I've been lurking on this board for a couple of months as I have just been "diagnosed" with Alopecia  Areata.  In about 6 weeks, I went from finding 3 round spots to losing more than half of my hair.  I shaved my head last month and some parts began to grow, when I shaved it again, it has not come back (with the exception of one little black patch on the top and a few silver/ white).  Now, I am losing my eyebrows and eyelashes and from everything I have read, it sounds like I am moving towards Alopecia Universalis.  I try to keep a positive attitude and adjust - I have a few wigs I like, but it is very depressing and I can't stop trying to find information (which is limited).  A couple of weeks ago I came to the realization that this is likely something that will remain for the rest of my life and that was a hard pill to swallow.  I think I figured I'd shave my head and then it would all just grow back.  I guess that may not happen.

Has anyone ever had such a rapid progression from AA to AT or AU?  Does the fact that I have began to lose my eyebrows and lashes mean that I definitely have AU?

How can I stop worrying about this when it's such a big part of me and my life?  I feel like I'm whining and fixating on this area or my life.  I have no idea what to expect next.  I think I am going to find another dermatologist because I am not pleased with my current one.  

Any thoughts or suggestions you may have for me are appreciated.

I'm glad I found this site because it is helpful to read all of your stories.

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Please research Low Dose Naltrexone or LDN.  We will be starting in a few days with my daughter.  No side effects.  Not toxic.  It does wonders with many autoimmune disorders.  You will have to find a dr to write up order and a compounding pharmacy to fill it out of pocket.  It is about $60.00 per month.   It blocks your endorphins through the night and then your body releases an overabundance to compensate.  The endorphins fight imflammation and balance immunity. You can bet you are inflammed.   C reactive protein test will confirm.  My dauther is a 12.4 based on blood work.

Test the following:  candida, food sensitivities, parasites in stool, fungal infections, heavy metals in urine and blood, vitamin and mineral deficiencies (zinc, D, biotin, iron), thyriod problems.  Do not skip a single one.  

Look up Molly Vazquez on Amazon and her book.   

Start juicing organic every day.  Cut out processed foods and dairy.  

You need to find the trigger of the inflammation.  

I have great faith in the drug I mentioned.  I will keep you posted if you would like.  Do the research for LDN and autoimmune disorders.  

Good Luck.  I believe there is an answer!

Thank you so much! I will research what you've listed. I need to find my trigger so I can avoid this or limit it in the future. I'll keep you posted.

It will take time.  Let's keep in touch.  

Hi
This happened to me. I lost my hair really rapidly. I had really long hair. Up to my waist and it was horrible. Lost my eyebrows and lashes and all bodily hair too. After blood tests with negatives and docs saying nothing can be done I took to researching alternatives. I don't like any kind of medication, I even avoid paracetamol so I looked into natural things. I tried:
Black seeds
Manila honey
Apple cider vinegar
Zamzam water
Cupping/hijama

I have regrown all my eyebrows and eyelashes in about 6 months since trying these. And my leg hair. My scalp taking longer but growth is continuous. Just remaining patient. See my thread on miracle cures for more detail of my struggles and trials.
Good luck. Perhaps try these natural things, not costly and without side effects. Not a lot to lose.
Thanks and I'll check out your other posts! I'll keep you posted and look forward to following your progress.
I felt the same way when I lost my hair. It all seemed to happen so much faster than the other stories I read about. My hair began falling out on the last week of August and I was completely bald by the last week of September. I was taking high dose steroids from mid September until January then after stopping that all my other hair fell out. The steroids did make my hair grow back but it began falling out again before I was finished with them. It's been a year since all of it started and, again, from reading how long of a process it was for other people, I am very happy that mine happened so fast. Not to say I don't envy my old hairy self, but I completely accept the hairless me too. I wore a wig in the beginning but that lasted only a few weeks before I realized how I didn't have any desire with dealing with the uncomfort they made me feel. As for dermatologist switching, if you don't like any doctor you have then you shouldn't stay with them but don't think that another doctor will be able to give you a magic pill to make your hair grow back. I chose my derm. only because she was the first person who would see me in such a fast time. I really liked her and she was very proactive in research and medications. She encouraged me to seek out a second opinion, I live in Connecticut, she got me an appointment with a specialist at Uconn. She contacted a pediatrician, I am an adult btw, at Yale who specialized in alopecia aerata and suggested my high dose steroids. I loved my derm. but ultimately decided to stop any treatments when I came to the same conclusion as you, it's basically hopeless. Let other people be the lab rats, I'm fine as I am..... Suggestions..... Suggestions are hard, some people, like me, seem to accept it much better than others, some people are fine, happy, enjoy, wearing wigs, others seem to remain miserable years after its happened. I will tell you from my perspective, only one piece of my life has changed, I'm 10 times more confident and brave then I was before this happened. It was the most traumatizing and amazingly beautiful experience of my life. So my personal suggestion to you would be accept yourself and accept what's happening because hatred isn't a pleasant experience.

