Dandruff in Children

If your child's scalp is scaling and flaking, dandruff is a very unlikely culprit, as it is very uncommon in children and doesn't spike until the teen years when puberty arrives. Dandruff in children is most often confused with tinea capitis, a contagious fungal infection that tends to flare in the fall season and can be passed on to parents and anyone who comes in contact with the infected child.

Causes

• According to Dr. Audrey Kunin, tinea capitis is a highly contagious fungal infection that causes symptoms very similar to dandruff in children. Tinea capitis infections are usually contracted at daycare and/or school and any other populated public place.

Symptoms

• Tinea capitis symptoms that parents most often misinterpret for dandruff include scaling patches on the scalp that progress into widespread scaling and crusting on the scalp. Tinea capitis symptoms in children may also include itching and hair loss in the infected areas of the scalp. Scaling patches can also develop on the child's face and/or body.

Treatment

• Tinea capitis is treated with oral medication for the most effective results. According to Dr. Kunin, treatment with oral medications can last from a minimum of four to six weeks and up to three to six months if culprit fungi are resistant to therapy. Antifungal shampoos and creams may be used to provide relief from itching but are not able to penetrate the hair shaft and kill the baseline fungal infection.

Prevention/Solution

• Dr. Kunin also states that kittens can carry the fungus that causes tinea capitis. Teach your children that kittens may be cute, but strange kitties shouldn't be held or touched. Tinea capitis is also commonly transmitted by the sharing of personal items such as brushes, combs and hats. Encourage your children to avoid sharing personal items to prevent acquiring or transmitting the tinea capitis fungi.

Considerations

• Sunburns on your child's scalp can also cause peeling. Additionally, if your child is using too much shampoo and not rinsing thoroughly, the shampoo can build up and cause flaking as well. Psoriasis and eczema can also cause symptoms similar to dandruff, such as scaling and flaking scalps in children.

Warning

• Large, dome-shaped formations that appear crusted and oozing on your child's scalp can develop as a result of a severe tinea capitis infection. According to Dr. Audrey Kunin, M.D., these formations are referred to as kerions and treating the infections immediately is essential to prevent excessive inflammation and scar tissue formation.