Hi all, 

Joining the community as I have a few questions about steroid injections and curious to know if people have had similar experiences.... 

I have had AA for 1.5 years - started with 3 coin shaped patches - one at the side and then 2 a the hairline at the base of my neck. Over the course of a year, these grew in and new ones formed (still small), and it just seemed to be a recurring cycle that I tried not to bother about. However, in June / July, i got a couple of new patches as others were growing in, and this time they've taken a what my dermatologist refers to as an 'unusual' pattern. 

My patches always always start with broken hairs (like a small patch of stubble), which is the exclamation mark hairs. There is no bald, just stubble like the hair has snapped at the root. These bits fall out - but it takes ages, and new hair almost instantly appears in its place. However, In the most recent patches, these patches of stubble have been expanding around the edges, while new hair grows in as the old broken hairs fall out  -- so, its a never ending patch of half regrowth, half stubble / broken hair. It's such a mess to look at - It makes 0 sense! No patch is bare, just a weird blend of fluff and stubble. 

Anyway, I have 2 of these weird patches at the back of my head joined closely together (separated by the aforementioned regrowth down the middle), plus one big bit at the back of my hear that snakes up to the top of my ear which is still pretty stubbly. Does anyone have a similar situation?! 

I have just got steroid injections for the first time and literally the DAY after, i sprouted a new teeny tiny broken hair patch on my hair margin, and it seems like more exclamation marks are appearing in the old patches - either that, or the steroids are forcing the broken hairs to snap / die quicker so the healing cycle can start. 

So my questions: 

1. How does the steroids work -- if there were already broken hairs when the site was injected, will these just fall out quicker?!

2. How long does the steroid stay attacking your immune system? If i'm seeing hair still fall in those same patches, does that mean it hasn't worked?

3. Has anyone had steroids injected into patches of stubble hair and if so, what happened / what was the process for you?

4. Has anyone else had steroid injections and then seen new patches almost instantly?

Appreciate any help you lovely people can offer me :)