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New and wondering what some triggers are for AA
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Permalink Reply by Dena on
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I first noticed a spot on my at the time 5 year old daughter after she had a virus. It came back back, but she continued to keep one at the base of her neck. In October 2012 at 6 years old, she had all her hair. Nov. 2012 she had a sore throat and fever for two days and started losing her hair. She lost about 50% by the end of Nov. and all the rest in Dec. Now she still doesn't have any hair and her eyelashes and eyebrows are thinning. I honestly believe her immune system just goes out of whack after a virus or cold and just starts looking for something else to attack. We haven't changed her diet and there hasn't been any stress in our family (even Alopecia doesn't really stress her out). I am scared of the drugs that suppress immune systems, but that seems to work for some as long as they stay on them. I agree it is all just a mystery. It seems to affect people differently.
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer on
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Thanks Dena, so far she has a patch just a little smaller than a quarter. We will keep watching it. I agree about the meds and worry about long term effects. Last night I was reading about celiac disease, and dairy allergies. I am going to ask her Dr. If she thinks we should do some blood work.
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I seen a lot of people on here who have had allergy testing done. We personally haven't done it yet. After going through injections with my daughter for AA, I just hate having it done. I feel so bad for her getting poked and prodded all the time. We did have blood work done, but everything came back o.k. I have read so many people giving conflicting advice on diets for AA. Before all this happened I was eating a vegetarian diet and was hoping to go vegan. My daughter has never followed a vegetarian diet, but does eat a lot of fruit and veggies because that was simply what we had available to snack on. She also didn't eat much dairy except for eggs and sometimes cheese. But in small amounts. My husband and sons are meat eaters so she usually had meat with dinner. I really figured diet wise she eats better than most kids. I have read a lot of autoimmune diseases are helped with vegan diet. Something to do with it reducing inflamation. But I also have a friend who went vegan and started losing hair, not AA but thinning. She admitted she thought it was because of poor choices (no green veggies, a lot of sweets). A lot of people said cutting out meat could hurt because of low iron and others have said gluten free diets helped them. I really don't know who to listen to, so we just try to do things in moderation. It sounds like your daughter has been through a lot. Hopefully it is just the stress of her being sick and everything will get back to normal for her. I wish you guys the best.
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its a fungus that feeds on hair roots not at all related to stress .........look up at some of my post and please start her treatment as soon as possible so as she can have a normal life........if you dont treat it will progress to AU, CROTON TIGLIUM SEEDS( jamal gota' indian name) IS THE ONLY CURE...
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Permalink Reply by Jules1984 on
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My daughter started losing her hair a couple of days after having gastro. Her gastro was pretty bad... lasting about a week with vomitting, diarrhea and fevers. This was just before her third birthday April 2011. Once she started losing her hair it was all gone pretty quickly... by the end of september she had lost all her hair all over her body. She is now 4.5 years old and is a very happy girl but her hair has never came back. We tried a strict diet of gluten, milk, egg, and soy free but nothing came of it. She was on the diet for over 5 months and we hadn't seen any results so we stopped it and now she is only dairy free because we found that dairy constipates her. I should mention that the year before she started losing her hair in September 2010 she had surgery to repair an epigastric hernia. But I really don't think her AU was caused by the surgery rather I strongly believe it was caused by the gastro.
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Thank you Jules for reply, my gut right now says the virus caused this second round. I did talk to her pediatrician we are going to wait on any testing right now and ride this out for a bit. It is so nice to have this site to bounce questions. Happy to have another contact!
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Permalink Reply by Tallgirl on
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Alopecia Areata Minimize
Alopecia Areata - Maria Hordinsky, MD
alopecia_areata.jpgAlopecia areata is a hair loss disorder that is mediated by the immune system. Both males and females of all ages and ethnicities may develop alopecia areata. Any hair-bearing region of the body can be affected. The most common clinical presentations are called alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, and alopecia universalis. The term alopecia areata is used when there are round to oval patches of hair loss present. Alopecia totalis refers to loss of all scalp hair and alopecia universalis to loss of all scalp and body hair. Nail abnormalities are commonly seen in association with hair loss. Abnormalities may range from pitting (small dot depressions in the nail plate) to thinning of the nail plate, and very rarely, shedding of the nail plate. The prevalence of alopecia areata in the United States is estimated to be 1.7% for a total of approximately 4.6 million affected individuals.
