Alopecia Areata in Children - Signs & Treatment
Alopecia areata affects people of all ages but the incidence is higher among children. (Source: Wiley Online Library) As they grow up, accepting hair disease becomes difficult for them. And it affects their self-confidence. Read on to understand this better.
What is alopecia areata?
An auto-immune disease (a disease affecting one’s own immune system), alopecia areata results in patchy hair loss. It means hair falls off the scalp in patches, leaving bald spots. It is very rare in babies who are less than 18 months of age. While it can happen at any age, the initial signs are to be expected to appear later in childhood. (Source: International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN))
Causes
Alopecia areata occurs when your child’s immune system attacks growing hair follicles. Consequently, the hair growth slows down and no hair grows out of the follicle for months or even years. Nevertheless, it should be remembered that in most cases, this damage is not permanent.
Symptoms
Alopecia areata doesn’t come with any painful symptoms. Here’s what you need to be on the lookout to classify alopecia areata:
- Hair falling from the child’s scalp in small and round patches
- Bald patches leading to complete baldness
- Hair loss from the child’s body
The symptoms differ from one patient to another.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing alopecia areata is probably one of the easiest things for a hair expert, because the appearance of bald patches is so apparent and distinct. Nevertheless, physical examination can help the doctors to understand the condition better. The diagnosis will be based on the medical history to rule out the underlying medical conditions that cause alopecia areata. The doctor will conduct a painless video microscopy test. This magnifies the hair follicle and scalp up to 200 times. This test will show the following:
- Hair density
- Thickness of an individual hair strand
- Condition of hair strands
- Condition of the scalp
Why choose homeopathy for alopecia treatment?
- Homeopathy targets the root cause of patchy hair loss, which helps in slowing down hair loss.
- Homeopathic medicines offer excellent relief in case of disorders that are triggered by an abnormal immune response by the body. These medications are good to improve the immunity. This prevents the immune system from attacking the hair follicles.
- Alopecia treatment in homeopathy efficiently treats other fundamental causes of patchy hair loss such as nutritional deficiencies and hormonal imbalances.
- Homeopathy treatment promotes hair regrowth, controls the progress and the spread of bald spots to other regions.
- Homeopathic medicines are made from natural ingredients and are free from any toxic side-effects.
- The remedies for alopecia areata are selected and customised based on medical history.
You might want to read more on Homeopathy - The best solution for hair loss in patches.
Raj visited Dr Batra’s® hair clinic as his daughter Ritika was suffering from alopecia areata for six months. She had one circular patch about half an inch, on the back side of the scalp. She had severe hair loss too. She had taken conventional treatments but there was no substantial improvement. After starting our homeopathy treatment for alopecia, she states that she feels much better and her hair has started growing thick.
If your toddler experiences hair loss, it is advisable to consult a homeopath for a complete diagnosis. You can book an online appointment using https://www.drbatras.com/book-an-appointment.
