I have had Alopecia since I was 12 and I am 55 now. It has been something I have chosen to hide from the general public. I have gone the route of using cremes and getting shots. In Nov. 2011 I had been receiving shots every month (around 30 shots) for 3 years with varying degrees of success. The entire back of my hair was gone. I decided that the shots were not doing anything and I stopped going to my dermatologist. It is now June 2012 and all of my hair is gone. None. Eyebrows, Ear hair, nose hair, arm hair and now my pubic hair is going. Sounds dramatic. Only at first. It is more dramatic to the world then in my household. I'm bald....get over it! Worst case scenerio...people always treat me nicely because they see my bald head and think I am sick. Good luck with your diagnosis. I hope you are in a supportive environment. That helps me so much. Best wishes.