3 types of Alopecia that affect kids
Alopecia is a broad term that refers to hair loss in general. When hair loss happens to kids, it’s usually the autoimmune kind, meaning that it is immune-related.
1. Alopecia Areata
The most common type, this usually starts with bald patches on the scalp.
Variations of Alopecia Areata:
– Ophiasis: Hair loss happens along the sides and back of the scalp.
– Sisaipho: The reverse of ophiasis—hair loss affects the top of the scalp while the edges remain intact.
– Diffuse Alopecia Areata: Instead of patches, hair thins evenly across the scalp, often mistaken for other types of hair loss.
2. Alopecia Totalis
When hair loss progresses to the entire scalp.
3. Alopecia Universalis
Complete hair loss across the scalp and body, including eyebrows and eyelashes.
If you see a doctor, they won’t know what causes it, and sometimes they would *guess*… “it’s probably stress” or “your child may be pulling their hair out”. 🤦🏻♀️
Stress affects our immune response, so yes, stress would have an effect, but is not the sole cause for autoimmune types of Alopecia.
Some people do develop patches of hair loss from physical pulling of the hair (including those from super tight hairstyles), but that’s a totally different kind of Alopecia which is much more straightforward and NOT what we’re dealing with here.
Regardless of which of the 3 types of autoimmune Alopecia you’re dealing with, I want to comfort you by saying that THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO. We don’t hear this enough, certainly not from the 🧑⚕️🩺.
* This post is for informational purposes and is not a medical diagnosis. Please consult your own doctor for your specific circumstance.