New member and kinda new to alopecia

Hi Everyone,

My name is Deniz. This is my first post on this website. I have done some reading on here but I had a few questions.

Here is a little info about me. I am 33 year old male, and a very hairy one (middle eastern decent). In my twenties I had a spot or two on my beard sporadically but it would go away about after a month. About two years ago I had another spot appear, but this time it didn't go away and this spot of baldness starting increasing. Then there was another spot, and that started growing as well. Now my facial hair is practically non-existent. I went to a skin doctor and I got steroid cream from them, but that didn't help. I self-diagnosed myself as having alopecia barbae/areata. However, a few weeks ago I noticed random spots on my thigh, my elbow, and eyebrow. Now I am starting to think it is more than just barbae/areata and it is turning into totalis/universalis.

After doing some research, I feel as though most people that have significant hair loss, have it very rapidly. Meaning they lose all/most of the hair on their body within a few weeks/months. With me this has been a very slow and steady hair loss for over 2 years. Where it started in one area, then after that area was bald, it kinda dispersed to other areas. Isn't it true that most people lose all/most of their hair within a few weeks/months? Is there anyone else out there that didn't have rapid hair loss, but slow and steady like myself? Does it usually start in one area, and after all the hair is gone in that area, does it then spread to other areas?

Outside of going to get steroid cream (which didn't work), I am going to a allergist on Tuesday. I heard that finding out your allergies could help if you stop consuming those items. If that doesn't work, I may try steroid shots but I am kinda afraid of that. Besides it seems like the success rate isn't that great. Are there any other recommendations out there?

I have kinda accepted the fact that I will most likely lose all/most of my hair. I actually wouldn't mind losing all of the body hair, especially on the back :) The only real area of hair that I don't want to lose are my eyebrows (lost half of one already).

Sorry for the long post

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Permalink Reply by Christine on October 25, 2012 at 4:54pm

Hi Deniz, and welcome to AW. To answer your question yes, I have had a very slow progression of hair loss, along with periods of regrowth over a ten year period. For many years I was able to hide it pretty well, but in the last few years it came to the point where I buzzed what was left and got a wig. I lost first on my head, then through the years, I lost my leg hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, (which come and go are the most recent) I don't think there is any one time frame of pattern for how this disease progresses, I'm thankful to have stopped fighting it for now, I still have some fairly thick patches of normal bio hair left, but the other areas are either smooth or covered with white hairs that are sparse and never turn normal. Good luck to you, I think men with AA have different issues and solutions for their hair loss, but all and all we are in the same boat. We are here for you.

Permalink Reply by Vesselsong on October 25, 2012 at 10:26pm

Google the benefits of applying castor oil (the cold pressed pure brand by Home Health).

Keeping looking up - God is looking down!

Permalink Reply by Me&myGirl_Aussie on November 11, 2012 at 6:01pm

Hi there, I have two completely different situations.
Myself, I lost all my hair in a matter of 2 weeks when I was 12, the only hair I kept was my eyebrows and eyelashes, but after giving birth to my daughter at 30 I lost them too, I now have my eyebrows tattooed, and where false eyelases.... and I have never had hair regrowth.

My Daughters experience has been different, she started with a patch in her hair missing, all her hair took about 2-3 months to fall out, in the mean time I had organised a freedom wig for her like myself, but her hair has grown back and she only has patches missing on her scalp, she has all eyebrows and eyelases and I have noticed that her leg and arm hair is growing again. She has seen a dermatologist at the royal childrens hospital in Melbourne Australia, and she is going to be doing DCP treatment (goggle it for info) for those missing patches over the summer holidays. Finger crossed that this works for her missing patches.
I have also stopped my daughter eating wheat and reduced her milk, as she was alergic to these on her tests, and we are changing our diet together, to the health pyramid, with natural foods, nothing processed.

Permalink Reply by Jeweli Due on November 21, 2012 at 6:22pm

HI Deniz, Kenalog injections have worked for me. Just discovered a new patch & went right in for shots last week. I have been getting these every other year or more for the last 17. Good luck!

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