A Clinico-Etiological Evaluation of Hair Loss in Rural Indian Children – A Cross-Sectional Study

In 2018, a study was conducted on 1574 patients under 18 years old, with 75 children meeting the criteria for hair loss. The study found that hair loss in children was most common in school-aged children (6-10 years) and adolescents (10-18 years), affecting males and females almost equally. The majority of cases were acquired non-scarring alopecia. Common risk factors included malnutrition, poor grooming habits, associated systemic diseases, and stress. The most frequent causes were tinea capitis, alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, trichotillomania, nevus sebaceous, and scarring following infections. The study emphasized the importance of addressing underlying malnutrition and poor grooming habits among the patients.