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Did any treatment "work" for you?
It's my understanding that there's no "cure" for alopecia, but I'm still interested in learning about the varying degrees of success alopecians have had with the various treatments that are offered. Therefore, if you have alopecia and have had any luck whatsoever with a treatment, please share your story here. Be sure to say whether your regrowth was temporary, permanent, partial, or full, and whether you experienced any pain or other negative side effects as result of the treatment.
PLEASE NOTE: I'm only interested in hearing from people who have actually struggled with alopecia and NOT the companies, organizations, and individuals offering treatments and cures.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mommy of 2 boys on
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Dean, I juiced organic onions and applied it to his head 2 x a day. Yes he smelled but he was in afternoon kindergarten. So I applied it at night. He slept on it. I would apply it again when he woke up. Then wash it off before school. He didn't seem bothered with it.
I would juice an onion and put it in the fridge. So I didn't have to juice everyday. Good luck!
Angelynds: that is strange. I do not have Alopecia in my family. My husbands grandfather was adopted so we don't know much about their side. My mother in law has RA which is also an auto immune disorder. How long has your child had a full re growth? Did you do anything to help with it?
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Permalink Reply by Dean on
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Wow! Where did you read this? I'd love to look it up. Why is it supposed to work??
Your son had full regrowth?
Dean
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Hey Dean,
I did a little research about the onion juice. My 5 year old son has alopecia. I have not tried any prescription treatments because of the side effects. I did take him to naturopath. I too was interested when I read the comments about the onion. I did find some scientific research on it. I can only see the abstract since you have to pay for the article, but it looks promising. Here is the link http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12126069
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Thanks Kar, I found that online as well. We're going to try it with our daughter - will let you know results! Thanks again.
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We are going to try it too. I will keep you updated on any results as well. Hope it works!
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Permalink Reply by Tuesday on
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I have had AU for 10 years. Nothing I tried worked. I exercised daily, ate very healthy diet and avoided animal products (i.e. meat, dairy) and rarely consumed gluten. And I visited a naturopath regularly, took supplements .... these are things I did for about 15-20 years BEFORE my alopecia began. Cortisone shots, further diet-tune ups, acid on my scalp - those things didn't help.
I would love for my brows, lashes and hair (in that order!) to return but I don't trust the medications available and suspect they would still be ineffective against the strength of my AU.
I still continue a healthy diet and exercise routine and this doesn't affect my AU.
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What worked for me for a little while was to get steroid shots to the patches. But, I honestly felt like the hair would grow back on its own since I began to get short blonde hairs before I ever came into the dermatologists. I stopped going to the dermatologists for the shots because it got too expensive real fast. I want to go back and ask to use other treatments but I just can't afford it since its costing me out of pocket +$200 for every visit with insurance.
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Permalink Reply by Shauntay80 on
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I've had various stages of alopecia for 21yrs. I've had full head of hair, bald patches & totally bald scalp. Currently, I'm totally bald. I've tried every option over 21 yrs from steroid scalp injections every month for yrs which had the most success for me, to oral steroids which does cause weight gain in the face (chimpmunk cheeks) bloat, & gassy intergestion. I've also tried daily topical solutions which is hard to maintain when you're a female from rogaine, to emlare, to various leave on creams which made my head itchy. The creams also made my scalp sensitive to the touch. I couldn't scratch my head if it itched or brush what little hair I did have lol. It was too painful. Currently, now I'm totally bald but I have hair everywhere else on my body except my head. I've been getting steroid shots for 7 months with no results. The doctor then diagnosed me alopecia totalisis which is the loss of all head head hair & suggested I get a biopsy. I did the biopsy which included an incision sample of my scalp. The results suggested that I had chronic alopecia which is sporatic bald patches or hair growth. It's been 1 yr now with no results & I'm quite fed up with the injections, so I stopped getting them. I now invest my money in quality wigs that look very natural & I look great in them. I'm told the longer you wait to get treatment, the more difficult it is for hair regrowth. I hope this info helps
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Permalink Reply by Molly on
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Hi Jera,
My name is Molly and in Oct of 2011, at 46, I was diagnosed with alopecia areata. Over the course of 4 months, I lost 30 - 40% of the hair on my head - at the crown, on the sides, and in the back. There were several large bald spots and general thinning. I wore a hat for those four months. I did everything I could possibly think of based on the research available - I met with a nutritionist and totally changed my diet, went gluten, dairy and (almost) sugar-free. I worked with my dermatologist and did the steroid shots in my scalp for 10 months - not pleasant, but not horrible either - along with steroid shampoos and lotions. I went to a hair replacement specialist to explore options and used a scalp treatment shampoo. I'm having my hair dresser color my hair with more gentle, natural colorants (I'm pretty grey after all) instead of commercial box colorants. I use the 5% Rogaine liquid on the spots. I also went to a specialist for evaluation, and started seeing an endocrinologist who has diagnosed me with Celiacs. Yeah, thankfully, we have good insurance. Now, about 20 months later, my hair has grown in. The past 6 weeks or so, I've noticed thinning on the right side, and a couple spots in the back, but it's not noticeable...yet. I don't know if any one of these things worked or if it's just the progression of my particular variation. I'm now 48, I exercise, am reasonably fit and healthy, and have noticed that my stomach issues and allergies are much better than ever. I wake up every morning thankful and dread clearing the shower drain. But for right now, I'm ok. Who's to say if it will last. I have learned that while this totally sucks, there is so much support available. I've also learned that there are many auto-immune disorders that I've struggled with all my life without labeling them as such; allergies, canker sores, rashes, hives, itching and now alopecia, I wonder if they've all been related to the Celiacs? My best wishes to you in your journey. We all have to deal with this in our own way, but you're not alone!!
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Permalink Reply by Jean on
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Hi Jera,
I am one of the odd ones who became an alopecian at the age of 49. I started with areata, to which they treated it with cortisone shots in the head. Very painful and only a temporary regrowth. I then went into full alopecia universalis. I shaved off what was left of my hair and bought a wig. Some of my hair started to regrow, but not enough. The doctor then prescribed a compound that is not widely used here, but is in Europe. It is approved by their FDA, but not the U.S.A's. It is called squaric acid DI solution. I looked it up online and the reports were good. While very effective in children, it is also good, but not AS good in adults. It is very expensive and a lot of druggists won't make it. The doctor then decided to try that combined with Drithroe Creme. All that did was discolor my scalp. Not pretty with stark white, very thin hair!
Then, one day, watching Dr. Oz (which I never do), there was a doctor by the name of William Davis. He wrote a book called "Wheat Belly." I'm overweight, as well, so I thought I'd watch. What he said though, did not strike me because of the diet tips. He spoke about how modern wheat has been changed so much through gentic modification that he has found it to affect people predisposed to autoimmune disorders, like alopecia and hashimoto's, which often go hand in hand and I have both! So, I bought a inexpensive "guide" to the book and learned so much! I have followed most of his recommendations and my hair is slowly coming back! It grows so fast, I have to get it cut every 4 weeks! While still thin in spots, my stylist tells me that there is not one spot on my head that is completely bald. In other words, I have regrowth EVERYWHERE!!
So, there you have all of the experiences I have had with treatments and finally coming to rest on a simple diet change that is working. You can find tons of recipes online for wheat free foods. Reading the book will be the best start, as it is not as simple as going "gluten free," but a whole change in how you cook and eat.
I'm attempting to upload my "then" pic and my "now" pic. I hope it loads!
I hope this helps.
Jean
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