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Permalink Reply by Nants the Rebellion Dog on January 8, 2009 at 5:53pm

I think your hair dresser is probably thinking the alopecia is stress-induced. I just recently got diagnosed as well, though I'm 55, and I also am awaiting the arrival of a wig in the mail! I have been in therapy several times in my life to deal with different life issues. I am not in therapy now, though it has been really helpful for me before. I personally do not think it is psychological in nature, at least for me. I have been under more stress at other times in my life! (For sure!) I, too, had allergies as a child. I personally think the link is there somewhere, but am not sure where. I also abandoned the idea of shots and treatments. The doctors don't know what causes it or what pattern it will follow. So how would you even know the treatment was even effective, and that it wasn't just the natural course of things? I have chosen to relax about it. I am planning on shaving my head when the loss is too much to cover, and I hope my wig has arrived by then!

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Permalink Reply by Teresa on January 10, 2009 at 3:10am

Thanks for the answer. I am still wondering about this... I had worse stress in my life, and nothing happened: why now and not the other times? However, this alopecia appeared in a very stressful moment, my husband was very ill (thank God finally we discovered why and he can get a treatment), my son was ill as well, for the first time he showed allergy to pollens and was sick (I spent a week almost without sleeping to check if he still breathed at night... I know, it may be exaggerate, but I was very worried).I had as well a very bad infection in my troath, with a sudden high fever, very violent, and I had to take antibiotics. As my whole family was sick (even the cat!) I had to call off many times an appointment with the dentist, as I had a tooth broken and I couldn't fix it until June! To me May had been a living hell, and at the end I discovered a spot on my head... that's how it began. During Xmas time I went back to my hometown and I had a chat with my dad. My dad has not anymore hair on his body. When he was about 40 he began having alopecia barbae, then it recovered, then he had the common fall of his hair, gradually, as often men have. But he was not able to tell me when, recently even his eyebrows had disappeared, and also all his body hair.
If alopecia has some genetic root, I am done for ^^

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Permalink Reply by Teresa on January 10, 2009 at 3:31am

Hello, thanks for the answer. The hairdresser thinks that going in analysis may solve my problem, that found the reason behind the hair loss in her opinion the hair may be back. Even if it may be true (which I doubt) it may not be so automatic "found the reason"- "solved the problem". I think people are a bit more complicated than that.
Anyway, I stop with treatments because I hate drugs, because I have the feeling and actually I see that is not effective (hair is still happily falling) and because the gynecologist told me that I mustn't conceive while I am in steroids medications. As I want another child and I have not much time left as I am getting too much old, I have chosen. Now the next step is worry about: "Will I "pass" this to my children?" Yes, I know, I may pass them a whole range of genetic illnesses... not just this one, if it is genetic.
I have a question... as I got steroids by intramuscular injections, I am wondering if it may be more effective in the way you are doing, directly into the bald patches... did you had also intramuscular injections? I am just curious, I won't have them anyway.

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Permalink Reply by BaldGirlsDoLunch.org on January 11, 2009 at 5:41pm

The odds for most people are that you will not pass this to your children.( only 20% chance by commonly accepted stats).

AA requires a multiple set of genetic markers. So to get them all is not that easy. But if your family already demonstrates to be a multi-plex family then you've got more genes lining up than those of us who are single-tons.

That said....I would suggest that you try as best you can to just forget about genetics since you cannot do anything about it and do try to live life worry-free. Whatever happens happens. If you would be a basket case if you had a child with AA, that's something to think about since your family has more genetic strength than most. For most women the desire to have kids far outweighs the anxiety of passing on AA...but it's a pretty personal issue to be sure.

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Permalink Reply by Erica on January 12, 2009 at 12:20pm

Hi Teresa,

I don't think having therapy will solve the problem of alopecia but it could maybe help you deal with living with it. But to me, you sound pretty well adjusted. You've taken a considered approach to your treatment and how you would like to look. Nothing unhinged there! I'm sure your hairdresser was only trying to help and god knows the amount of times I've had people ask me about all the stress in my life and if that is what's causing my hair to fall out. Argh - who knows?!?

Anyway, I don't think there's anything wrong in using alopecia as an excuse to examine the unhappy events in your life, and using your alopecia as a motivation to make yourself happier all round. I did just that. I moved out of an unhappy living environment and took steps to take control of other aspects of my health that were getting me down and I do believe I'm happier now than I was 8 months ago. Is that what's causing my hair to grow back in? I seriously doubt that but I love the side effect of being happier.

If you don't want to have therapy, then don't. And having a cry at the hairdressers is all part of your therapy and you coming to terms with your hairloss, so don't feel bad about that. I'm sure most of us here can relate to a point where we've had a bit of a public meltdown on this and I think it's all part of accepting what's happening to us. It's normal and shouldn't mean that you need to rush of to see a psychiatrist. But a good friend with a nice comfy shoulder can be helpful.

Erica.

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