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Expert Q&A:
What has caused gray hairs to appear on my 15-month-old's head?

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Answered by Anthony Mancini M.D.
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Dr. Mancini received his undergraduate and medical educations at the University of Arizona, and trained in pediatrics, pediatric dermatology, and dermatology at Stanford University. He is currently Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Dermatology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and Head of the Division of Dermatology at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.



Dr. Mancini has served as a member of the AAP Executive Committee, Section of Dermatology since 2001. He is a member of the AAP Super CME Planning Group and the AAP Pedia Link Pediatric Dermatology Project Team, and is Secretary-Treasurer of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. His teaching accomplishments include the Faculty Excellence in Education Award from the Department of Pediatrics at Northwestern, which he has received for the last eight years. Dr. Mancini is a peer reviewer and/or sits on the editorial board for several academic journals, and has published over 75 peer-reviewed articles, abstracts, and book chapters. He is co-author of Hurwitz Clinical Pediatric Dermatology, 3rd edition, and is an associate editor for the comprehensive dermatology textbook Dermatology. His special interests include infectious skin diseases and exanthems of childhood, vascular malformations and hemangiomas, and neonatal skin maturation and skin disorders.



Dr. Mancini is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Dermatology. He and his wife, Nicola, a neonatal intensive care nurse, have three children (Mallory, Christopher, and Mackenzie) and reside in Evanston, Illinois.
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Question


What has caused gray hairs to appear on my 15-month-old's head?

Answer


A few gray hairs are generally nothing to worry about. If the changes are progressive, or if she has any other health problems, it's worth discussing with your daughter's pediatrician. Occasionally, premature graying of hair can be a sign of anemia, thyroid disease, and, very rarely, some genetic disorders. The most common cause is a skin disorder called vitiligo, whereby skin pigment is lost and white patches appear scattered on the skin surface. If vitiligo occurs in the scalp, gray hairs may be seen overlying that area. This disorder is fairly unusual at such a young age, though. Keep an eye on things, and if the changes are progressing, have her evaluated.
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