Why is my 7 year old having severe hair fall after fever?

Question

Hello doctor,

My daughter is 7 years old. One month back, she had a fever and after that, she has got severe hair fall. It is almost one month, and still, hair fall is there. It is not at all decreasing. Even when washing her hair, lots of hair loss is seen. I am worried about it. What could be the reason? Any remedies?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Perhaps her hair fall is due to telogen effluvium. Telogen is the shedding phase of hair cycle. Usually, after an illness like high-grade fever, typhoid, malaria jaundice, etc., hair gets shifted from the growing phase (anagen) to the shedding phase (telogen) which is manifested as precipitous hair fall. Telogen starts one to three months after one recovers from the illness. This is self-limiting and recovers in a few months.

I would like to know what was the cause of her fever. Was it high-grade fever? How long did it last? Did she lose weight during her illness?

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Do not worry. She will recover. I suggest you give her an iron supplement such as syrup Haem up one twice a day. Also give her a healthy nutritious diet rich in protein like egg, pulses, paneer, non-vegetarian food, etc. You can upload a few images of her scalp so that I can appreciate the degree of hair loss. I hope there is no balding? Just decreased density? Take care.

Answer 3

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I have viewed the image (attachment removed to protect patient identity). The part width looks alright. Hair density too looks pretty fine. There are no bald patches.

This picture is typical of telogen effluvium wherein there is a sudden transition of healthy growing hair (anagen hair) to resting hairs (telogen hair) so the scalp except that these previously growing healthy looking anagen hairs have got growth arrested due to the stress of illness and are now being shed. There is a white atrophic bulb at the base of these shedding hairs typical of resting hairs. These hairs will grow back once the hair bulb gets shifted from resting phase (telogen) to growing phase (anagen).

Regards.