At what point did you decide to stop treatment for alopecia areata?

When my hair first started falling out I had no clue what was going on, it all happened so fast (hair one month, bald the next) that when I started going to a dermatologist I started doing everything she told me. After speaking to a specialist and personal research I decided that there truly is no point in putting my body through all those drugs. What I had learned is that if your body is going to correct itself it will do that regardless of what treatment method you choose. The fact is that there is no cure and if there was really a treatment that worked for this then there would not be women on this website who have had it there entire lives! My hair did begin to grow back when I was on monthly high doses of prednisone however it fell out just as fast as I stopped. I still can't kick the idea that maybe there's something else wrong with me that can be corrected and let me have my hair back. I know I can't be the only one, I'm still new at this, I'd like to hear about when you decided "it is what it is" and "whatever is going to happen is going to happen".

Views: 3308

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mara on February 14, 2015 at 3:10pm

My hair fell out when I was 6. I wore a wig until 7th grade, and then decided to come out as who I am.  I took the shots until I was 18, and no longer on my parents' insurance. It took until I was about 28 or 29 to fully accept myself and realize that we alopecians are a special breed.  If the Neanderthals had so so much hair, I think perhaps we are the advanced species!  It feels so much better to not worry about it anymore.  It helps to just love yourself as is and not think there is some medical solution to our natural state.  

Permalink Reply by JessicaStinkle on February 14, 2015 at 11:06pm
OMG I am so happy you just said that... Advanced species! I've been saying it ever since I started losing my hair! I'm really not a big sci fi person at all, I'd consider myself a realist, when I see it I'll believe it but I have an amazing theory about aliens. Long story short, one day we'll all be bald!
Permalink Reply by Pat on February 14, 2015 at 3:48pm
I decided to stop treatment pretty early on, probably after 6 months of injections, but have tried a few dietary things since then but nothing worked.
Permalink Reply by Nicole on February 14, 2015 at 9:18pm
I rode the alopecia roller coaster for about 1.5 years. I would get some patchy stubble and then BAM! It would all fall out. It was taking over my life. I eventually got a freedom wig and now I rarely miss my old hair. It enabled me to get back to life and stop worrying about my alopecia. My understanding is that if you are experiencing totalis or universalis there is little to no chance that your hair will come back permanently. I personally can't handle the emotional stress of recurring hair loss. It was easier for me to just say goodbye.
Permalink Reply by Rita on February 15, 2015 at 12:17am
After going through treatment after treatment and dealing with the ugly side effects, I realized quickly that it just wasn't worth my health. From the steroids to the PUVA treatments my body just had enough. Its hard to make that decision, and at times I regret it because I'm always left wondering if it would have worked eventually. But I am in a much better place now than I was before and during the treatments. I guess its simply up to you as to how much more you can take.

Best of wishes!
Permalink Reply by Trusting in God on February 15, 2015 at 1:02am
Jessica I am having the same issue with my son. He is 4 years old and was diagnosed with AU when he was 3 years old. As a mother I keep telling myself that there has to be something else wrong like bird mites or ring worm or some medication that would help his hair grow. It is exhausting not knowing how to help your child and as a mother I do not want him to feel like I just gave up. I tell myself if I just accept it and in the long run it turns out to be something else and his hair ends up growing back he would have suffered all this time...I kno how you feel and I wish you the best! ❤️
Permalink Reply by Jewelzy on February 15, 2015 at 8:37am
for the past 10 years since I first found out that I have alopecia areata I have been searching on and off for a cure for my type of alopecia. I don't think I'll ever truely stop searching for a cure
Permalink Reply by GardenJess on February 15, 2015 at 11:45am

I never sought treatment for alopecia aerate, in part because I felt well informed that there was no cure, and in part because I have vitiligo and had tried some treatments for that which didn't work. Out of an attempt to do the right thing, I went to a dermatologist, but by then more than half of my hair had fallen out, and he didn't offer any treatment. However, I have not yet given up on the idea that there might be something I could do to influence my hair. I have hypothyroidism and am trying to get help with that beyond my TSH being the whole story, and I have read repeatedly that low iron can affect hair loss and regrowth, but because my levels were not off the scale, my primary care doctor wasn't concerned. From what I have read, some scientists/doctors believe that normal ranges of iron measurements for women include iron depleted members of the population, and I found it quite compelling that there is not an apparent biological reason why women in their childbearing years should have lower iron levels than males (yes, there are clear reasons why their iron levels might be lower, but to go by the lab ranges, a man with certain levels would be considered anemic, while a woman with the same levels would be considered just fine.)

Permalink Reply by Solange De Santis on February 16, 2015 at 9:32am

I've got the autoimmune hat trick, too - AU, vitiligo and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (hypothyroidism). I've taken levothyroxin for years.

Permalink Reply by Jean on February 15, 2015 at 1:54pm

Jessica, thank you! I was diagnosed with AU the same year I turned 50. Not a great year for me! Being a normal woman, it was a real blow to my vanity. I have never considered myself attractive, but my hair was amazing. I went through all of the treatments available, shots, clobatasol, squaric acid, you name it. Reading your post and the many, many replies, I have come to a decision. I am going to officially stop treatment. I have not treated for a while and the cycle of loss is starting up again. I feel like I am just setting myself up for disappointment when I treat. It works for a while and then it starts to fall out. I have a beautiful pair of wigs that I can use when it gets real bad. It is time for me to accept this and move forward. 

Again, thank you (and everyone who has replied) so much for giving me the strength to move on!

Permalink Reply by Solange De Santis on February 16, 2015 at 9:30am

Your strength is inspiring! You're not alone.

Permalink Reply by Eliana on February 15, 2015 at 4:59pm
I decided stop the treatment when the doctora say that me blood was not well (sugar, White cells, T3, ...) because the drugs that I was using to my hair grown up again.
I decided that I am a new person and my bald is part of me and the more important is the life! The head with or without hair is a detail.
I have AU and some days I look me and see a beautiful woman and others days I don't like my appearance. It is not different when I had hair. My life is better now because the AU help me see and pay attention on life.
Congratulations for your position!

RSS

Disclaimer

Any mention of products and services on Alopecia World is for informational purposes only; it does not imply a recommendation or endorsement by Alopecia World. Nor should any statement or representation on this site be construed as professional, medical or expert advice, or as pre-screened or endorsed by Alopecia World. Alopecia World is not responsible or liable for any of the views, opinions or conduct, online or offline, of any user or member of Alopecia World.

© 2024   Created by Alopecia World.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service