Alopecia World
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Progress?
I just wanted to give an update on my current situation and ask for some advice.
As for my background info, I was AA for about 5 years and became AU exactly 2 years ago. Dermatologists rejected me saying there was nothing that could be done for me without severe side effects, even though i complained about other symptoms i had (digestive probs, extremely tired, cold). I went to an endocrinologist and demanded to be tested for Celiac, and it came back negative. I was so frustrated bc my body just did not feel like it was in tune. After a year, i finally became more comfortable being bald, but i felt there was some other underlying issue i needed to figure out.
I finally went to a holistic doctor, who upon arrival, immediately told me that if i came for a cure i came to the wrong place...BUT if i came to make myself whole i came to the right place. Sounded good to me! I was tested for everything. My results showed that I had Hashimotos and low levels of DHEA-S and vitamin D. He put me on many supplements including fish oil, daily vitamins, vitamin d, thyroid hormone, and DHEA. After a few months I definitely felt more like myself, and after a few more months I decided to change my diet to help my digestive probs. I removed dairy, gluten, and processed soy (i don't eat much meat) from my diet and focused more on raw foods and included brown rice and beans in meals. Within another month, I found small white hairs on my armpit and i was shocked!
So here it is 6 months later. I tend not to stick to my diet for special occasions (vacation, thankgsiving, xmas) but i've made the effort to eat better. Overall my digestive issues are better...except i think i'm having gall bladder issues (i've had 3 attacks in the last 2 months). As for hair, i have small white fuzz on about half of my head with a patch on my right side slightly longer. My eyelashes and eyebrows are starting to have pigmented hair grow in through the white hairs, and my eyelashes are long enough to start wearing mascara again. I also have white armpit hairs and white pubic hairs as well as a little on my arms. There are a few thick dark hairs finally growing in those places too (the last places i'd prefer them to grow, ha!).
I'm thinking about going back to my dermatologist and either saying "ha! you were wrong!" or "ok, so what can i do to help these hairs out?"
Has anyone had this type of regrowth with AU? Any suggestions on what can help with the regrowth? Honestly with AU, I can't say if it was the meds, the diet or just my body that made these little hairs finally grow, but i don't plan on changing much.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jen Lowe on
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I had a good pixie cut by June, but this summer I went off my diet and it all fell out by August. I started back up on my diet again at the end of august and already have a head covered in peach fuzz. It really amazes me how much my diet affects me (I know not everyone is the same in this regard)
Usually my breakfast is either a smoothie or oatmeal, lunch is either salad or soup, dinner varies (but I eat a LOT of kale salads), and snacks are usually fruit or trail mix.
As for supplements, I haven't been taking one recently because of laziness and I've run out, but usually I take some type of skin/hair/nail vitamin with iron and Quercitin. Hope that helps!
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Permalink Reply by Jason on
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Thanks Jen. Very helpful. I tried a vegan diet previously and I lost way too much weight. When I eat meat, I eat mostly organic chicken and grass fed meat. I feel better after eating the high quality meat. I eat a very healthy diet as it is (no gluten, dairy, or processed foods) but it hasn't had an impact on my hair. I'm working with a naturopath now and trying to find the root cause of what happened.
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Permalink Reply by Paulina on
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I have been gluten free for years, and recently became vegan because I was having severe digestive issues. I have recently decided no soy, too. I really believe alopecia is linked to leaky gut syndrome, which is what happens when food allergies are ignored for years and food leaks through the intestinal lining to the bloodstream, which causes an auto immune response as the white blood cells think the food is a foreign predator. I spent the last two months healing my gut (L-glutamine, slippery elm, marshmallow root, kava root, licorice root, aloe, and a liver cleanse for good measure) and now have a good amount of white eyebrow hair and white eyelashes, and very fine white head hairs. keep in mind I just turned 26 and have had alopecia since age 12 (AU). I tried all the treatments- cortisone shots for years (which in retrospect really messed up my body) anthralin cream, squaric acid- everything produced hair for a bit which would then fall out. I REALLY belive alopecia is one symptom of an internal problem with the gut and an imbalance of the whole body, and am amazed at how quickly I have seen results - in addition to being gluten free and vegan I have cut out all sugar, caffeine, and alcohol, an artificial flavoring. it's a different way of living, but it's worth it. I've suffered a lot with this disorder and I would do anything to be free of it.
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Hi Paulina,
That's great to hear, congrats on your success. Please keep me posted. I tried raw vegan for a while but felt like I was always craving carbs and I lost too much weight. I do not eat any gluten or grains. I eat meat that is organic and free range/grass fed. What does your typical diet look like on a daily basis? Do you feel like any specific supplements have made a big impact on your health? Thanks for your help and best of luck to you!
Jason
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Hi Jason
I do eat gluten free bread, although not in the beginning of healing my gut because yeast was too much for it.... there's also this whole thing about having an imbalance of the bacteria in your gut, for which I would recommend tons of kombucha and a daily probiotic. I eat a lot of rice- especially brown rice, and basically tons of veggies. I eat lots of lentils, hummus, fruit, beans, corn tortillas... lately I've been having a lot of falafel although that's fried and not necessarily super healthy for you ;) . it really did take a while to get used to this diet, but what began happening is I started to feel sick when I would eat what I wasn't supposed to, so now I take it really seriously. it seems like a loss, but when I think of the big loss of alopecia- of having to disguise myself in public with uncomfortable wigs, - it seems like an easy trade off in my opinion. It's about a commitment to a healthy life. meat, dairy, and wheat all are inflammatory foods which can exacerbate the inflammation already going on in our bodies.
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supplements I take:
daily women's multi v
kelp (thyroid health)
biotin 10000 mcg
quercitin - antioxidant
garlic
aloe
probiotic
L-Glutamine
kava
slippery elm
marshmallow root
ashwaganda root
turmeric
licorice
I also recommend doing a liver cleanse as we store a lot of toxins in our liver, especially for people with allergies- allergies and alopecia are linked.
and for digestive issues when they arise I take colon cleanse and wormwood .
no sugar, no caffeine, no alcohol - all toxins which people with sensitive systems cannot take.
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That's great to hear. How are you digestive problems right now? I heard grains are irritating to the gut but I know that a lot of vegans do eat a lot of rice and beans. Has your progress been significant? I do not eat any rice right now or grains but I will continue to look into it more.
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I have suffered from alopecia areata for most of my life. A couple of months back I also got diagnosed with so-called ophiasis pattern alopecia. What a word?! Basically, I have a huge bald spot right at the edge of my hairline on the back of my head. The only way to deal with it is to get a new fully-shaved look. Unfortunately, this is not a choice which is going to be tolerated by my colleagues and peers. The whole situation is just killing me. I also catch myself thinking most of the time that I get stared at excessively, especially by young women. I used lots of products, and hormonal topical solutions to get rid of this spot. I also underwent several hormonal procedures and a short course of intrascalp injections. None of the above helped. Just to make a long story short. I came across a product manufactured by Military Grade Nutritionals called Hairgain Formula (90 capsules). At first I was very skeptical that a dietary supplement product could help, but I thought why not give it a try considering that I had nothing to lose. After using it for two months, I noticed the growth of new hair right across my bald spot. Anyways, I’ve been using this product for the last four months and really happy with my current result. Moreover, I started to pay less attention to people’s stares. I also feel more confident and a little less self-conscious.
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