Jessica-

Your message was very helpful - thanks for sharing your experience.  So you are still fairly "new" to this world of alopecia (in comparison to some others who post).  I love your attitude and sense of acceptance of yourself.  I strive to be there on a consistant basis - I see little pockets of it and then start feeling sorry for myself and then guilty for feeling so ungrateful for my many blessings.  It's a bit of a negative cycle which I am personally getting tired of...  I have a teenaged daughter and I am reminding myself that she is watching me and I don't want her to see me with so much self-doubt and negativity.  I am constantly preaching about inner beauty so it's important that I model it.

As for changing doctors, I think a part of me is looking for someone with the magic pill but I mainly want someone who is more knowledgeable and willing to help me with coping.  I live in the Washington, DC area so there should be specialists in some of our large hospitals or something.  We'll see.

Your post(s) was encouraging. I do believe that things happen for a reason and God doesn't make mistakes so I know there is some positive that will come of this in my life.

Thank you again!

Your story is a lot like mine. I have lost almost all the hair on my scalp and my leg hair is not growing back since I shaved 3 weeks ago. I am so scared of losing my eyebrows and eyelashes, although my eyebrows seem to still be growing. I started on Cyclosporine a month ago but decided to stop that because I did not feel well while taking it and was scared of the long term side effects. We also want to try for another baby this summer so I don't want to take it only to stop and start this process all over again. 

I wanted to check in to see if  you tried any of the recommended treatments or saw another dermatologist? I went for a second opinion this week and was really disappointed, but not to say that would be the case with you. I just had bad luck! 

I hope you are doing well. I go from being super confident to super down in the dumps, so definitely feel your pain. I have a 19 month old and don't want her to see me stressing! I am wondering if it's hormones or what, and just feel like I am spinning in circles and don't know where I am going to land. 

Would love to hear your update! 

Hello and thanks for checking in! I am in a better place mentally but my condition is still the same. I am going to a university medical center next week for a second opinion but I have not tried any major shifts to my diet or other meds. I'm trying to be more mindful of my diet however I am not comfortable being a Guinea pig and adding to the stress of this condition by counting hairs and obsessing on whether or not they work. I have an obsessive personality and know I can easily go there.

I've learned to draw in eyebrows - successfully most days. It's taken a while but I'm getting better at the false eyelash thing. After almost glueing my eye shut and crying uncontrollably one day and taking breaks,it has been a process.

I am telling more of my circles so that I can feel like I am myself with them. I also am trying more wig styles. I have always changed my hair so it's difficult to commit to one wig style, color, etc.

I'm not really optimistic about the appt with the new dr but i do feel like I'm overall doing a good job accepting myself as I am. I still have days I think I'm ugly but I have to accept that this is just another version of me. Not having hair makes me feel very bare, exposed and vulnerable. I wonder what I ask supposed to gain from this experience...

I wish you the best on your journey and I wish I had something magical to say or advise. I just know that the fact that we physically feel fine is a blessing and we are not our hair. I miss my hair but I'm trying to get to the place where I genuinely love my bald head. I'm a work in progress!

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