A mother brings her 10-year-old daughter into the clinic for an examination of the scalp and hair. She states that the child has developed irregularly shaped patches with broken-off, stublike hair in some places; she is worried that this condition could be some form of premature baldness. What is the best response by the nurse?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Trichotillomania, self-induced hair loss, is usually due to habit. It forms irregularly shaped patches with broken-off, stublike hairs of varying lengths. A person is never completely bald. It occurs as a child absentmindedly rubs or twirls the area while falling asleep, reading, or watching television. Folliculitis is inflammation of hair follicles which causes a pustule with a hair visible in the center. Traumatic alopecia is not a real term. Traction alopecia is hair loss along the hairline, part in the hair or scattered that is caused by trauma such as tight braids, ponytails, barretts, cornrows, and hair weaves. Tinea capitis is rounded patchy hair loss on the scalp, leaving broken-off hairs, pustules, and scales on the skin, and is caused by a fungal infection. Tinea capitis is highly contagious.

A Mother Brings Her 10-Year-Old Daughter into the Clinic for an Examination