How to Handle Hair Loss in Children
Hair loss, whether from cancer treatments, illnesses, disease, or other causes, can be extremely difficult to handle and deal with. This is especially true if the person suffering from the hair loss is a child. While you may not be able to cure, stop, or correct the hair loss, you can influence how your child handles the hair loss and teach them ways to cope with the distress.
Dealing With New Hair Loss
If your child currently has a full head of hair or their hair is just beginning to thin from Cancer Treatments, Medication Use, or other causes, there are definitely steps you can take to help them prepare for the eventual total loss of their hair and better handle the psychological distress.First and foremost you need to speak with your child about the hair loss and fully explain what will happen and when. This can be a very difficult discussion to have with your child, especially if they are also dealing with fear and anxiety about the cause of the hair loss. To help make the discussion easier and more effective for both of you it is best to check out a book on the subject. There are numerous books on the market that detail ways to approach a conversation with your child about hair loss. Talking early and often about the hair loss will help your child work through their anxieties and start to accept the inevitable.
Second, you can help make the adjustment to thin hair and eventually baldness easier to deal with by taking your child for a haircut. Schedule extra time to discuss the cut with your stylist and child and choose the shortest cut possible. If your child currently has long hair, you may schedule a few haircuts and make the transition to a very short style slowly.
Dealing With Total Hair Loss
Once your child has lost all of their hair it is time to focus your efforts on camouflaging the baldness and helping them feel confident at all times. A good way to do this is with head accessories. Scarves, headbands, and hats are very stylish and make good cover for balding scalps. Take your child shopping and let them try on numerous styles and options. Once they find something they like buy enough to give them daily options. You can also try buying the same accessories for yourself or other family members to wear right along with your child. This can help reduce the stigmatism of being different that your child may feel.Another option for covering hair loss is to Purchase A Wig. Many companies make wigs specially fitted for children. These wigs are also designed is styles more in tune with younger tastes. Before purchasing a wig make sure that you research the many options, such as synthetic hair, real hair, and different types of adhesive, to ensure that you are getting a hair piece your child will wear comfortably and proudly.
Support Groups
To further aid you in your efforts to help your child cope with hair loss you may wish to join a local support group. In these sessions children and parents that are also dealing with this devastating circumstance can share stories, frustrations, tips, support, and friendship. If nothing else the groups will help your children that they are not alone in their struggles and give them a few hours of fitting in.Finally, if you feel like taking drastic measures you, or your other family members can shave your heads in support of your child. Many mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, and siblings have clipped their locks to unify the family in support of the suffering child!
No matter how well you try to prepare it is important to remember that this will be a very trying ordeal for your child, and even though they may seem to accept the hair loss one day they could break down in distress the next. Keep the lines of communication open, answer all of your child's questions as honestly as possible, and try to keep an upbeat outlook during even the roughest times, a good attitude is often contagious.
