Written by Gayathri Lakshminarayanan
Our immune system develops every day. It serves as a guardian to fight against viruses and bacteria and ensures that we have good immunity. What if the immune system strikes at the wrong enemy? This is what happens when a child suffers from a condition called Alopecia Areata, which is when the immune system attacks its power erroneously at the hair follicles resulting in hair loss. Let’s discuss Alopecia Areata in children in more detail, along with its symptoms, causes, and treatment.
As mentioned above, Alopecia Areata is a medical condition in which the immune system attacks the little ones’ hair follicles by mistake, resulting in hair loss in kids. The experts have not yet found the reason for the wrong attack, but the damage is neither profoundly severe nor permanent. Though most hair loss in children is on the scalp, random bald spots in the head or scalp may sometimes affect the hair follicles in the face and other parts of the body.
Alopecia in children takes different forms, from mild to severe:
Indicated by continuous hair loss with a patchy scalp for a prolonged period.
Affects the entire scalp, and hair loss occurs across the scalp.
Hair fall occurs wherever there is hair growth in the body, including pubic hair. It is also known as advanced Alopecia Totalis.
It resembles a normal hair loss phase, where the hair gets thin all over the scalp. It is generally hard to diagnose.
It is a different kind of Alopecia that affects the lower back and sides of the scalp forming a band pattern. It is a progressive condition and does not respond efficiently to the medications.
Kids can get Alopecia Areata in any of the following ways:
Let’s look more into the causes of Alopecia Areata in children.
Many experts have undergone much research and are not very sure of what causes of Alopecia Areata. However, with the history and trend of the cases among children, the probable Alopecia causes in children may be classified into two types – Medical Causes and Non-medical Causes.
It is imperative to keep our eyes wide open even to the small changes in our kids as parents. When it comes to Alopecia symptoms, don’t forget to look out for the following:
A clinically approved dermoscopy diagnoses the Alopecia Areata. It includes the following methods of diagnosis:
Hair is one of the easily taken for granted parts of the human body. Many of us take hair fall very quickly and wait for it to grow back. But, it is essential to diagnose the reason for hair fall among kids and treat them early. They may have to undergo the following Alopecia treatments depending upon the type and intensity of the disease. They help to stop Alopecia Areata from spreading.
It is a foamy solution used to treat the hair fall issues of male pattern baldness.
Taking corticosteroids in the scalp or skin every 4 to 6 weeks.
Anti-inflammatory cream applied directly into the skin or scalp.
Strikes the allergic reaction in the scalp.
A cream is applied directly into the scalp or skin, creating inflammation leaving red and irritated scalp or skin.
Food is the best medicine when consumed in the right proportion. Following a proper diet is very important to treat Alopecia Areata in children:
We all know “Prevention is better than cure.” But, without knowing the actual cause of the disease, it is undoubtedly challenging to prevent Alopecia Areata in children. There may be several factors associated with it. But the existence of any of the factors discussed in the “Causes” section above does not compulsorily warrant the hair condition. This makes it challenging to prevent. However, you need to ensure that your child is not psychologically stressed about it or being bullied in school.
The straightforward answer is Yes. With early diagnosis and proper treatment, this is undoubtedly an easily curable disease. There is a high chance of hair regrowth, and so consult your doctor for treatment.
Alopecia Areata is not as scary as the name sounds. Detect early and treat well for a healthy life.
Gayathri’s passion for writing had its foundation at the very early stages of her life when she was on her college editorial board and also won several awards for writing events and book review competitions. She combines her corporate experience with her writing skills and her experience as a homemaker makes her an empathetic contributor in the parenting domain . Her shift from full-time accounting professional to a homemaker gave her career a new direction.Read more.
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