Alopecia World
www.alopeciaworld.com
How Much Would You Subject Your Body To to Have Your Hair Grow Back Again?
Hello my fellow Alopecians!
I wanted to share a pivotal moment in my life with you guys, and specifically wanted to hear your thoughts. I recently went to see a brand new dermatologist, who shocked my by saying: "You know, your hair can grow back. There was a study done in Turkey recently where the women took three months of prednisone, along with anti-inflammatory drugs and Tums each day to counteract the calcium loss from the prednisone, and they experienced COMPLETE regrowth!"
Sitting on the examining table...my clinic standard-issue paper gown scrunching slightly beneath my hands in my lap, my eyes widened in surprise. And then my mouth pursed, waiting for the punchline. "Okkk..." I said, reeling from this news, trying to assimilate this information after three years of being an Alopecian.
And then the punchline came. My eyebrows raised, mouth slightly ajar, as I listened to the new (and very smart, perky and energetic) dermatologist try to sell me on this new course of therapy.
"Now, there are some very serious side effects to taking prednisone...we normally only prescribe prednisone for no more than two weeks at a time, but those with alopecia who had complete regrowth took it for three months, and then took more drugs for another six months in some cases." Me, thinking to myself "NO KIDDING, serious side effects! Mega-steroids for three months???" And then she rattled off the list of side effects...
"Osteoporosis...you'd have to take Tums three times a day to counteract the calcium loss to your bones...and you'd gain 10 pounds...you should watch your diet...and you' develop a small hump at the center of your back, and you'd have to take an anti-inflammatory drug in conjunction with the prednisone...and it would affect your energy level - it's like taking adrenaline..."
As she rattled off the list, my eyes grew wider and wider, and then my mind faded out of reality and I thought "But I like myself bald! Wait, wait - but being bald, this is ME now. You want to change ME? And I'd have to subject my body to this?" And then the kicker, the shocker, the idea that I had only prayed for in my most quiet of moments...somewhere along the way I had finally accepted that I had alopecia, and more shockingly, that my hair might NEVER grow back. Effectively, being bald and having alopecia had at some point fused itself into me, my self-concept. It's ME, a part of ME. I am no longer two people dueling in the mirror, pain and happiness. And so, when she told me that I could subject my body to these terrors and rigors, I reacted akin to someone suggesting I cut off my nose - "What!!!?" And then indignation, "Why should I do THAT?"
By the time my mind faded back into reality, she was finishing her spiel..."But it would only be for three months!!" Nice - I'd only have a hump in my back for three months, and coming down off my crack high and losing that extra 10 pounds or so would be a BREEZE. ONLY THREE MONTHS. Yaayyy crack!!
So, my fellow family: Does anyone else see the irony in this? I had once prayed that I'd always be able to see my own beauty, because at first I had been terrified, paralyzed by the idea that my body would be ugly forever without hair. Now, after several years of a gut-twisting, painful and rewarding psychological journey, I feel beautiful...and in a caustic twist of fate, a doctor is telling me that if I do some really ugly things to my body, I'll grow my hair back! Ironic!? I think so.
So tell me fellow Alopecians: What do you think? How far would you go, what would you subject your body to, to have your hair grow back? Has anyone tried this course of therapy? Just so you know, I told the doctor I'd do some more research on it, but I declined treatment. But, I'm more interested in the philosophical aspects of this question. I am asking because if a doctor had told me this a year ago, when I was in a different place in my psychological journey, I would be nursing the hump in my back and running around like a crack baby at this very moment. But, what would you do?
I wanted to share a pivotal moment in my life with you guys, and specifically wanted to hear your thoughts. I recently went to see a brand new dermatologist, who shocked my by saying: "You know, your hair can grow back. There was a study done in Turkey recently where the women took three months of prednisone, along with anti-inflammatory drugs and Tums each day to counteract the calcium loss from the prednisone, and they experienced COMPLETE regrowth!"
Sitting on the examining table...my clinic standard-issue paper gown scrunching slightly beneath my hands in my lap, my eyes widened in surprise. And then my mouth pursed, waiting for the punchline. "Okkk..." I said, reeling from this news, trying to assimilate this information after three years of being an Alopecian.
And then the punchline came. My eyebrows raised, mouth slightly ajar, as I listened to the new (and very smart, perky and energetic) dermatologist try to sell me on this new course of therapy.
"Now, there are some very serious side effects to taking prednisone...we normally only prescribe prednisone for no more than two weeks at a time, but those with alopecia who had complete regrowth took it for three months, and then took more drugs for another six months in some cases." Me, thinking to myself "NO KIDDING, serious side effects! Mega-steroids for three months???" And then she rattled off the list of side effects...
