Hi!
I just joined the other day and finally want to introduce myself. I'm a 32 yr old female and have been coping with alopecia since I was 18. It started out typical AA with the ridiculous patches. Wig needed after a year. I couldn't continue with the pathetic looking brush-overs, tight bun and can of hairspray look any longer. The patches got bigger and impossible to hide. Getting a wig was (looking back) a move that was right for me.

Anyway, so the occasional half-eyebrow missing but nothing that dramatic...well, I say that...but it was dramatic losing your hair as a young girl..but i just had to get on with life. I studied for my degree and I went out in the working world. I had a boyfriend at university despite my alopecia. This gave me confidence I think. After that ended, I was always afraid to get close to men in case they ran a mile. Some did, some didn't. Except dramatic really did get to being dramatic- have had a few AT periods. Been AT a few times, it'd eventually grow back (not fully of course - it would never give me that luxury)...

Currently, I've lost all eyelashes and eyebrows too. For me, this is the hardest to deal with. It really takes the biscuit. I'm used to covering up my bald bonce with my wig...but drawing on eyebrows every morning and trying to look normal with no eyelashes has been really, frankly, a right joke. After a few attempts at fixing on fake eyelashes I gave up. The last thing I needed was to get a reaction to glue on the lashes, or them hanging half-off in someone's face. I don't know how ridiculous I look, but I've been lining my top eyelids with a black eyeliner and then throwing some dark eyeshadow over the lids. My boyfriend says you can't tell. I suspect he's lying of course but my brain actually wants to believe him. If I didn't, I wouldn't be able to leave the house and go to work at all.

Right now also, my nails are absolutely terrible, all pitted and one is even detaching from the nail bed at the cuticle. How lovely. I guess it just feels like nothing wants to stick around on your body? Hair. Nope. Now the nails are saying 'Let's jump ship too."

Despite dealing with this ridiculous autoimmune disease since I was 18, I've barely actually told most friends. Whether some have guessed I don't know. I feel I've let myself down in that respect. Maybe if I'd have been more open it'd be less soul-destroying. I was ok with AA but AU is just almost too much to cope with. It's just ridiculous. I want my eyebrows and eyelashes back. Lost hope for head hair but come on, give me eyelashes and eyebrows please.