Wednesday, February 20, 2013

What Can Cause Hair Loss In Infants

Hormones


Babies and mothers go through a myriad of hormonal changes. For the mother this happens during pregnancy, and a baby experiences this right after being born. In both situations, thinning hair can develop. This situation is not permanent and the hair that is thinning will grow back. But interestingly, the hair may be a completely different color when it does.


Telogen


Hair goes through growing stages or cycles as they are also called. There are actually three of them. They are called anagen, catagen and telogen. The anagen phase is when the hair is actually growing. This can last up to about three years. In the catagen phase, the hair has stopped growing, and it just remains dormant. In the telogen phase, the hair falls out and new growth begins. In a baby, the telogen phase lasts for about three months. When a baby is exposed to stress or fevers, a condition called telogen effluvium can develop, which causes the hair to shed prematurely.


Position


Some babies have a habit of sleeping a certain way or lying with their heads in a certain position such as in a car seat. In these situations, their head is constantly contacting a surface in the same place. This can cause hair to become thin and even lead to bald spots. Another thing that might occur is he might rub his head constantly in the same place, which can also lead to thinning.


Ringworm


Tinea capitis is the scientific name of a condition that often times strikes babies. In common terms, this condition is called ringworm. When a baby contracts ringworm, she can suffer symptoms that include bald spots on the scalp that are red, scaly and patchy looking. This is not life threatening or painful, but it is definitely contagious. There is another form of this that attacks the body and it is called tinea corporis.


Immune System


There is another condition that is characterized by bald spots on the head and even the rest of the body as well. It is called alopecia areata. This is an autoimmune disorder where a baby's own immune system will attack hair follicles thinking that there is an illness in the body. This will cause hair to fall out and produce new hair at a very slow rate.









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