"Osteoporosis...you'd have to take Tums three times a day to counteract the calcium loss to your bones...and you'd gain 10 pounds...you should watch your diet...and you' develop a small hump at the center of your back, and you'd have to take an anti-inflammatory drug in conjunction with the prednisone...and it would affect your energy level - it's like taking adrenaline..."
As she rattled off the list, my eyes grew wider and wider, and then my mind faded out of reality and I thought "But I like myself bald! Wait, wait - but being bald, this is ME now. You want to change ME? And I'd have to subject my body to this?" And then the kicker, the shocker, the idea that I had only prayed for in my most quiet of moments...somewhere along the way I had finally accepted that I had alopecia, and more shockingly, that my hair might NEVER grow back. Effectively, being bald and having alopecia had at some point fused itself into me, my self-concept. It's ME, a part of ME. I am no longer two people dueling in the mirror, pain and happiness. And so, when she told me that I could subject my body to these terrors and rigors, I reacted akin to someone suggesting I cut off my nose - "What!!!?" And then indignation, "Why should I do THAT?"
By the time my mind faded back into reality, she was finishing her spiel..."But it would only be for three months!!" Nice - I'd only have a hump in my back for three months, and coming down off my crack high and losing that extra 10 pounds or so would be a BREEZE. ONLY THREE MONTHS. Yaayyy crack!!
So, my fellow family: Does anyone else see the irony in this? I had once prayed that I'd always be able to see my own beauty, because at first I had been terrified, paralyzed by the idea that my body would be ugly forever without hair. Now, after several years of a gut-twisting, painful and rewarding psychological journey, I feel beautiful...and in a caustic twist of fate, a doctor is telling me that if I do some really ugly things to my body, I'll grow my hair back! Ironic!? I think so.
So tell me fellow Alopecians: What do you think? How far would you go, what would you subject your body to, to have your hair grow back? Has anyone tried this course of therapy? Just so you know, I told the doctor I'd do some more research on it, but I declined treatment. But, I'm more interested in the philosophical aspects of this question. I am asking because if a doctor had told me this a year ago, when I was in a different place in my psychological journey, I would be nursing the hump in my back and running around like a crack baby at this very moment. But, what would you do?
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Lori Black on
-
Brianne, I literally LOL on the "under arm" post. Nothing has ever amazed me more than to still have to shave "that" area!! Crazy!! Nary a hair anywhere else....truly unreal!!
Blessings!
Lori
-
-
Lee, I used some ointment in the early years that irritated the scalp to open hair follicles. The Dr gave no indication on how effective this might be in regrowing hair but my parents were trying everything at the time. This stuff was yellow in appearance, but after application within a few days and throughout the time I used it, turned my scalp a "sun burned" red and left like this brownish purple film covering my head and ruining every piece of cloth that toched my head. It hurt to even touch it! Literally like having a 3rd degree sunburn. The things the medical world thinks up!!
Blessings!
Lori
-
Permalink Reply by JeffreySF on
-
I would probably go no further than I am now....as I say that now haha.
My current regime is:
5% Minoxidil twice a day (if I feel like it)
Multi Vitamin daily
1mg Biotin daily
1000 IU Vitimin D daily (my newest little addition)
and my fish oil tablet to help keep my cholesterol level in check.
Jeff
-
Permalink Reply by ErinMichele on
-
How is this regime working for you?
-
-
Well I think that is all that matters. I do the 5% topical and the vitamins. I feel like those are really beneficial. But my doc just put me on Prednisone and I hate it. I just started and gonna wait a couple more days but I am probably gonna stop them because its not worth it to me to feel this way.
-
-
How much prednisone are you taking?
I had the injections when this first started but it progressed so rapidly I wasnt really a candidate.
-
-
40 mg every morning.
-
Permalink Reply by BaldGirlsDoLunch.org on
-
Sounds like two different things:
Oral prednisone( a synthetic corticosteroid) is something different from local subcutaneous injections of steroid to localized patches of alopecia areata...commonly known as brands like Kenalog.
Prednisone delivered intramuscular for a new case of alopecia areata is something I have never heard of and would say wow, that's highly aggressive. So maybe by injection you're referring to subcutaneous injection of Kenalog which is a very common treatment for alopecia areata less than 50% scalp involvement?
-
-
I think you mean systemic corticosteroids. The side effects are plentiful.
Glucose intolerance (increased blood sugar)leading to weight gain, cushings syndrome (round face and buffalo hump), osteoporsis, the list goes on and on and the regrowth is only temporary and the side effects are guarnteed with no money back.
Thanks but No Thanks.
Jeffrey -
-
-
I started with the Kenalog shots but since I have so much loss my derm wanted to put me on the prednisone pills. I was shocked it had come to that but went along with it. I hate them. Starting today I am starting to ween off of them. Its not worth it to me and since I have started I am losing my hair more than before. I really dont think this guy knows what he is doing. So frustrating
-
© 2024 Created by Alopecia World.
Powered by
