My children are losing their hair. Please help!

[gemini_girl]

Why do children loose their hair?
This has been going on for about a year now and I have seen doctors, speacilists, had skin scrapings, used creams, changed shampoo and conditioner but nothing is working.
My daughter was first to start loosing her hair. She lost it in small patches at first. It started to grow back only to loose it again. She is now having to wear a hat to cover it because she has almost no hair left at the top of her head. It is also starting to thin towards the back and the sides.
My son, well from the front he looks as though someone has taken the clippers to his head before a power failure occured or something similar. From the back he has some hair starting to grow back again, but this is what it did a couple months ago before it all fell out again.
My son is not to fussed about it, but other kids seem a little concerned, especially when they first meet him.
We have another appointment with a different specialist which I'm hoping it's not going to be a repeat of what I have already been told. "It's just one of those things" as that coment is getting old, and it doesn't help them socially.
I was told to wait 3 months, it's been a year, how long will this go on for?
if anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them please.

[Olive]

my 3yr old has had some issues with hair breaking/falling out but certainly not to that extent. i asked at my health food shop about it and they said she is deficient in silica, so shes now on silica daily, maybe look into that

[gemini_girl]

Thank you Olive, I have just done a quick google search for silica and was quite interested in what came up. Some of this other stuff mentioned that I am already aware of with my son. So thanks again!

[YoYo]

There is a condition called Alopecia where people lose their hair.....could it be that?

Hope that isn't too scary! I'm not sure if it effects littlies

[gemini_girl]

Olive how long has your daughter been on silica and has it made any difference?

[RhiChiChi]

Hey there,

I had issues with hair loss, well more brittle hair/not growing when I was young and it was just before I hit puberty that it really started to grow. I had too tried Naturopaths, Chinese Medicine etc... and once I stopped worrying about it, it started to grow. My hair is now really healthy & thick.

Sometimes stress can also cause hair to fall out

[smiles4u]

Just make sure your seeing a Trichologist and not a dermatologist for hair loss, many GP's make the mistake in sending people to dermatologist when it's a Trichologist they need to see.

[squidipa]

personally i know that stress can do that but thats VERY un likley with your children keep pushing to get it sorted out 's to all

[briggsy's girl]

have you been referred to an endocrinologist in amongst all the specialists? they are the docs that focus on hormones and may be able to tell you if there is an imbalance there. i have alopecia (a term used to describe the hair loss, not a cause) due to hormonal irregularity. there is something i can take to correct it but not until i am sure i don't want any more children as it inhibits a certain hormone group and would be harmful to a developing fetus

[gemini_girl]

Thanks smiles I will take note of that as it is a dermatologist that we were referred to. No I wasn't joking about going to a hair-loss clinic.Hubby and I are tired of getting the same answer from different doctors. I have been asked from the school what is happening with him. It sometimes feels as though they're concerned he has some sort of contagious disease that needs to be addressed.

I don't think it is stress, with my daughter it could be possible, but, highly unlikely with my son.

I will take that advice to, thanks Briggsy's Girl

[smiles4u]

sounds like could be alopecia like BG pointed out but not sure if can in so young (my Mum has had alopecia for many years, to the point of no hair at all ... at least there is some level of help these days unlike it was for her many years ago in the 1970's).

... keep in mind what BG has suggested too, anything could be possible and sounds like you are keen to cover all grounds !!

(BG ... i didn't have alopecia but did go through a stage of female pattern baldness (patchy hair, though i can get alopecia in the eyebrows) about 7years ago and using prescribed solution for it which worked but sadly i didn't know i was in the early days of pregnancy and therefore resulted in m/c ... no hair is worth the loss of a fetus/bub but for me i didn't know at the time and wasn't warned by the specialist ... So glad your holding off with it there for that reason.)

