Rollercoaster continues!

[Roo2]

Hi

Just looking if anyone has had a similar experience (first time posting on here!!). I started with small scale alopecia areata 11 years ago (which was manageable - small patches that moved around and re-grew)...All hair came back whilst pregnant (9 years ago) and for 1 1/2 years or so afterwards...then the same pattern up until my second pregnancy (6 years ago)...again a break for 1 1/2 years or so afterwards and then in 2012 the hair loss started again and has never really got any better...any regrowth is very slow and I have lost approx. 2/3 of my hair, so now wear a full wig. From July last year to Jan this year my hair had stopped coming out and again regrowth was happening (not enough to ditch the wig!)..but is now coming out very quickly again. What hair I do have feels extremely oily even though washing frequently. Based on the past cycle, I am certain my alopecia is hormone related in some way...I have been through the GP/Dermatologist route but no real help, so thought I'd try here for any similar stories/recommendations? Thanks for reading

[Elainejaybird1]

Hi Roo2 I've had a similar experience to you, it started in my teens grew and fell out in different spots, grew back when I was pregnant in my 20's and I didn't get it again until I was in my 50's although I had been going through a rather stressful time. It cleared up and then started again last year, I did wonder if it was my hormones (menopausal) but has got much worse recently, again I am having a stressful time - they say it's auto-immune but who knows. I am still waiting for an appointment at the dermatology clinic in Ipswich but there's an 18 week wait! I'm off to the wig shop today as It is so bad now I am afraid to go out. I have just started taking biotin, bought it in Holland and Barrett, they recommended 2 a day, I'll report back if there's any dramatic improvement.

[Roo2 in reply to Elainejaybird1]

Hi Elainejaybird1

Thanks for sharing your story. It is so frustrating because just when you think things are getting better another bout of hair-loss hits! I'm sure you will find your confidence comes back with the wig (made a big difference to me once I got used to it). As so many people on here have said, its finding something that will work for you. Thanks for the reference to biotin...not heard of it before but happy to give most things a try Hope you get your appointment at the clinic soon.

[Beejayz]

Alopecia is auto immune, which basically means the body rejects part of itself. That is about it as far as concrete science stuff. Anything else, like associating a reason why, known as the 'trigger' is anecdotal, ie not proven.... doesn't equal not true. Its a very individual condition, we each get it in different ways, repeat episodes may not behave the same way, and not wholly comparable because of course we are older.

This is why doctors are of little help, they simply don't have the answers we seek.

There is nothing from anywhere which is a guaranteed fix. Treatments often work by forcing the hair to grow, but this isn't a problem with our hair.... its a problem with the right information being sent to grow hair. So if that information path doesn't click back in, regrowth can fall out again.

Some people have it once, others repeat episodes, me I've had it once..... for 40 years, never ever had full regrowth from AA.

Its a very contrary condition.

[Maria-1966]

Hi Roo! I was the same way - teen years spot baldness and regrowth -- then in my early 30's the same thing - tried to fix it with injections -- they hurt and my scalp felt numb -- in my late 30s I lost almost all my hair -- now at almost 50 - alopecia areata. It's been hard, sad, depressive...I wear wigs and make the most of them. Good luck!