What to do if your child has alopecia areata

There are many reasons for alopecia areata in children. First of all, it is definitely not caused by excessive fatigue or excessive mental stress, so the most likely cause is a decrease in the child's immunity. This disease must be treated as soon as possible, otherwise the child will experience psychological pressure. The premise of alopecia areata treatment is to ensure adequate rest and a reasonable and healthy diet. So how should alopecia areata in children be treated?

First: The onset of alopecia areata in children has its own characteristics. First and foremost, apart from panic, it is difficult to find the cause from other aspects of neuropsychiatric factors. Secondly, alopecia areata recurs frequently and can easily develop into total alopecia, which is more difficult to treat. In terms of the cause of the disease, we believe that insufficient congenital endowment and spleen and kidney deficiency are the main causes. The main principle of treatment should be to strengthen the spleen and kidney, and focus on regulating the spleen and stomach function to promote the biochemical source. Also pay attention to whether there are local bacterial or fungal infections, and use Chinese medicine external washing solutions for external treatment when necessary. The presence of infection can easily lead to the destruction of the hair follicles of children and recurrence of symptoms. Eliminating scalp inflammation is helpful in the treatment of alopecia areata in children.

Second: Alopecia areata in children is related to abnormal bone density. Alopecia areata in children, especially punctate and patchy alopecia, is closely related to abnormal bone density (BMD). In addition, decreased serum zinc and calcium levels and bad living habits are also related to the onset of alopecia areata in children.

Third: The osteoporosis rate in children with punctate alopecia was the highest, reaching 74.29%, followed by those with patchy alopecia, reaching 46.88%. The overall osteoporosis rate was 57.75%, which was significantly higher than the 13.04% in the adult group (P<0.001). 38.2% of children with alopecia areata had blood levels of trace elements zinc, iron and calcium below normal range, while this rate was 20.7% in adults with alopecia areata.

Precautions

Alopecia areata is a sudden onset of localized patchy hair loss. Generally, the prognosis is good for mild cases and poor for severe cases. About 50% of patients may relapse, and the exact cause of the disease is currently unclear. In recent years, the relationship between alopecia areata in children and imbalance of bone density and trace elements has attracted increasing attention from clinicians.