I experienced my first bald spot when I was about 8 years old. My family had moved twice, to two new towns, with new schools, within 12 months. As a child, I was stressed and anxiety ridden to make new friends and learn a new school, a new neighborhood. My surroundings were very important to me and I needed stability. Two moves in less than 12 months really upset me. I started to have hair loss, in patches. The bald patch started small, the size of a dime and grew to the size of a nickel, then a quarter.

My mother noticed when she put my hair in pig tails one day. I had not said anything. It felt funny when I touched it. A bald spot in the back of my head. I had very thick hair, so no one could see it, unless they were looking for it, or my hair was pulled into pig tails on either side of my head.

There are four main causes for child hair loss: ringworm, alopecia, and trichtomillia. The list below explains how each of these three causes looks so you can figure out which one it likely is for your child, or yourself.

Ringworm of the scalp presents with scaly skin where the hair used to be; its as if the skin could actually flake off. This requires diagnosis and a prescription for proper medication from a physician. Once the ringworm is treated, the hair will re-grow. There is an oral medication for it as well as a shampoo.

Trichtomillia presents with bald spots, however, there will also be broken hairs, short broken hairs, likely in the same area as the bald spot. This is generally caused by stress and pulling the hairs out is a way the child is coping with the stress.

Telogen Effluvium is a condition where the hair folicle simply stops regenerating itself for an unknown reason, likely stress. Little is known about this condition, the cause of this condition, or even treatment. Once the stressful event subsides, the hair will begin to regrow.

Alopecia appears as a smooth, bald spot where there is no hair. In the beginning the bald spot may look just like a slightly larger part in the hair. If the spot is very small, it is difficult to locate. Its when they become about the size of a small lima bean that I start to notice my bald spots. Mine continue to grow slowly until I start to treat them.

This article does not address ringworm, at all. This superficial fungal condition and needs to be diagnosed and treated by a physician. Trichtomillia is also a condition that I know very little about. There is a book on my website about it, mainly because I believe in providing answers to people. This article focuses on alopecia, particularly alopecia areata.

Alopecia is said to be hereditary, I have an aunt who also has alopecia. Hers, like mine, is brought on by stress. However, the cause or trigger of alopecia is unknown, as it seems to be triggered by a lot of different things.

There is no cure for alopecia, only treatment. There are several shampoos that can be used to help stimulate the hair and the hair follicles into re-growing hair. There is also an injection that can be used, by a dermatologist, directly into the bald spot. This is a treatment that works for me, it is a cortizone injection. Some dermatologists will not even bring up this injection, as it allegedly only works in 30 percent of those people who have alopecia. However, my current dermatologist, who almost refused to provide me the injection, now introduces it to everyone he sees, because, in his practice it is working in 60 percent of his patients. This is likely a simple coincidence, he is not a miracle worker and there is nothing about him that makes it work more. Were it not for me insisting on the cortizone injection treatment, others would not be having this success. Be an advocate for yourself and/or your child. See if it works.

When I get the injections, they are given to me once every 3 weeks. My hair starts to regrow after the first injection, around the edges of the bald spot. The hair is baby white and fine, at first. The second injection provides the middle of the bald spot the kick start it needs. The hair around the edges of the bald spot starts turning back to my normal auburn and growing throughout the spot. At the third injection, we may start seeing some other small spots pop up, and we treat those. I go in, one more time, to confirm that all spots have regrowth of hair and confirm that no new spots have started. If there are new spots, we start the process again.