Hair Loss in Children : Nearly two million children suffer from hair loss in the United States. Hair loss in children can result from various conditions, including:

Tinea capitis, a fungal infection and the most common cause of childhood hair loss.
Trauma resulting from traction, friction, or trichotillomania.
Telogen effluvium, confusion within the growth cycle of the hair follicle.
Cancer treatment, including radiation or chemotherapy
Alopecia, an autoimmune disorder

Most of these causes of childhood hair loss are finite. However, the cause of ongoing hair loss in children is usually one of three forms of alopecia: alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, or alopecia universalis. Alopecia areata causes patchy scalp hair loss in children, alopecia totalis causes total scalp hair loss in children, and alopecia universalis causes children a loss if all body hair. Luckily, the odds are in favor of recovery without treatment, as 60% of alopecia cases causing hair loss in children will resolve naturally. As if the child has outgrown the condition. However, the remaining 40% diagnosed with alopecia will not outgrow it, and will require treatment.

What Is Alopecia Areata?

Alopecia areata can affect men, women, and children. It is an autoimmune disorder in which the body treats the hair follicles as foreign matter. Like any illness or infection, the body fights to get rid of what it does not recognize. Thus, hair loss in children begins. The disorder sets in quickly and unexpectedly; completely bald patches can appear in a matter of days or even overnight. Alopecia areata can lead to alopecia totalis or alopecia universalis. Although research shows that alopecia universalis also involves a gene mutation. Alopecia is a volatile disorder, with unpredictable cycles of hair loss and remission.

Hair Loss in Children : Is There A Cure?

There is no cure for childhood hair loss caused by alopecia, nor any FDA approved treatments or medications. However, there are off-label drugs being prescribed that have promoted hair growth in certain percentages of those afflicted. These medications may help relieve hair loss in children, but as of yet, there is no treatment to guarantee permanent re-growth.