Advise please ..worried mum of teen with alopecia

[Sez01]

Hi

My daughter is 15 she has been having a few health issues since Jan.

On Wednesday her hair started falling out in patches by next day she had about 20% left😢 (possibly due to stress)

Any advise please. We are waiting to see dermatologist.

Her head is itchy and feels hot to her.. Not to touch.

Any other teens with advise or mums x

[Amy_AUK Partner]

Hello,

Sorry to hear about your daughter's hair loss. I'm assuming your GP has made the referral to a dermatologist? Has your GP run her bloods? (Standard blood tests to check for any abnormalities). They usually come back all clear and then a diagnosis of alopecia areata may be given.

If her head is itchy and feels hot, it may be due to inflammation around the hair follicles. You could see if taking an antihistamine calms this down. Applying a cold compress to the scalp may help ease the itchiness and heat.

Other than this, I'm afraid it's just a case of waiting for your dermatology appointment.

Amy

[Sez01 in reply to Amy_AUK]

Thank you for reply ...consultant doing fasting bloods Monday.

And sorting us a referral to dermatologist .

We doing ok (eyebrows gone today)

[Elainejaybird1]

Hi so sorry to hear about your daughter, I had alopecia at a similar age although not to such an extent. It's hard enough being a teenager without hair loss to cope with. I have lost around 50% of my hair, I have seen the dermatologist he prescribed a steroid lotion called Elocon to use for four weeks unfortunately it hasn't had any effect. He also prescribed me a wig which helps with the self confidence. I can really recommend Stila waterproof eyebrow pen, you can order online and delivery is free, it's the best I have found. It takes a little practice as you need to draw it on hair by hair but looks much more realistic than a make up eyebrow pencil. I wish her all the best, hair does grow back in time, it's just a waiting game.

[Sez01]

Thank you.. Today she lost her eyelashes too😢..

She seems to b coping OK but very early days.

[Julia_mary]

Hello, I understand exactly what you are going through, as my son has lost large patches due to AA since February due to stress. His scalp felt sore also, and it is helpful to know that antihistamine may help. My GP ran all the blood tests and he was borderline hypothyroid, but is not on any medication. We started him with a psychologist straight away to help alleviate the stress and the hair has started to grow back everywhere except at the hairline at the back of his head. Although it is the hardest things to do, I think we just have to wait for that intense period of stress to go, and the hair should hopefully comeback.

[Sez01 in reply to Julia_mary]

Thank you Julia my daughter is also under investigation for thyroid issues ... Nice to hear ur sons hair is coming back x

[hathi999]

Hi there, I experienced a period of hair loss (though no-where near as serious as your daughters) and it couldn't be linked back to anything by doctors. In the end I found that I had low vitamin B12 levels (they can seriously deplete when under stress and for a myriad of other reasons). My levels tested normal in terms of blood serum levels so doctors just tell you B12 can't be the reason, but I have a great video on my blog site that shows exactly how extreme hair loss can be due to B12 deficiency, its in a BBC documentary by a fabulous doctor in the UK, Dr Chandy. The link is here, third video down on the page difficulty-swallowing.com/r... also have a look at the symptoms page and you will see unexplained hair loss as a symptom, along with another hundred! If it does happen to be B12 it is an incredibly cheap and easy fix with methylated B12 (which you can buy on Amazon or in pharmacies) just don't expect your doctor to buy into it (look at the pernicious anaemia forum if you want to see how people with low B12 get treated by their doctors). All the best.