Lizard's Story - (24/ do not want to be alone)

[lizard]

hello to everyone. i am so glad i have found this page . this is my first attempt to reach out and tell my story.
i have sufferd from hair loss since i was 14 it started out just thinning out no one really believed there was anything wrong untill i was 17 and the first bald spot appeared. it was about the size of a quarter, later a second spot appeared about the size of a quarter with th e first one advanced to the size of a fifty cent piece, they continued to increase in size in the following monthes. i talked to my docter and he told me that many people have a small patch of hair that falls out and then it useully grows back.
unfortunaly mine didnt grow back within a year i would have new patches and always finding new ways to fix my hair to hide them some grew back some grew bigger. i met my husband when i was 18 a few weeks after meeting him i seen our relationship getting serious and told him :freaked: then he admitted he had noticed the bald patches but was afraid to ask. my hairloss effected my confidence my relationships with freinds and my husband especially as it worsend. i am low income and have no health insurence. wich makes getting a docters help almost impossible for me :roll: so now im interesed in diet regemans and possible causes or things that make it worse. so i can avoid them :lol: .
i now refuse o let this get the best of me. now facing surgery on my boob i am becomeing very afraid and scared :freaked2: not kidding you im scared of being that much more.....well im just scared i can see everything going wrong my hair on my haed is once agian balding not that i had much left to lose in the first place.but i had gotten my hopes up receantly about having my pictures made for only the second time since it all began. i had them made 3 years ago my hair was 1 inche long but i had a full head. it only lasted a few well it seemed like only a few weeks.it may have been a month or two.
im sorry about being long winded but i have so much i want to say and so much i want to ask and im desperate to talk to someone who knows how this feels. after crying while reading real people's stories i just wanted to tell mine thank you all who read this. im almost 24 now and i hate my wigs to! i were a lot of bandannas and hats.but i like walking around my house alone with nothing on my head. :hairy:

 

[harold]

Hey sorry to hear about your troubles. Not sure if what you have is female pattern hair loss as you seem to describe patches of hair being lost on different parts of the scalp rather than at the crown or diffuse loss is this correct?

 

[millert63]

just dont want to be alone in this anymore - response

Hi Lizard,

I looked up your hair loss problem on WebMD.com. Below is the information they list. You may already be aware of all of this information, but I thought I would share it with you.

Millert63

What is alopecia areata?
Alopecia areata is a type of hair loss that occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, which is where hair growth begins. Experts do not know why the immune system attacks the follicles. Alopecia areata is most common in people younger than 20, but children and adults of any age may be affected.

What happens in alopecia areata?
Alopecia areata usually begins when clumps of hair fall out, resulting in totally smooth, round hairless patches on the scalp. In some cases the hair may become thinner without noticeable patches of baldness, or it may grow and break off, leaving short stubs (called "exclamation point" hair). Rarely, complete loss of scalp hair and body hair occurs. The hair loss often comes and goes-hair will grow back over several months in one area but will fall out in another area.

When alopecia areata results in patches of hair loss, the hair usually grows back in 6 months to 1 year.1 Although the new hair is usually the same color and texture as the rest of the hair, it sometimes is fine and white.

About 10% of people with this condition may never regrow hair.2 You are more likely to have permanent hair loss if you:

Have a family history of the condition.
Have the condition at a young age (before puberty) or for longer than 1 year.
Have an autoimmune disease.
Are prone to allergies (atopy).
Have extensive hair loss.
Have abnormal color, shape, texture, or thickness of the fingernails or toenails.
Because hair is an important part of appearance, hair loss can result in feeling unattractive.

In some people, the fingernails and toenails become pitted-they look as if a pin had made many tiny dents in them. They may also look like sandpaper.

How is alopecia areata diagnosed?
Alopecia areata is diagnosed through a medical history and physical examination. Your health professional will ask you questions about your hair loss, look at the pattern of your hair loss, and examine your scalp, and may tug gently on a few hairs or pull some out.

If the reason for your hair loss is not clear, your health professional may do tests to check for a disease that could be causing your hair loss. Tests include:

Hair analysis. Your health professional will take a sample of your hair and exam it under a microscope. A scalp sample is also sometimes taken.
Blood tests, including testing for a specific condition, such as an overactive or underactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism).
How is it treated?
Because hair usually grows back within a year, you may decide not to treat alopecia areata.

If you choose not to treat the condition and wait for your hair to grow back, you may wish to:

Wear hairpieces or hair weaves. Hairpieces are made from human or synthetic hair that is implanted into a nylon netting. Hairpieces may be attached to the scalp with glue, metal clips, or tape. Hair weaving involves sewing or braiding pieces of longer hair into existing hair.
Use certain hair care products and styling techniques. Hair care products or perms may make hair appear thicker. Dyes may be used to color the scalp. However, continual use of perms or dyes may result in more hair loss.
The most common treatment for patchy hair loss is many injections of corticosteroids into the scalp, about 1 cm apart, every 4 to 6 weeks. Limited research reports that hair grows back at the site of injection in some people.3

Contact immunotherapy may be the most effective treatment for severe alopecia areata.1 A medication is "painted" on the scalp once a week. Hair growth may appear within 3 months of beginning treatment. A review of research on contact immunotherapy notes that about half of those with severe alopecia areata had a good response, but how much hair grew back varied widely.3 Side effects of contact immunotherapy include a severe rash (contact dermatitis) and swollen lymph nodes, especially in the neck.

Other medications used to treat alopecia areata include minoxidil (Rogaine), anthralin, and cyclosporine. Anthralin is sometimes used in combination with minoxidil. These medications affect the immune system and may stimulate hair growth, but they do not prevent hair loss.

How will alopecia areata affect my life?
Alopecia areata does not affect you as another condition might: It is not painful, it does not make you feel sick, and it does not result in serious health problems. You cannot spread it to other people, and it should not interfere with school, work, or recreation.

If hair loss is making you feel unattractive, it is important to talk to someone about it. A counselor can help, as can talking to other people with the same condition.

Corticosteroids
Corticosteroid medications are similar to natural hormones produced in the body that help control many necessary functions, including blood sugar and salt (electrolyte) levels, the body's water balance, and immune system function. Corticosteroid medications are often used to treat diseases that cause inflammation, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Common prescription corticosteroids include prednisone, dexamethasone, and hydrocortisone.

Long-term use of corticosteroids has many side effects, including weight gain, stomach ulcers, sleeping difficulties, increased blood pressure, increased blood sugar (glucose), delayed wound healing, and a reduced ability to fight infection. Other problems associated with corticosteroid use include cataract formation, decreased blood flow to the hip joint that causes deterioration of the joint (aseptic necrosis or avascular necrosis), and osteoporosis.