The hair loss that occurs in alopecia areata may appear suddenly with no symptoms or there may be mild itching or tingling. Hair fibers usually fall out by their "roots," an event that occurs with normal daily hair loss but in alopecia areata, the numbers of fibers in the loss phase are significantly increased especially in the involved areas. After shedding occurs, regrowth usually does not proceed quickly and the involved areas may remain bald for some time. This is not because the hair follicle has been destroyed but rather either an "arrest" of hair growth or a prolongation of the resting phase in the hair cycle occurs.
Dermatologists have learned over the years that a characteristic feature seen under the microscope in scalp biopsy samples from patients with alopecia areata is the presence of inflammatory cells (immune cells) around the bottom part of affected hair follicle. The most common cell present is a white blood cell called a T lymphocyte. Many researchers have focused their attention on studying the interaction of these inflammatory cells, and in particular, the T lymphocyte with the hair follicle. Researchers continue to study how immune cells "effect" the hair follicle to interrupt hair growth and what triggers this aberrant behavior.
Genetic factors have also been shown to be important in the susceptibility, development , and severity of alopecia areata. Alopecia areata affecting more than one family member has been reported to range between 10 and 50 percent in published studies. Alopecia areata has been reported to occur concurrently or sequentially in both identical and fraternal twins. The concordance rate or genetic effect in alopecia areata is believed to be 55 per cent, which means environmental factors have the potential to also play a significant role in this hair disease. Current data also suggest there are differences in a major locus on chromosome 6 between patients with long-standing extensive alopecia areata and those with limited, patchy disease of short duration. Researchers continue to conduct family studies of alopecia areata to better understand the genetics of this disorder. Patients and families now also have the opportunity to participate in the National Alopecia Areata Registry. A major goal of the Registry is to create a database where researchers can obtain epidemiologic data and blood samples from patients and families with alopecia areata. Data will be used to identify genetic and environmental factors important to alopecia areata. In the future, the Registry will also be a resource of biologic research samples and clinical data for other studies of alopecia areata.
Therapy for alopecia areata must be considered against the background of the normal course of the disease. Ninety percent of patients with limited (<25%) scalp involvement with alopecia areata experience spontaneous regrowth within 2 years. This group also generally responds favorably to a variety of treatments. On the other hand, the presence of severe nail abnormalities, atopy (asthma, allergic rhinnitis, and atopic dermatitis), and onset less than 5 years old with extensive hair loss, have all been implicated as negative prognostic factors. Alopecia totalis or universalis which lasts for > 2 years is believed to have a particularly low chance of spontaneous regrowth and is less responsive to therapy.
The most commonly prescribed medications for limited patch stage alopecia areata include anti-inflammatory medications, including topical or intralesional steroid injections. Topical 2% or 5% minoxidil may also be prescribed to promote hair growth. Unlike its use in male or female pattern baldness where one has to keep using the drug to maintain hair growth, topical minoxidil need only be used for as long as it is needed in the management of alopecia areata ie discontinuation of the drug after full regrowth is not commonly associated with renewed hair shedding.
The management of extensive alopecia areata is more challenging as patients may or may not respond to therapy. Different treatment options include the aforementioned medications as well as oral corticosteroids or psoralen plus ultraviolet A light (PUVA). Topical immunotherapy with diphencyprone and squaric acid dibutylester is used extensively in some parts of the world: these are not drugs per se but rather chemicals and thus there are not FDA approved preparations. For this reason, many of the dermatologists in the US do not feel comfortable using them. Many new drugs are currently being investigated for the treatment of both extensive and patchy alopecia areata. Overall, the future looks bright for the development of new, effective treatments for alopecia areata.
Patients and physicians can keep informed about alopecia areata and advances in this disease at the NAHRS web site as well as through the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF) (NAAF.org). Support groups and tips on wigs or other means of camouflaging hair loss are available through NAAF. Individuals with alopecia areata interested in participating in the Registry, should log on to www.alopeciaareataregistry.org and complete the Tier 1 questionnaire. Information in the questionnaire is then entered into the central database at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Selected participants will be invited to one of the five participating Registry sites - MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, the Universities of California (San Francisco), Colorado (Denver) or Minnesota (Minneapolis), or Columbia University in New York City. At this visit, a detailed history and clinical examination will be done, a more detailed questionnaire completed and blood samples obtained.
