An illness is something that can cause sudden hair loss in children. This can be a situation that is stressful to the child and the parents. Who wants to see their own little girl losing her gorgeous hair because of an illness? If you or someone you know has experienced this, then you are familiar with the stark reality of children having to deal with sudden hair loss. The key is to remain strong and to not let your child know that the problem has a huge effect on you. Children depend on adults for support and strength so you have to maintain a strong front even if you feel bad about it.

Sudden hair loss is a problem that you need to talk to your child about, no matter how hard it can be. Young children do not always have the capacity to understand that they are losing hair quickly. The good news is that you can talk to your child about sudden hair loss in ways that will not cause him or her to be alarmed.

One way to do this, make use of metaphors and stories. Research on some kid’s stories wherein the main character is bald. Stick with the good guys because you do not want your child to think that only bad people experience sudden hair loss. If you can, look for stories where the bald person is the hero. Once your kid is able to associate baldness with heroes, the problem of sudden hair loss can be easier to deal with.

Speaking of children’s stories, try as much as you can to not tell those wherein girls have long and beautiful hair. Stay away from stories like Rapunzel. You should not stimulate the brain of your little girl to think of how beautiful she could be with long hair.

Helping your child deal with sudden hair loss also involves distracting him or her from the subject of hair. You can do this by doing dress-up games. Buy some fancy hats, caps, and berets which your child can put on at home or in places that you go to. Let your child know that they can play a character by simply wearing a hat that resembles it. If your child wants to be a pirate during the day, let him or her put on the pirate hat. After being introduced to hats, your child can be better able to handle his or her sudden hair loss.

Children who are going through chemotherapy are quite fragile, and can be drastically affected by the way they may be losing hair. When it becomes difficult for you to handle your child’s reactions, do not hesitate to approach a child therapist who can make him or her understand the situation better.

Author: Lisa Tanady