Little girl with virtually no hair

[Flossbert]

Posting on behalf of my DSis here...

My DNiece is four and a half. Her hair covers her head, just, but that is it. It has no length at all and is very fine, although it has thickened to some degree in the last year.

Could this be indicative of a vitamin or mineral deficiency? Or some other health issue, do you think? DSis is loathe to bother the Dr with something seemingly so trivial, but it really bothers DN and i guess the unkind comments are likely to increase when she goes to school this September.

There are a few relevant health conditions, Joanna Rowsell has one and hasn't held her back. Best to chat to a GP, I think, just to be prepared.

I'm not sure that it is alopecia, lljkk, because there's no loss as such, it is just exceptionally slow to grow.

I doubt it is that, either, though I presume neither of us knows how alopecia develops at this young an age. Presumably alopecia isn't the only condition worth knowing about. I imagined you were saying that the little girl had never needed a haircut, maybe it's not as bad as that? If she has needed regular haircuts I definitely wouldn't worry.

I see what you mean lljkk. No I have no idea how alopecia develops. She has never had a haircut at all - the hair barely reaches the nape of her neck. Perhaps I'll just say to DSis that she should go to the dr after all.

Short anagen syndrome? My daughter is the same age and she also has v v short hair. It's grown a bit at the sides and back but not at the front at all and she's never needed a hair cut either. Someone we know said that his daughter's hair didn't start growing til she was 6 so we're kind of hoping maybe it'll start then. Mentioned it to doc once but he didn't have a clue.

At the age of 3, my dd1 and her then BF had very little hair either. dd1's grew eventually, and at 9.5 she has a thick golden mane (well, thick-ish). Her friend's hair also grew eventually, but she didn't need a hair cut till she was at least 6-7.

So it can happen...

Oh nicky I think you may have cracked it! I'll point my sister in the direction of all the resources I've just found thanks to you and she can go to her dermatologist/ trichologist/ doctor/ whatever with at least a suggestion of what it might be. It's good to know other people in the same boat. And to hear of the hair finally growing so thanks to you too Elibean