hey guys, i just wanted to share my personal experience with alopecia and what helped/worked for me and what did not. i hope this may be informative for people looking for different solutions/treatments.
last june, i noticed my eyebrows starting to thin out. i didn't think much of it and just shrugged my shoulders, i was like whatever, it'll grow back. within a month, it was almost like a wildfire on my right eyebrow. it started to fall out in numbers. within a month, my entire right eyebrow fell off! i was horrified! somehow my left eyebrow remained, there are some that fall out, but they grow back fast. i was so depressed...the image i saw in the mirror just broke my heart and made me soo sad. i know it may just be eyebrows, but i didn't realize how much of an impact it made until i lost it. i use eyebrow powder to fill it in, but it still doesn't make up for the real deal.

i went to my general physician, endocrinologist, dermatologist, immunologist, allergist, etc. but they all told me the same thing, that i have alopecia and there's really not much that can be done. i tried elidel-an immunosuppressant drug and topical steroids, latisse, then eventually stopped. i wanted to be treated naturally. i tried acupuncture for 2 months, but stopped. i was paying out of pocket and it was costing me way too much money. a friend recommended me to see a chinese herbalist. but she stressed that i needed to keep an open mind (i am very open minded to various forms of healing).

my initial session was 2 hours long, where my herbalist asked me details regarding my medical history, then took my pulse, looked at my face, and looked at my tongue. she prescribed me an herbal medicine that needs to be consumed twice a day on an empty stomach (for best digestion/absorption). i cook the chinese herbs in a clay pot once every 3 days (each boil gives me 3 days worth of medication). my herbalist believes that the onset of my alopecia was due to stress and i def. agree. so she recommended me to de-stress and eat well/better. i am on a low salt/fat diet and i also exercise 3-4 times a week to help me manage stress. within two months, i started to see little black hairs sprouting!

i'm not endorsing chinese herbal medicine, but i'm simply sharing what has worked for me and hope that this encourages and helps others. this past year has been devastating where i would twitch every time i see a strand of hair fall or even washing my hair was a complete nightmare (i was even in therapy for depression).

for everyone out there that is having a difficult time, i know what you're going through, and i hope this encourages you someway and somehow. =) keep your chin up and keep smiling.