References: Minimize
Bolduc C, Shapiro J. The treatment of alopecia areata. Dermatol Ther 14: 306-316, 2001.
Hordinsky M. Clinical presentations of alopecia areata. Dermatol Ther 14: 291-296, 2001.
Hordinsky M. Alopecia Areata. In Olsen EA (ed): Disorders of Hair Growth: Diagnosis and Treatment. McGraw-Hill, New York, 2003.Alopecia Areata Frequently Asked Questions: Minimize
The following are frequently asked questions on alopecia areata. The information provided is not meant to be a substitute for the information obtained at an evaluation and by discussion with a physician, but merely to encourage understanding of this condition. No questions regarding individual scenarios will be answered by the NAHRS. No changes in treatment should be undertaken by a patient without discussion first with the patient's physician.
Q. Why did I develop this problem?
Q. Do I need to have blood tests or X-rays done to determine if there are internal problems too?
Q. I've been told no treatment effects the natural course of this disorder. Is that true?
Q. My child is only 5 years old and has alopecia totalis. Is he likely to regrow his hair?
Q. I've heard that chemicals can be painted on the scalp to make the hair grow but that we can't get them in this country. Why is this?
Q. I have alopecia areata and have heard that there is new NIH sponsored research on alopecia areata. Can you tell me how I can participate?M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Principal Investigator: Madeleine Duvic, M.D. Department of Dermatology
1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Box 434
Houston, Texas 77030
Phone: 713-792-5999
Fax: 713-794-1491
e-mail: alopeciaregistry@mdanderson.orgUniversity of California, San Francisco
Collaborator: Vera Price, M.D.
Phone: 415-467-3638
Fax: 416-502-7243
e-mail: hair@orca.ucsf.edu University of Colorado, Denver
Co-Principal Investator: David Norris, M.D.
Phone: 303-315-7738
Fax: 303-315-8272
e-mail: david.norris@uchsc.eduColumbia University New York, New York
Collaborator: Angela Christiano, Ph.D.
Phone: 212-303-9379
Fax: 212-305-7391
e-mail: amc65@columbia.edu University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
Collaborator: Maria Hordinsky, M.D.
Phone: 612-625-8625
Fax: 612-624-6678
e-mail: hordi001@tc.umn.edu
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Permalink Reply by Geoff L on
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I get AA when I get stressed out or really upset. Once, I lost all of the hair on my head. It took over two years to grow back completely. I found a really nice doctor who gave me steroid shots and they finally worked, although my stress level had dropped somewhat as well.
I met a woman who had AU since she was a child, but almost all of her hair grew back when she got pregnant.
I have recently had a recurrance. Two bald spots on the top of my head about the size of a quarter or half dollar. I was losing about 10-30 hairs a day a couple of weeks ago.
My girlfriend gave me a supplement called Laminine to help me with my life pressures. She actually doesn't even know about my alopecia, or why my bald spots have appeared. She didn't give it to me because of the bald spots. I did not know what Laminine was, but started taking it just for the hell of it.
Four Laminine capsules a day for a couple of days and the hair stopped falling out completely. And I didn't feel nearly as stressed either.
Maybe it is just a coincidence. But my hair did stop falling out and I did feel differently. Just saying.
I searched the site for Laminine, and there was no reference whatsoever. Anyway, it's something maybe to try. Maybe it will work for someone else too.
Geoff
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Permalink Reply by George Ortiz on
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Hello every one, there is very promising news on the horizon in the microbiology world concerning Lform and biofilm form bacterial overgrowth within the human body and its direct correlation to inflamitory autoimunual diseases of all types. The studies show unmistaken connections between inflamitory diseases in the human body and internal biofilm bacteria that resides within the body gone undetected by current testing. Biofilm and Lform bacteria are the cause of all autoimmunal diseases the articles posted below show this. If interested please read the articles, personally I owe it to myself to read up on this current break through information. we are all victims of this current situation. If you wish to read the article just go to www.bacteriality.com and read Dr. Randalls discoveries on biofilm bacteria.
and also check out the Marshall protocol websites google Dr.Trevor Marshall or google the marshall protocol. I hope this information consoles every one who reads it in some way.
If you believe in this movement please let the word out contact your primary care physicians and inform them of this breakthrough information give them the websites so they can read the published articles and read about the current conferences and currently ongoing human trials in effect.
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