5 Year Old Daughter’s Hair Won’t Grow — What Can We Do?
My 5 year old daughter’s hair will not grow. The sides (around her ears) grow longer than the very back and top of her head. We have tried trimming it, (she does not have enough to trim any more than an 1/8 of an inch at a time), we have tried shampoos to strengthen it etc. When I run my hands through her hair, it comes out. We have taken her to a local doctor who had no answers for us. She is almost six and we are scared that this is going to become an issue with her soon. We do not know where to go at this point? Any suggestions?
There are a number of genetic diseases that could be responsible. A good dermatologist should evaluate her. An example of a genetic disease can be read about here — Gene Glitch May Up Inherited Hair Loss.
We have a similar problem with our 6 year old daughter. It is the same length as when she was 2 1/2. The doctor just put it off, telling me to try better shampoos, etc.,. I did we spent to the tune of $85 for 1 bottle of shampoo & conditioner with no results. My hairstylist suggested that maybe she was iron defficeint, again my doctor said that she looked good, lip color and nails were good so she did not pursue it. I mentioned it to my dermatologist and the first thing he said was that she had symptoms of anemia. I called my doctor and said that I wanted an iron test. She came back with low iron. So we are still in the hoping phase with the iron medicine. I also have her on biotin from my dermatologist. Another thing is that my daughter is now 6 1/2 and has not lost a tooth. The hair problem, and delayed development of teeth are just two of several symptoms of hypothyrodism. I just read about the hypothyroidism, and I am definitely getting that test too! Best of luck, I am living your pain.
BJ
My daughter will be 5 in December she also has very little hair. It grows a little each year but very little. My peditrician also was of very little help. She is finally referring her to a dermatologist this next week. She does not appear to be losing any hair and is growing normally in every other way.
Our daughter is 6 1/2 and has the same thing. Most of her hair is not more than one inch long except for behind her ears and a small section on the top of her head. Her hair doesn’t fall out easily. She didn’t have more than fuzz on her head or get eyebrows until she was two. She was born 6 wks early and within a week had a tooth come in. She had almost all of her baby teeth before that tooth came back in. She just lost her first tooth yesterday and it was that same one. She has had a hair sample tested when she was 5 and it came back “normal”. She also had her iron tested with normal results. We are in the process of getting a second opinion from another dermotoglist. I believe it is a genetic disease and after we get the second opinion, I will request a referal to a genetist. She is otherwise very healthy and extremely smart.
I feel so much better finding at least a few people that share our problem. My daughter who just turned four, has about two inches of hair. It looks like normal hair, there just isn’t much of it! It is much shorter on the top, front and sides than on the crown and in the back. She looks like she has a mullet almost! Bless her heart. We were finally referred to a pediatric dermatologist – appt. in two weeks. Email me if you want to chat more – clearlyclardy@sbcglobal.net
my four year old son started losing hair. Six months ago his nails started falling out but soon after somedays it started growing back. Should I be worried?
I have a 5 1/2 year old with the very same short hair issues. When she turned 4 I finally brought it to her pediatricians attention. He did a blood test and said everything came back normal. He wanted us to wait and see how things looked at her 5 year check up. That did not sit well with me at all, I really felt like there was something going on internally that the doctor’s just weren’t looking for. I followed my gut and took my daughter to a homeopathic doctor. That doctor did numerous detailed blood tests and genomic testing and found some remarkable issues. She has what is called a TH2 shift going on inside, which means her body is in constant attack mode and her hair follicles were barely growing because of it. This is the set up for an auto-immune disease. Because we caught it this early and she’s being treated it should be corrected with time. She also had many toxins in her body CAUSED BY VACCINATIONS that were not allowing her organs to function correctly. Some of her other symptoms she had before using the supplements were: increased appetite, very fatigued, trouble focusing, and mood swings. She has been on the supplements for about 10 months and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!! Her hair has grown about 3 inches and all other symptoms are gone :) She gets regular adjustments from a Chiropractor as well.
I encourage all of you concerned with your child’s’ health to seek alternative advice in addition to their pediatrician.
I hope this will reach out and help another child going through the same thing!!
Albie,
Hi…wondering what supplements your daughter took which relieved her symptoms with her hair.
Thank you!
~Kim
My daughter has been diagnosed by a pediatric dermatologist with a condition called ‘Short Anagen Syndrome’. She is almost 4 and has very little hair and has never needed a haircut. The original poster has a version of this disorder called ‘Loose Anagen Syndrome’ where the hair can be painlessly pulled out. In Short Anagen, the hairs do not grow long but don’t pull out easily. I have started a FB group for Short Anagen where pictures are shared as well as some treatment options. Good luck.
