DS"'s hair is falling out - he is 3 should I worry?

[tutu100]

Today I realised ds2's hair is falling out in clumps. He is 3. At what point should I worry? Thought it could just be natural shedding, but there is a bald patch the size of a 10p piece on the left side of his head by the crown.

I feel a bit silly making dr's appointment at this point, but would there be anything they can do or will they tell me to wait and see if the hair loss continues?

Do you know for a fact that it's falling out, and it's not him pulling it out?

I'm fairly sure he's not pulling it out. Discovered a clump on the floor this afternoon and then when I went to checked his head as I parted the hair it was falling out in small clumps, litterally i could brush my hand down his hair and it was shedding onto his shoulders.

Ds2's hair is about 2-3 inches long. The hair that fell out didn't seem to have any follicle or anything on the end s of it.

I work for the NHS but this does not make me an expert in any way.

It could possibly be an auto-immune disease, but probably (hopeful here) could be ringworm. Do visit your GP, as he can give you a proper diagnosis.

I'll make an appointment then. I was worried it might be a bit premature, but it's really freaked me out, and now I keep finding hair everywhere!

Poor little boy, I hope you get it sorted out soon

Thanks. It just seems so random, but it come on so suddenly.

Good luck.

He may just need an iron supplement. My DS's hair thinned rapidly at about the same age and he was found to be short of ferritin (although interestingly his blood iron level, haemoglobin, was fine). He had a course of iron for about three months and has been fine since (he is now 12 with lovely thick hair). I think iron shortage is quite common in toddlers as it is a period of such rapid growth. Hope this might help.

hello tutu,
i posted something very similar a few months back,
my dd has alopecia, it started just like you describe,
she was put on iron suppliments too,

Can't get an appointment for a few days. An iron defficiency would make sense, he's a little devil with food and despite having a varied diet put in front of him he doesn't eat very much.

Less hair has fallen out today, but his crown is definatly looking very sparse.

My DD had a bald patch when she was 3 or 4. Turned out she was pulling it out - but I wish she's bloody told me that when I first asked her and in front of the GP!