My 1 year and a half baby girl has hair in her face forhead back legs she even has a moustache. is this normal and is she gonna lose it in the future?
May 20, 2013
Generalized excessive hair in prepubertal children can result from:
1- Hypertrichosis: a condition of excessive hair growth not associated with hormonal disturbances; it can be a/ primary (doesn't have a specific cause, present since birth i.e. congenital). In some patients, hair will be spontaneously lost during childhood; in others, it will remain into adulthood. Associated abnormalities are rarely described but may include congenital glaucoma, skeletal abnormalities, and missing teeth. This is an inherited condition. b/ associated with the "gingival fibromatosis and hypertrichosis", a condition characterized by excessive body hair plus gum thickening &is usually found in other family members, c/ could also be secondary to meds like systemic steroids (used to treat asthma for ex.)
2- Hirsutism: less likely in this age group, and could be a/ familial, which is not uncommon in the Mediterranean countries; b/ secondary to meds (again, steroids); c/ due to hormonal problems (in the pituitary gland, which is a gland underneath the brain and produces hormones to stimulate the thyroid gland and lactation and growth etc, or in the adrenal gland which is found on top of the mkidneys and produce hormones like adrenaline and also male hormones "androgens"), &this could be in the context of diseases like Cushing or congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH).
To determine the exact cause needs a proper evaluation by a physician (peditrician +/- dermatologist) who will examine your child &order tests if needed. The treatment will depend on the underlying cause: if it's hormonal problems then once this is dealt with the hair will gradually fall off; if it's not then the dermatologist will offer you options for proper treatment and the right timing to start them.
1- Hypertrichosis: a condition of excessive hair growth not associated with hormonal disturbances; it can be a/ primary (doesn't have a specific cause, present since birth i.e. congenital). In some patients, hair will be spontaneously lost during childhood; in others, it will remain into adulthood. Associated abnormalities are rarely described but may include congenital glaucoma, skeletal abnormalities, and missing teeth. This is an inherited condition. b/ associated with the "gingival fibromatosis and hypertrichosis", a condition characterized by excessive body hair plus gum thickening &is usually found in other family members, c/ could also be secondary to meds like systemic steroids (used to treat asthma for ex.)
2- Hirsutism: less likely in this age group, and could be a/ familial, which is not uncommon in the Mediterranean countries; b/ secondary to meds (again, steroids); c/ due to hormonal problems (in the pituitary gland, which is a gland underneath the brain and produces hormones to stimulate the thyroid gland and lactation and growth etc, or in the adrenal gland which is found on top of the mkidneys and produce hormones like adrenaline and also male hormones "androgens"), &this could be in the context of diseases like Cushing or congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH).
To determine the exact cause needs a proper evaluation by a physician (peditrician +/- dermatologist) who will examine your child &order tests if needed. The treatment will depend on the underlying cause: if it's hormonal problems then once this is dealt with the hair will gradually fall off; if it's not then the dermatologist will offer you options for proper treatment and the right timing to start them.
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