By Dr. Linda Amerson
www.hairandscalpessentials.com
Mothers, medical professionals, and hair loss experts have concern and compassion when children experience loss of strands of any kind. Based on science and genetics, the hair growth progression varies per child. For example, there may be nutritional malabsorption, systemic diseases, trauma to the scalp, trichotillomania, scalp burn, hair shaft defect or alopecia areata to name a few. Put simply, when hair loss occurs in children, it indicates an imbalance within their maturing system.
Wigs for children ages 2-12 have increased in availability from nonprofit organizations and hairstylists who create a custom design. Teenagers 13-19 also wear wigs for medical reasons, and glamour photoshoots. Improving the self-esteem and confidence of youth is vital in the current worldwide bully epidemic. Parents should talk to their kids, and if necessary use correction officer methods, to ensure their child is not a bully.
Most children do not understand there could be a medical condition, as the reason their peer is wearing a wig. Over the past several years, there have been many reported cases from kids and parents contacting the media, where a wig was pulled off, or a teacher has taken the wig off of a child’s head in front of the entire class. Humiliating the child! Resulting in the child no longer wanting to attend school.
If your child wears a wig, for whatever reason, make sure they keep their scalp clean by shampooing regularly. A scalp odor may occur from a dirty, sweaty scalp. Help is available! Several nonprofit organizations are making a difference. They accept natural hair donations, to offer a custom free wig to children with medically induced hair loss. In addition, annual camps for children with hair loss to have fun with peers are available
• Wigs for Kids
• Helping Children With Hair Loss (CWHL)
• Locs of Love
• A Child’s Voice Foundation
• Hair Aid – Australia Alopecia Areata Foundation Inc.
• Children’s Alopecia Project (CAP) hosts annual camps Alopecia World is a website platform for questions and answers, where consumers are diagnosed or going through alopecia conditions. It is non-medical.
We offer a Virtual Consultation and microscopic analysis to use science…Getting to the Root of the Problem. Call for an appointment.