs that are aimed at treating oncology.

Alopecia in children, the cause of which candiagnose only an experienced specialist, often has a telogen nature. As a rule, this type of alopecia most often occurs in a child who on the eve of a surgical operation and experienced emotional stress on its background. As a result, he began to lose weight and he often began to rise temperature.

In toddlers suffering from telogenous alopecia, bothNormally, hair loss occurs continuously for several months. However, six months after the peak stage of the disease, the hair in the balding areas begins to grow again.

Trichologists explain this by the fact that for the stress factor comes the stage of rest: it is replaced by a factor of active growth.

Symptoms

Alopecia in children is a consequence of thisa common ailment like ringworm of the scalp. Its signs are easy to define: scaly fringes, itching and hair loss. However, this does not mean that ringworm is accompanied only by these symptoms. It also happens that the peeling and itching are absent, but the hair does not fall out, but becomes brittle. All this also indicates that a person is infected with ringworm.

A variety of infections, the sources of whichare pathogenic bacteria, can also provoke baldness, while scientifically this is called "dermatomycosis of the scalp, accompanied by peeling." The cause of the above ailment is staphylococcus aureaus.

Characteristics of some types of alopecia

Trichologists distinguish another type of alopecia - the so-called "traction alopecia", when the hairline at the back of the head thinens.

As a rule, this happens to babies, whenthey constantly rub their head against the crib. Alopecia traction often occurs in children who regularly fill their hair with tight braids and tails. This disease is more typical of girls.

Also specialists are a kind of baldnessconsider focal (alimentary) alopecia, which is an autoimmune pathology, characterized by complete loss of hair on both round and oval areas of the head. A sign of this variation of the disease is absolutely smooth skin without any redness and dandruff. However, in patients suffering from alopecia areata, there are unusual for the healthy person grooves on the nails. As a rule, this disease is diagnosed in patients not older than 25 years.

It should be emphasized that alopecia areata in children - not the most dangerous type of baldness: over time, hair begins to grow on their own.

Where more significant damage to health causescomplete baldness of skin. Total alopecia in children is characterized by an absolute loss of hair, not only on the head, but also on eyelashes and eyebrows. It should be noted that the period of remission lasts a very long time, while the hair cells are destroyed under the action of a special substance - perforin, secreted by blood lymphocytes. As the treatment of this pathology, immunosuppressive drugs (cyclosporine, corticosteroid hormones) are used.

Other factors contributing to hair loss

In addition to the above reasons, there is stilla huge arsenal of others: prolonged depression, poor heredity, adverse ecology and so on. Some types of pathologies can also lead to the fact that doctors detect baldness in a small child. They include, first of all: thyroid gland diseases, lupus erythematosus, iron deficiency anemia, an excess of vitamin A, diabetes mellitus.

Treatment: general recommendations

Today, medicine has not yet revealed all the secrets of why a person is bald. At the same time, science can offer a fairly solid set of drugs and remedies that eliminate the problem in question.

Treatment of alopecia in children is by no meansshould be carried out without the qualified help of a doctor. Today, trichologists have concentrated tremendous efforts to create new, modern and at the same time highly effective drugs that eliminate hair loss.

In the fight against childish baldness very oftenthe waiting method is applied. In other words, the doctor offers parents a little delay with treatment, since the exact diagnosis has not yet been made: it happens that in a year the hairline is restored on its own. However, such cases do not occur very often. In particular, it is focal alopecia in children, whose treatment may well include a waiting method, since the hair in problem areas subsequently grow on their own.

The specificity of treatment depends on the diagnosis made

Anyway, but the doctor is obliged to put the exactdiagnosis of the patient's pathology. Often he does it together with his colleagues. In the treatment of each patient an individual approach should be used. What medications most often appear in the recipe for hair loss?

First of all, these are psychotropic drugs andnootropic drugs. To strengthen immunity trichologists are advised to consume as much as possible vitamins of groups A, B and E. Treatment of alopecia in children with complicated forms involves the use of special injections of medications that contribute to quality blood flow in problem areas. Since in them the hair follicles "stay" at rest, the trichologist's task is to activate his work.

Experts use the use of corticosteroids only with complicated forms of hair loss.

A very common way to combatbaldness is the use of the Darsonval apparatus and ultraviolet radiation on the affected skin. In some cases, to achieve an even greater effect, the aforementioned anti-alopecia remedies are combined with chemotherapy.

Do not self-medicate

Specialists very often prescribe in the fight against hair loss such a substance as artiline.

Without the doctor's recommendations, it can not be used,otherwise, its incorrect application can provoke a severe form of dermatitis. This method of treatment is considered one of the complex and time-consuming. Optimal use of it at home, but under the regular supervision of a physician.

Doctors are advised in certain cases asa method of treating alopecia in children to use immunomodulators. However, it is also important to emphasize that it is impossible to use them independently without consulting a specialist.

Conclusion

It must be remembered that the problemhair loss should be paid attention immediately, since hair is one of the main indicators of the state of health and save them - your "holy" duty.