From Totally Bald to Hair Regrowth in One Month! (UPDATE: Six Month Regrowth Pictures)

I first noticed my hair falling out in the spring of 2009.Being a black woman who had been wearing braids off and on for many years, I thought braiding my hair too tight was the problem. I took out the braids but my hair continued falling out. I was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata a year later & given 5 weeks of Prednisone. Needless to say, that didn't help at all. As I continued losing hair I researched the different types of alopecia on the internet. When I started losing my eyebrows & eyelashes I knew I had Alopecia Universalis. I tried to decrease the stress in my life & kept praying that one day my hair would spontaneously grow back on its own. While on vacation last year I met a man with the same autoimmune disease who told me about Xeljanz. Finally! A cure!!! But the drug costs over $3000 a month and my insurance would not cover it. My cousin was familiar with the fact that there are discounts available for many expensive medications. I called Pfizer and found out they have a hardship program (Xelsource)for low income patients which allows you to receive Xeljanz ABSOLUTELY FREE!!! They will mail you two forms for you and your doctor to fill out and once it it is verified that your income is low enough and your insurance denies coverage they will Fed Ex Xeljanz directly to your home for FREE! They send you a 30 day supply (two small pills a day) each month. What has really inspired me are the photos of another AU sufferer whose hair started growing back after a month on Xeljanz. She has been on it 6 months now and recently had her first haircut in 4 years. She is sporting a cute, short hairdo. Check her out at Pikore.com the alopeciaexperience instagram. I just started Xeljanz 3 weeks ago on July 28th and hope to be posting pictures of my hair regrowth soon to share with all of you! UPDATE: Saw light blonde, spiky hairs on September 1st after one month on drug! Went to doctor this week and now have dark terminal hairs, mixed with blonde, on my scalp and eyebrow and eyelash regrowth. UPDATE: 3 months, hair getting darker and longer, eyebrows growing in on both sides, a few eyelashes on my left upper lid. See pictures below. UPDATE: 4 months, started taking Biotin and upped doseage to 3 Xeljanz a day. Tons of new growth in resistant bald patches and scalp hair is longer and darker. Eyelashes emerging from both sides. I bought my first mascara in 6 years. Waiting for a few more lashes on right side to use it. Have lots of eyebrows on both sides. Go see my doctors this week on Thursday. They will be TOTALLY shocked and amazed at my progress since last appointment in September. Keep the faith everyone. Xeljanz works!!! UPDATE: Third Doctors' Visit: My doctor's are at the Dermatoligy Clinic at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Boy were my they EXCITED about all my hair growth during the last 3 months! The last time they saw me I had tiny white spiky peach fuzz, with a few dark terminal hairs mixed in. This time I have long dark patches of hair almost an inch long, with regrowth of about 80 percent of my scalp! In between the dark patches, I have short spiky blonde regrowth in my former bald spots. That regrowth is barely visible on camera right now but the doctors saw it and ran their fingers over my entire scalp. Two sets of doctors, nurses and residents came into the room at separate times because everyone could not fit into the examining room at once. Plus I brought a friend with AU and his parents with me to meet the doctor's. Everyone was laughing, happy and amazed at my growth. Each set of doctors took pictures of my complete scalp, eyebrows and eyelashes. The doctors want the pictures for a future Grand Rounds or Dermatology Conference so they can present my case to other doctors and medical students at the University. I'm so happy that my regrowth on Xeljanz will be used to give hope to others! More details below about my friend with AU who came with me to see the Clinic and meet the doctors.

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Permalink Reply by katiegirl on October 17, 2015 at 2:19pm
This is great to see!! I'm glad the xeljanz is working wel for you!
Permalink Reply by katiegirl on October 17, 2015 at 2:20pm
Are you on the standard two pills a day?
Permalink Reply by Xeljanzmiracle on October 17, 2015 at 3:25pm
Thanks, it's very exciting! Here is another picture that shows hair regrowth better:
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Permalink Reply by Starshine on October 17, 2015 at 3:49pm
Congrats! That is a great start, especially with pigment that early.
Permalink Reply by Xeljanzmiracle on October 17, 2015 at 4:15pm
Thank you Starshine. I started with blonde, spiky regrowth, but some of it has turned dark (terminal) and is now longer with a slight curl. My eyebrows and eyelashes are coming in dark to start. Posted some other contrasting pictures on ADML's blog.
Permalink Reply by Xeljanzmiracle on October 17, 2015 at 3:15pm
Yes, only take 2 a day. How are you doing Katiegir?
Permalink Reply by katiegirl on October 17, 2015 at 7:36pm
Still growing. I had decreased to one pill a day but I am afraid I will start losing it and my wedding is in June I don't want to play around with it :( I saw the alopecia experiment on Instagram and I was sad to see she started losing it again on one pill so I went back up to two
Permalink Reply by Xeljanzmiracle on October 17, 2015 at 7:48pm
I saw that also; Shana had so much super rapid growth that I guess she wanted to see if she could maintain on one a day. I think you are doing the right thing to not take any chances.
Permalink Reply by katiegirl on October 17, 2015 at 11:16pm
I hope so. Two a day is still very expensive though I am thinking of going to Mexico or figuring something else out. After three months of back and forth with Pfizer they said I was denied the hardship card made just a little bit too much money. I am in the process of appealing will see how that goes. I know we all say it but it's such a shame how much we are all ending up paying for this. I wish more than anything that everyone on this site could just have their hair and the medicine for a cheaper price.
Permalink Reply by Xeljanzmiracle on October 18, 2015 at 3:06am
I am on the Hardship PROGRAM, Katiegirl, not a card. I don't have a literal card from Xelsource. I just call them every month to refill my prescription (Xelsource is now using Sonexus Pharmacy in Lewisville, Texas at (972) 350-9940 or (877) 369-6083), and they Fed Ex it to me 2 days later. I just received my 4th shipment, but haven't run out of the previous month's yet. I don't know how long I'm going to be eligible for this for free. They told me to renew in Novemver for next year. My income is SUPER low, that's why I qualify, but you're right, it's crazy expensive and I couldn't afford to get it at all if I wasn't so poor.
Permalink Reply by singh on October 18, 2015 at 5:47am
Hey there are you aloud to have alcohol whilst taking xeljanz ?? Mates birthday tonight so was just wondering ?? Thanks for any replies
Permalink Reply by Xeljanzmiracle on October 18, 2015 at 8:45am
Hi Singh! Did you finally get/start your Xeljanz? I drink alcohol and take Xeljanz and have had no problem with it. I can take Xeljanz on an empty stomach as well without getting nauseated or sick.

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