Help for child

4 year old losing hair

Dr. Weaver,

My 4 year old daughter is losing hair and I can't stop it! The dermatologist has givem me eczema oil for her scalp, but the loss is spreading. I have not been given a name for the condition, but it is quite vexing. I feel that my daughter is going to have to go completely bald before I know what to do. Please help!!!

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Apr 21, 2009
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4 year old with hair loss needs diagnosis
by: Seymour M. Weaver, III, M.D.

95% of children between the ages of 2 an 7 years of age who develop hair loss do so because of ringworm or fungus infections.

The most common version of this fungus infection causes the hair to break off at the skin surface leaving the appearance of black dots on the scalp.

If a scraping is taken from the scalp and examined to check for the presence of a fungus, spores can be observed inside of the hair shaft structure.

This condition usually requires oral medication for 4, 6, or 8 weeks to clear the infection. Once the infection is cleared, then it can take several months for the hair to regrow.

Eczema medication can actually cause a fungal infection to spread quicker.

So, the best next step for you to take is to have your daughter's scalp evaluated for a fungus infection.

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