EXCESS HAIR IN YOUNG CHILD

I have a 4 year old adopted child from China, who has excess hair on her body. In addition to upper lip hair, she has hair all over her forehead (it's covered entirely with fine black hair) , on her back, legs, and even the back of her ears. For now it's not too much of an issue, but it will be in a few year's time. How young can one consider laser and other methods of hair removal. Is she too young for creams?   At what age does one become concerned about an underlying medical or hormonal condition. I have no way to trace heritage. Additionally her head hair doesn't seem to want to grow much beyond chin level. And she has a triple crown!  Help!

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

This condition should be evaluated by a pediatrician or pediatric dermatologist familiar with uncommon skin ailments in children.  Of the syndromes listed in textbooks, your child's sounds most like this one:

Prepubertal hypertrichosis  
Prepubertal hypertrichosis is seen in otherwise healthy infants and children. The distribution is generalized and becomes more obvious during childhood. There is involvement of the face, proximal extremities and back; hairs on the latter location assume an inverted fir tree pattern.

Hair removal would seem appropriate.  Laser treatment can be done in young children as well.  Even if the hair loss is not permanent, getting rid of a lot of it for extended periods may be worth considering.  The doctor who evaluates your child will know about this too.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff