Alopecia areata shows up as round or oval bald spots on the scalp with completely missing hair leaving smooth patches of skin. Most of the time, alopecia areata is limited to a few patches, and the hair will regrow and fill in the patches.

Treatments for alopecia areata can help when the hair doesn't regrow in a few months or a lot of the hair on the scalp is missing. The first step in treatment is with creams or ointments or lotions, such as steroid medicines, applied to the bald spots to decrease the immune system activity in those areas.

If the hair loss is widespread, it can be more difficult to treat. Luckily, new treatments are being studied all the time and some show good promise for more difficult alopecia areata.

When to see your pediatrician:

Most newborns and very young infants will lose hair after birth, so there's usually no need to see a doctor beyond regular checkups for this. However, discuss any ongoing hair loss that's affecting your child or teen with your pediatrician.

The doctor will look at your child's scalp and do a physical exam to help determine the cause of the hair loss. Sometimes bloodwork may be ordered and sent to a lab. For some children, a referral to a pediatric dermatologist may be needed.

For more information, go to HealthyChildren.org

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About Dr. Wallace

Keri Wallace, MD, FAAP is a board-certified pediatrician who has been a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) since 2001. Dr. Wallace is a general academic pediatrician at Connecticut Children's Medical Center in the Primary Care Center and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics for the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. Dr. Wallace has a special interest in pediatric dermatology and serves as a member on the Society of Pediatric Dermatology Education Committee and the AAP Section on Dermatology.

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