Alopecia World
www.alopeciaworld.com
21 year old male just diagnosed with alopecia. Confused and seeking advice
Hi everyone--I am brand new to the website. Last week, I was getting a hair cut and my hairdresser found a bald spot on the back of my head. After she mentioned it in a worrisome way, another was found on the top of my head...then a small one on the side. I am a perfectly healthy 21 year old, so I could not comprehend what it could be. I had a haircut 3 weeks prior and there were no spots. I immediately went to my dermatologist who told me I had alopecia. The next thing I know, I am having blood drawn and being given information on steroid shots. I would love someone to share their experiences similar to mine. I mostly want to know if it will stop at these 3 patches, will more keep showing up, etc. Basically, is this something that I need to worry about getting worse, or am I overreacting. Thanks in advance for the responses!
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Karen Smith on
-
Hi, Unfortunately Alopecia is so unpredictable. Steroid shots worked for my daughter the first time and it all grew back in. It did not work when it came back a few years later. There is so much information on this website. There are clinical trials going on. Get to a good dermatologist that can help you through this.
-
Permalink Reply by Steve on
-
Hi ltz5,
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but you are in the right place as we all know what you are going through. We have all been there or are still there. As Karen stated, this condition is so unpredictable and is different for absolutely everyone. It comes with a lot of questions that are unanswered which is so frustrating. I really connect with your emotions as I first developed it when I was 18. The increase of anxiety and stress will definitely not be adding any benefit so finding ways to distract and calm yourself from this is pretty vital in my eyes. However, we all know that is easier said than done. It's great that you have been to a Dermatologist and they have started you on steroid shots! From what I have read, most people with a few spots respond very positively to this treatment and the hair grows back in a few months. If you have any more questions or just want support then hit me up man!
-
-
Hello everyone I have alopecia Universalis
Am currently making a cure or let's say a treatment for alopecia after suffering for almost 20 years
I just need some time and I will let you know if it works
And it did for 2 of my friends with areata so contact me for help
-
-
The disease is easy to manage if you follow a basic rule:
Medical treatment without delay and without interruption until all patches are gone entirely.
If you follow this rule the part of the immune system acting wrongly won’t have the chance to copy the information (hair=foreign tissue). If you do not follow this rule the patches grow or multiply and then the matter gets out of control and irreversible respectively. Many people try other things first or wait for spontaneous regrowth. That might indeed sometimes happen, but usually not. It only happens if the immune system regulates the wrong process itself, which is unfortunate not happening very often. Another rule related from the above is, the smaller the patches the easier they are to treat. So never give patches the time or chance to grow.
-
-
Thanks for everyone's replies. Since I made this post, all three spots have enlarged, and I have developed another spot or two. Additionally, some of the results came back from the blood work. My ANA panel came back high, so my doctor wants me to go see a specialist in that field. If this has happened to anyone else, or if anyone has additional information on what this could mean, I would love to hear it. I go to school about 10 hours from home--where the doctors I have been seeing are. It is proven difficult to manage school while coordinating all these phone calls and trying to find a specialist. Is this situation so important that I couldn't wait until when I am home for a prolonged period over winter break?
-
-
That is fast. No, it cannot wait. The matter will deteriorate. I am not a doc but I have
a lot of Alopecia in the family. I have seen those serious progressions and you need to stop that immediately. You need oral steroids I believe in order to stop the process. ASAP
-
-
Hi Itz5,
I'm sorry to hear about your AA. Most of us here are all going through the same thing, so you're not alone.
If your ANA results came back high, it's important to see a Rheumatologist as soon as possible.
It may be just an anomaly and this can happen sometimes, but it's not something you should ignore or put off until later. It's usually an indicator of an underlying auto-immune disorder, but it can also be caused by some medications. Do you take any?
We're all here for you when you need us, but just remember no matter what you'll be fine. It's mostly a matter of time and sometimes, the right treatment. To find out what that right treatment is, you need to see some doctors. Sometimes more of them than you should have to, until you find the right one. Hang in there...
TC
-
-
Sahel wants to make some cash with our despair ...which is disgusting. The stuff he intends to sell is available in the US and Europe under prescription and will be taken under medical supervision.
-
-
Make some cash my friend you are naieve I've been suffering from alopecia for almost 20 years alopecia Universalis am trying to help and who said am selling anything lol
-
Permalink Reply by 5DH on
-
Hi Itz5
How interesting! I also developed my first patches when I was 21.
Thinking back, what I wish someone told me is that THERE IS NO CURE.
We are closer than ever to a cure. I am in a drug trial for a topical solution of a JAK inhibitor that could regrow hair. But there is no silver bullet like penicillin is for a bacteria infection.
Since my diagnosis (it's now over 10 years later) I have tried almost everything: rogaine, oral steroids, injected corticosteroids, steroids through an IV, cyclosporine, and probably more. None of it did a lick of good for me, but my doctors were all to happy to have me keep coming in and paying for it. I think they just didn't like saying "there's nothing I can do for this."
And the downside? I am a skinny dude but the oral steroids (prednisone) caused me to gain some weight like a tire around my midsection. I've never been able to lose it. The cyclosporine is an intense drug that they give to organ transplant patients to suppress the immune system. That strangely caused me to grow hair in other places... upper arm, shoulder, back, and filling out my chest/stomach.
I remember being your age and so desperate. I still feel that way sometimes, now 10 years later and married with 50% of my hair gone.
1) An effective treatment is coming in the form of JAK inhibitors. It may not be for another year or two.
2) Grow your hair out. The patches can pop up anywhere, but they can also stop growing at any second (and could fill in at any second without ever showing up again in your lifetime).3) If you think you'd look good with a shaved head, you can do that at any time.
4) No one will notice your patches more than you. How often do you really look at someone's hair in detail other than sitting behind them at class??
5) We are here for you.
© 2024 Created by Alopecia World.
Powered by
