Children & Lack of Hair Growth

African child
Photo: Pixelheadphoto Digitalskillet/Shutterstock
Q: My daughter is two yrs old. The back of her hair on one side is really short (stubble), while the other side is longer. The bald spot was there when she was born, but has not grown. Is there anything I can do to help her hair to grow? I have been using a product called "No more Bald".
 
We are African-Americans so I can not wash her hair everyday, and also she has eczema which I am thinking may be part of the problem because it's on the back of her neck at her hairline. Please, if you have any information, I would really appreciate it. Thank you.
 
A: This is a case where any good stylist is going to refer you to your child's pediatrician. You need to find out if your daughter's eczema is causing, or contributing to, the problem of lack of hair growth.
 
Stylists are trained to deal with the hair that is already grown. We are licensed to deal with problems of the hair itself, and have some training in learning to identify what is and is not a medical issue.
 
Eczema is not a condition that can be diagnosed or prescribed for by a cosmetologist. And if there are other conditions that may be related to the eczema, you must consult with your physician to make certain before seeking advice from an esthetic professional.
 
Any stylist who offers you advice and treatment suggestions for a medical condition is acting in violation of his or her licensure and could be seriously penalized for doing so. Doing so is a violation of ethics and potentially harmful to the client seeking the advice, since in spite of any experience the stylist has, he or she is not trained to diagnose or treat a medical condition.
 
Visiting the pediatrician also ensures that any treatment you try on your child to stimulate hair growth will not have adverse effects for the child either in the short or long term. Even purportedly "safe" herbal remedies for hair growth can effect a child's developing body adversely.
 
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See also:
 
Hair diseases
 
How to care for your baby's hair
 
What is hair made of and how does it grow?