[Claire_A]

A friends brother developed alopecia when he was in primary school (I think he was about 10 from memory), so it does affect children as well. Fingers crossed you can get some answers soon x

[briggsy's girl]

(BG ... i didn't have alopecia but did go through a stage of female pattern baldness (patchy hair, though i can get alopecia in the eyebrows) about 7years ago and using prescribed solution for it which worked but sadly i didn't know i was in the early days of pregnancy and therefore resulted in m/c ... no hair is worth the loss of a fetus/bub but for me i didn't know at the time and wasn't warned by the specialist ... So glad your holding off with it there for that reason.)

i seriously considered just about everything a couple of years ago - my self esteem was even further in the toilet than it is now - but i realised the life of a potential child is much more important than my vanity. i'm thankful i was warned of the issues before i started any "treatment". i try to look at it that it's just another thing that makes me different now. i do have my down days about my appearance - but i look at DD and realise it's a small price to pay

i honestly don't know what i'd do if she started showing signs of this as a child. i completely understand the OP going through whatever is necessary for her children. the teasing and bullying that children cop for things like that can follow them for life (sigh - kids can be so unkind!)

[smiles4u]

oh BG my heart goes out to you in a huge way as i lived through it with my Mum, geez she would so understand how your feeling as she went through the same struggles as you, she too was young when it started ... and she developed agoraphobia years later, interesting enough her hair started to grow back many, many years later, fine but curly whereas her hair before was straight & thick before alopecia and she didn't mind the curls as it was easier to hide any patchy areas but sadly for her she never got over the agoraphobia. The alopecia for her was actually stress related, well that's what the Doc told her back in the early 1970's so who knows. Good thing is Mum became quite crafty with different techniques with scarves, i think it made her feel more secure too, as for wigs she tried them and couldn't stand wearing them, too hot & itchy, Mum could only afford the synthetic. When my sister lost her hair through chemo last year well Mum had a bigger scarf selection then any shop for my sis to chose from ... somehow they managed to find the humour in it ... but for my Mum & sis wearing a scarf it was because they seriously didn't have a strand of hair at all.

Bet my Mum would just love to give you a big hug Lee and a pep talk to follow to try not take notice of others and their narrow minds as it's what Mum taught us ... guess with what she went through has helped make me whom i am today If you ever wanna talk to my Mum BG i'm sure she would love to help BUT i'd warn you the phone call would be a 3hour minimum (no kidding, LOL wonder where i get the gift of the yak from)

" Gemini Girl " sorry for crashing your thread ... hope you don't mind xox

[nickle730]

Given the fact that both your children are affected, could the cause be environmental? Do they play outside a lot, rolling around or digging in the dirt? Perhaps the soil in your yard is contaminated with a pesticide or other chemical. Are any of your immediate neighbours affected? You can have your soil tested for a couple of hundred dollars if you think there is any possibility that this might be causing your kids hair loss.

Just throwing out the suggestion - maybe the problem is coming from outside your kids, not from inside! Good luck, gemini_girl, I really hope you find some answers.

[gemini_girl]

Smiles
" Gemini Girl " sorry for crashing your thread ... hope you don't mind xox
Lol Smiles, nevermind about that, we're all here for one another.

Nickle
could the cause be environmental?
The two do play outside in the dirt together with their toy cars. However, they did play in the dirt a lot before they started to loose their hair. It is a good point, and one well worth noting. I am getting together every bit of information I can. Thanks for your reply.

Once again, thank you all for your replies, your wonderful.

[gemini_girl]

Hi,
Just wanted to thank everyone for their help and support, I have just been to see a trichologist. The outcome is that my daughter it seems is pulling her hair out, but it could be weak hair also and is to be followed up with blood tests of Zinc, Iron and Vitamin D to test the levels.
My son it seems it is alopecia areata where his white blood cells are attacking his hair and I have been given tyrosine (a powder to mix with water twice a day).
So we'll see how we go now!

[smiles4u]

Hi,
Just wanted to thank everyone for their help and support, I have just been to see a trichologist. The outcome is that my daughter it seems is pulling her hair out, but it could be weak hair also and is to be followed up with blood tests of Zinc, Iron and Vitamin D to test the levels.
My son it seems it is alopecia areata where his white blood cells are attacking his hair and I have been given tyrosine (a powder to mix with water twice a day).
So we'll see how we go now!

... good to hear you have an idea what is happening now so at least now they can be treated. Wish i had better words of advice other then i remember my Mum saying she was a firm believer in making sure zinc was taken for herself when diagnosed with alopecia. I found out a several years ago i had alopecia areata in the eyebrows, where i would wake up in the morning to find patches of hairs missing but as time went by it got much better.

Please DO let us know how things go with your DD & DS