It sounds like your daughter has the exact same condition that I have. I was born with very little hair and the hair would grow to be about 1/8 of an inch long then seem to just fall out for no apparent reason. I am now 18 years old and no doctor as found a reason or cure for the condition that I have. Hair every where else is thick and healthy and my nails are also healthy. If your daughter does not have a throyid problem it could be that she has the rare condition that has baffled every dermotolgist that I have seen. Dermotolgists noticed that at the end of my hair folicle it is straight and does not have a sturdy ball like most other people’s hair. As I’ve gotten older the hair folicles have gotten stronger, however things such as rogaine and other hair loss medications have never worked.
Just before our daughter turned six she was seen by a local pediatric dermatologist whom believed our daughter had “Pili Trianguli”. Since then, we have been to a pediatric specialist twice. After our first vist they performed over 40 tests on over 70 hairs and determined what my daughter has is NOT Pili Trianguli. The doctor now believes she has “Short Anagen Syndrome”. There is very little information on this disorder. I would love some direction as to where I can find some literature on the subject and/or be put in touch with a person that has SAS. I have found conflicting prognosis as to whether this disorder corrects itself at puberty. Can anyone direct me either to more literature, an adult who can tell me their personal outcome and/or specialist??? THANK YOU!
Laura-My daughter was diagnosed with Loose Anagen Syndrome, but I think it is more of a combination of Loose Anagen Syndrome and Short Anagen Syndrome. My daughter is going to be 10 years old in a few months. If you’d like to email me, feel free whittea1@netzero.net Or if they block out the email then whittea1 at netzero dot net. I’d be happy to talk with you and share pictures.
Well.. I am 25 year old happily married Girl and have the same issue. My parents tried so many docs and treatments and no one ever found any solution to this problem. I have around an inch hair and are very thin and wont grow.
HEY Albie, can you advise what supplements your daughter was put on? it sounds like my daughters issue, she is always eating, cranky and had dark circles under her eyes. and her hair is only above the shoulders and very whispy? she is very concious about it. her iron was tested and vitamin d and she was low vitamin d.
My 3 1/2 yr old daughter was just diagnosed with Loose Anagen Syndrome, she has alot of hair missing in the back of her head and above her ear, she looks sickly as a result of it, she has seen 7-8 different doc over 4 months time, I am an emotional mess, I read that someone posted here that they took their child to a homeopathic doc, can they tell me who the doc is and where please? Thanks so much, i dont feel alone anymore
CathyFlight@aol.com
hi, im a 13 year old girl and i might have the same problem. i have always had short, supperr fine hair that falls out easily since i was a baby. i was actually bald till i was 2. my parents had MANY tests on me and took me many place, hospitals and research areas to try to find out what was wrong, but we had no results or feedback to what was wrong. my nails also do not grow. anyway, i have tried soo many hair treatments and NOTHING worked. i have been taking Biotin, in the maximum dosage for 1 1/2 years and there was no improvements. its super frustrating and eventually my parents realized how hard it was for me and i now have extensions. my suggestion is to keep trying hair products, pills and getting checkups while they are young because now that i am older, it has really bothered me and i wouldn’t want anything like what happened to me with the teasing and bullying to happen to any other kid when they get older. all i wanna say is that for some people, thinking that it will eventually grow, the truth of the matter is, it wont. it hasn’t for me but as a solution, extensions are a great idea, although pricey, they have boosted my confidence greatly. and my mom always says its worth it because its a lot less stressful on me and its good to see me happy with how i look. im not sure if this even helps but this is sorta my story with having short hair that doesn’t grow.
Hello. I have been on the same path as many with my now 8 year old daughter. She has been diagnosed with short anagen syndrome. We are going to see a geneticist soon to finalize that determination. Her hair is growing, so slowly and she has what a 3 or 4 year old has for hair. However, she is really wanting long hair and its breaking my heart. I have a shampoo/spray recommended by our hair stylist. Has anyone tried rogaine for younger children? I am worried about side effects.
I am a 32 year old woman that has SAS and have never outgrown it. It didn’t bother me as a child, but I really struggled as a teenager. Even now I often wish I had “normal” hair. My hair grows to the bottom of my neck but then falls out, it’s never been longer than that. The hair on the sides of my head is also very thin and only grows to my chin. I now wear extensions in the sides. They say with SAS it should clear up with puberty, but mine never did.
My niece is 4 years old, she was born with a head full of hair.Up until 3 years old her hair was long and thick. One day it just started getting thinner and thinner. We started cutting it so that it wouldn’t get tanggled. We noticed a bald circle on the bottom of her head and thought oh a ringworm doctor said with medication it would grow back inn. She is now 4 years old and has absolutly no hair. Doctors claim it has to do something with her nerveous system or that she her self must be pulling it out. She is as healthy as can be ,but her little hair will not grow back.I am 24 years old and I myself suffer from bald spots on both sides of my head. I know how difficult is will be for her to grow up with no hair. What’s next? Will it ever grow back ?
I’m glad to know we are not alone.
Email (s.juarez1990@yahoo.com)