Supporting Children with Alopecia

Losing your hair as a child is never an easy experience and I know there are many parents out there who might be looking for how to best support their children dealing with alopecia. I personally started losing hair when I was about 5 or 6 years old and it was a very confusing experience for me. My mom, desperate to find answers, took me to every doctor and homeopath imaginable in order to help me. While her effort was appreciated, nothing could stop my hair from falling out.

As a mental health professional, I know the mental toll that hair loss can have on an individual, especially a child who doesn’t understand what’s happening. This can be incredibly stressful for parents as well as they try to navigate this big change in their child’s life. I’m here to tell you that there’s no “right way” to deal with hair loss in childhood, but there are things that I find particularly helpful and beneficial.

1. Help them to embrace themselves with or without hair by encouraging their strengths and showing them that they can live their lives and do the activities that they like, even without hair. It’s so important that children know that they are safe to be themselves even when they’re going through a physical change like losing their hair. These lessons will impact them for the rest of their lives and help them to feel confident moving through the world as their authentic selves.
2. Try not to panic (yes, I know this is a hard one). Children can easily pick up on the energy of those around them, so if they see you panicking about their hair loss, they might also take on that emotion and fear. Yes, it’s a scary and confusing experience, but allow your child to express that themselves without placing your emotions onto them.
3. Connect them with other children who are also experiencing hair loss. The National Alopecia Foundation is a great resource to utilize to help connect your family with others who are managing hair loss. Going to conferences and meeting other kids with alopecia was so impactful for my own acceptance and growth. Knowing that you’re not alone can really make all the difference sometimes.

These are just a few things to keep in mind and contemplate as you’re supporting a child going through hair loss, but I’d be happy to talk and connect more on this subject. In fact, I offer coaching sessions to parents and caregivers around how they can be there for their child going through hair loss while also taking care of themselves.

Feel free to email me at sarah@embraceyoucoaching.com if you’d like to work together!