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Permalink Reply by Nicole on July 3, 2008 at 10:23am

Thanks for answering Malinda.

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Permalink Reply by Trina on July 3, 2008 at 11:27am

Well I think it depends on the treatments. My 8 year old went through treatments and none of them were harmful as far as shots etc. I use topical meds and she is now is remission. So I believe that with topical meds there is less side effects and they have worked for her with as little steroids as possible. Most doctors will not recommend shots to children. So from a parent that has gone thru this themselves and had a child with this crazy condition you have to do what you feel most comfortable with.

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Permalink Reply by Nicole on July 3, 2008 at 12:27pm

Thanks Linsey and Trina.

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Permalink Reply by Rose Marie' on July 3, 2008 at 5:45pm

Hi
This can be a contentious issue. So, what I'm writing is just my view. Treatments are not cures. At the moment there is not a cure for Alopecia Areata. Not to say that there will never be - I'm always hopeful.

When my daughter was first diagnosed I also thought what was the best course of action. I had a very staight talking derm (they have differing views as well) and he said I could try treatments but their was absolutely no guarantee that they would help. So, we decided this wasn't for us.

My daughter has grown her hair back twice in the last five years without any treatments. I often think if I had been using a treatment when my daughters hair grew back I would have thought the treatment grew it back whereas what actually did happen was AA went into a natural remission for a time. The first time she went into remission she grew 75% of her hair back and the second time 95% both times she went on to be AU once again. She is currently growing eyelashes and eyebrows again and no treatments have been used.

My personal thoughts on this are that if the hairloss is patchy and less than 50% you may have a good result with accelerating remission by using shots. But unless you are going into remission by yourself nothing helps.

I hope I don't sound harsh. That is not my intention.

I wish you good luck with whatever decision you come to.

Rosy

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Permalink Reply by Nicole on July 3, 2008 at 5:53pm

Thanks Rosy. Not harsh at all. I love reading all points of view.

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Permalink Reply by Mandy on July 3, 2008 at 8:12pm

Hi Nicole. This is such a difficult topic. In the end, this choice is completely up to you. I was diagnosed on May 2nd with areata. I did the injections twice. They were pretty painful and the dents they caused in my head were outrageous. Most of them have gone away now, but not all of them... Anyway, I didn't give the shots much of a chance but after going to the doctor the first time on May 2nd with 4 small spots, by the time I was due for my 3rd appt I had lost almost all of my hair on the top of my head and most on the sides. I decided it wasn't worth it in my opinion. It was progressing so quickly that I didn't see the point. So I called and canceled that appointment and haven't gone back. I decided not to further pursue any treatment at all. Simply because I know that treatments are basically just a way of tricking your immune system. Sometimes treatments do work...but I know that for many people as soon as you discontinue the treatment your hair will fall out again. So yeah...I just decided not to bother. I just want to stress that this is such a personal choice. You shouldn't let what others say here make your decision for you. Follow your heart.

My thoughts are with you and your daughter.

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Permalink Reply by Nicole on July 3, 2008 at 9:01pm

Thanks Mandy.


I am waiting on a referral for a derm. from my daughter's pediatrician. I plan on going just to talk about it and see what they recommend, etc. As of right now I don't plan on pursuing the injections. I just haven't decided on the cream (not rogaine...). Being mommy is hard sometimes.

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Permalink Reply by bubbles on July 4, 2008 at 8:27am

i have been suffering from alopicia arearta for 6 six years now and find that treatments have given me nothing but false hope. I find the best treatment is to learn to cope with it. Although it is hard to deal with comments that people may say to you.

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Permalink Reply by Duraton on July 5, 2008 at 3:47am

Hello to all of you and sorry for my bad english.

Like must of you I suffered as a child to get treatments from my parents. When I was an adult I stoped all and began to accept better my condition. Now that one of my girls get it, my view is differrent because she is different from me. She wants a treatment, she wants to go to the doctor. Anyway as she gets only a few patches I think it is better to put cream, it can work. I think that I will only do what she wants to. But in France doctor don't use to much the injections. Only in the very hard cases.
My philosophie for me is "too many holes, I shave and relax and LIVE" . But I dont think it is possible to do that with a teen child. It is different with a little one. Alopecia is a long time conditon, so maybe it's better to put some cream at the beginning, but if all the hair is falling, I would do nothing exepted live normaly and say it is normal, that every one in life has something different from the other. To explain to the teacher and friends, and go on normal life.
Good bye to you all!
Duraton

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Permalink Reply by Nicole on July 5, 2008 at 4:22pm

Thanks Bubbles and Duration for adding your thoughts.

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Permalink Reply by Cindy and Samantha on July 6, 2008 at 10:46am

Nicole, there is no right or wrong answer as to which direction a person should pursue. My 6 year old daughter has had Aleopica for just over a year. She went from having a gorgeous head of hair to nothing and she lost her brows and lashes. My daughter has embraced it, accepts and has had no social issues due to her hair loss. She has never shed a tear or seriously asked me why she has no hair. At times she laughs and says I wish had my hair or I miss my hair. Samantha has been wearing a wig since Dec and wears headbands with hair and LOVES them.

Samantha has tried several topical treatments since May with no avail. In December she started seeing a new derm at the Children's Hospital in Boston. We since started a treatment called squaric acid immunotherapy. After several set backs and months it appears as though she is starting to experience regrowth. It is a harsh treatment and some are not for it, but it has good results. I feel that the doctors there would not suggest we try something that would not be save for a child to try. I am opposed to shots and would do nothing if that was my only choice. I continue to find natural supplements and things we can do try to stimulate her hair follicles. In the end, whether or not you chose a treatment and the kind you try is a personal choice. Alopecia is an awful mysterious condition with no exact cure. What works for one may not work for the other.

Your daughter is young and beautiful and her hair can grow back at anytime..I keep telling myself that, despite all the tears I shed.
Cindy

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Permalink Reply by Amit on June 8, 2009 at 2:08am

Nicole we are in the same boat I have a 2 year and 6 month old daughter who has AA it all started with one patch and rapidly progressed now she has lost 85% of her hair. We have ordered some Homeopathy Medicine for her from India but generally Homeopathy takes a long time, but in the mean time we are considering corticosteroids injection in her scalp. Since her affected area is so large it may take 25 to 30 shots (multiple). A 2.6 year old child cannot sit steady for that long so My Dermatologist was talking of giving her oral sedative and some numbing creme before giving her a shots. She is too young so it is hard to take decision but we will see I gained a lot of knowledge from your Question -Thanks.
I will pray for your daughter and keep you posted on my progress.
Andy

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