Hello all,

One thing I learned when my hair started falling out was that alopecia treats everyone differently.  I don't want to give false hope to anyone, but I do want to relay that my hair all grew back completely.

When the doctor first told me it was alopecia areata, and that it could be caused by stress, my first thought was "I don't have any stress - I go to work and come home - I would actually welcome some stress/activity in my life!".  But I learned that stress doesn't always equal being way too busy.  Maybe it was that I wasn't busy enough, didn't "have a life"........... I had willingly become a prisoner in my own home by choosing not to go out and socialize because let's face it - some people SUCK, and I was tired of getting hurt..............new management had taken over at my job and were covertly making my life a living hell - suddenly everything I did and had been doing for 25 years was "wrong"....etc.   I don't want to make this about me and my former misery, just challenging you to search yourself - I was in denial about my misery, always try to make the best of every situation and give people the benefit of the doubt.   I realized in the end that my body knew way before I did - something's wrong with this picture!  So please search yourself to see if anything could be bothering you that you're trying with all of your might to deny.

My timeline: (6 months after my 50th bday - which was stress in itself....still single at 50 - not what I had envisioned)

September 19, 2016 noticed my first bald spot

December 10, 2016 numerous bald patches led me to break down and have to get a wig which was devastating to say the least.  I had always had ultra thick hair.

June 2017 - still wearing a wig but regrowth of all of my patches was very encouraging.  Wearing a wig was not so bad after all.....

July 2017 - new stress factor in my life, Dad became terminally ill and I was his caregiver, which takes up every moment of your life.  Hair starting falling out again and I thought AA was just something I was going to have to live with for the rest of my life.  But by this point it was "okay"......I could deal with it if I had to.

September 2017 - Dad passes peacefully.  In this case a relief for him and all of us - he was not healthy or happy.

November 2017 - don't need to wear a wig anymore because I have regrowth and no more falling hair!

December 2017 - was able to quit my miserable job and move to a new location!  At first I hated where I lived and noticed my hair started falling out again!  I had to program my mind that I was NOT going to let stress take my hair and made a decision to see the positive in every situation, which halted my hair loss.

So, in SOME cases, controlling our thoughts to see the positive, which is always there, and reducing stress can be your cure.  I'm so very sorry for those of you who have Totalis or universalis, or areata that doesn't ever get cured, but know that it's manageable and your friends and family, and anyone worth their salt will not care if you have hair or not, and it doesn't have to end your life as you know it.  Believe me, I know the devastation it causes, I was there.  I just remember some posts asking if anyone's hair had grown back and the answer was frequently "people who have regrowth probably aren't on the site anymore", so I wanted to give my positive testimony to give some hope.

Blessings to all of you - you are in my prayers.

Bella