J Am Acad Dermatol 2006 55:438-441.How body hair develops during and after puberty varies from person to person. Alopecia areata: a long term follow-up study of 191 patients. Juvenile versus maturity-onset alopecia areata- A comparative retrospective clinical study. Me: What would you say to another child who develops alopecia areata?Īlex: I would say: It’s okay. Me: Are you excited about the CAP event at the Houston Zoo? I met other girls with alopecia and we became friends. Me: What helped you to feel better about your alopecia?Īlex: I started wearing headbands and I got my ears pierced and that made me feel like a girl. But then it turned out to be not so scary. With her parents’ permission, I had a delightful conversation with Alexandra (“Alex”) Schoener (age 8) about her alopecia areata: Me: Alex, how did you feel when you first developed alopecia areata?Īlex: It was kinda scary. For more information and to RSVP, please contact Stacy Schoener. The Houston chapter of CAP is led by Stacy Schoener (e-mail: On January 19, 2013, the CAP Kid Houston Group will host a gathering at the Houston Zoo. The National Alopecia Areata Foundation and the Children’s Alopecia Project (CAP) are national organizations dedicated to raising awareness of alopecia areata and providing support for affected children and their families. Locks of Love is an organization that provides quality hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children. However, quality human hair prostheses can be expensive. More severely affected children may want to consider a hairpiece. Psychological support and counseling are available and are often helpful.Ĭhildren may benefit from camouflage techniques, including special hairstyles, headbands, scarves and hats. Parents may experience a wide range of emotions, including fear, anger, frustration, sadness and guilt. Children may experience teasing or bullying by their peers. Systemic steroids have been helpful for some patients, but are generally not recommended due to the high risk of potentially serious side effects.ĭepending on the age of the child and the extent of the hair loss, alopecia areata can be very psychologically disturbing. Excimer laser therapy has shown some efficacy, but is not yet widely available and is expensive. Other topical therapies include minoxidil, anthralin, and a variety of chemicals known as “contact sensitizers” that may stimulate hair growth via poorly understood effects on local immune cells. Intradermal steroid injections may also be used, but generally have limited efficacy and are too uncomfortable for most children to tolerate. The most commonly employed treatment for limited involvement is application of topical steroids. Unfortunately, there is no definitive cure for alopecia areata. Roughly 30% of patients may experience future episodes of hair loss. 3 A smaller percentage may progress to complete loss of scalp hair and will be less likely to recover completely. In patients with limited involvement, spontaneous regrowth is estimated to occur in up to 50% within 1 year. The course of alopecia areata is chronic and difficult to predict. Rarely, a skin biopsy may be needed to confirm the diagnosis. Rarely, the nails may be severely affected with discoloration, fragility and ridging.Īlopecia areata is usually a clinical diagnosis, based on the pattern and history of the hair loss. The most common change is a fine stippling or "pitting" on the surface of the nails. Some children may have associated nail abnormalities. Fortunately, most children will experience limited hair loss. Rarely, hair loss may progress to involve the entire scalp (alopecia totalis) or the entire body (alopecia universalis). Most children with alopecia areata are healthy, but it can sometimes occur in the setting of other autoimmune disorders, particularly thyroid conditions.Īlopecia areata usually presents on the scalp, but any body hair can be affected. Although a stressful event may precede the onset in some cases, it is likely that affected individuals possess an underlying genetic susceptibility. 2 The underlying cause is not well-understood, but appears to involve localized inflammation affecting the hair follicles. 1 Although it can occur at any age, up to 65% of patients experience their first episode before the age of 16. It is a relatively common condition, affecting up to 0.2% of the population. Alopecia areata often appears suddenly, with 1 or more well defined round or oval patches of hair loss.
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