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Is pregnancy a trigger?
First of all, I am very happy to have found a community of people who can relate to what I'm going through! I just came across this site today and joined. I was diagnosed about 2 months ago with alopecia areata, which was devastating and I've been trying to cope. I currently have a HUGE bald spot on the top of my head that started in September and is spreading down to my ear on one side. I can't wear ponytails anymore, but if I part my hair on the other side it does a pretty good job hiding it (unless the wind blows). I am also 29 weeks pregnant and my doctor says they can't give me the steroid injections untill after I have my baby in March. Has anyone else been diagnosed during pregnancy or does it make it worse? I am holding onto hope that maybe this is pregnancy related. I just feel so upset every time I look in the mirror. I've had long hair for years and the thought of possibly having to shave my head of this keeps getting worse breaks my heart. I really don't know how to cope with this. I also feel guilty because I know it's just hair, and so many people have worse problems with their health. But it's just hard. I had never even heard of alopecia untill I was diagnosed with it. Vent over.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by lcord on
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I know a few women who had hair thinning while pregnant and it grew back normally after pregnancy. I wasn't diagnosed during pregnancy (5 years ago)as I had minor bald spots since I was in my teens up until a few years before I was pregnant but I did lose all my hair including body hair (alopecia universalis) 4 months post partum. During pregnancy I had excessive hair growth (including body hair) so when I started losing it I assumed it was just the postpartum shed that happens. I had hoped to grow my hair longer during my mat leave so it was certainly a shock to have the opposite happen. I can totally understand how your feeling, don't feel guilty!
I did ask my doctor if it was hormone related but she told me that pregnancy can bring out hidden autoimmune issues. Recently I've started having some thin weak regrowth on my arms and face though not brows or eyelashes, this is a few months after I started taking iron supplements due to a very low ferritin level, I'm hoping I'll see results elsewhere once my levels are back to normal.
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