“What is causing hair loss in my 4 year old?”
My daughter is 4 years old and is actually starting to lose her hair. It would be slight big pieces of hair, but she isn't presenting with any other symptoms. What is causing this to happen?
3 Answers
Hair loss can be do to a variety of issues, but very commonly presents in my younger patents due to stress, developmental delays, or frustration. There are also more clinical reasons such as alopecia, but I would suggest a visit with your pediatrician, to see whether this is behavioral or clinical.
There are many medical diseases that may cause hair loss, but the primary reason is alopecia areata, which is loss of hair by an autoimmune process in which the body mistakes hair follicles as foreign invaders. It will usually come back in a year or so, but I would recommend seeing a pediatric dermatologist to make sure you have the correct diagnosis and then seek treatment options.
Is she twisting or pulling her hair, this can cause it to come out in clumps. If there are bald spots in the scalp, this can be alopecia and she would need treatment. If there is a scaly scalp, some fungus infections cause hair loss and would need treatment.
