Hey everyone,

I'm new to this forum but not to alopecia. I'm at my wits end, so I wanted to share my story to potentially help others, and to maybe get some insights from you all as well. I fear this is going to be a long post, so I am sorry in advance. Some background - I am currently 24, and have been a college student since 2007, with some breaks in between then and now for depression.

My first experience with alopecia was in August 2011, when I had right eyebrow thinning, and a left temple patch the size of a silver dollar. I had just restarted school after being on a stressful break from school, and was having disordered eating issues that summer. I went to my dermatologist, and began getting cortisone injections in those spots, along with taking multivitamins, and a hair/nail specific vitamin. By July of 2012, both had filled in very nicely, and I thought it was a one time only occurrence.

All was fine up until I found my first patch on the right side of my scalp in January 2013. That one patch has turned into about a few huge ones now. They started about a nickel size each, and now my most of the right side of my scalp is bare. There were three in the back of my neck, but now they've merged into one giant one starting at the nape of my neck to the mid of the back of my head. And now, June 2013, the left side of my scalp is now thinning, and I have found three tiny patches on that side. On top of these patches, I have two temple patches, a right eyebrow patch, and falling eyelashes. I also keep having about 100 hairs falling out every day, though at least that number is smaller than the 300 hairs I was losing a day back in March and April. Question 1 : I know alopecia areata means patchy hair loss, but have any of you also had diffuse hair loss along with it? I have both patchy hair loss, and random hairs that fall all throughout the day since January.

I have been getting cortisone injections as I did in 2011, but there's been minimal regrowth. I started going to a hair specialist who has dealt with alopecia issues for over 20 years at the end of April 2013, but haven't seen much progress yet. And now, I have started a 4-3-2-1 schedule of prednisone, because my dermatologist thinks it is our best option right now since my alopecia has progressed so quickly in her opinion.

Question 2 : As someone who constantly googles about alopecia, and its unpredictability, I was wondering how you all cope? I have a great support system, but I hate it when my family and friends say "it's just hair." It's not just hair - it is my self esteem, my confidence, my external appearance, my ability to feel good. I haven't been happy since January, even though for all intents and purposes, life is technically quite good. I've become antisocial, avoiding all sorts of social events purely because I don't know what I'll do if my hat falls off. I looked at wigs, and cried. I stopped working out, because I don't know how to force myself to the gym when all my hair keeps falling out, so now I've gained weight. It's just been really hard, especially since I don't know any one else going through what I'm going through.

Question 3 : Though alopecia is unpredictable, do any of you think you know what triggered it for you? I have seen SO many doctors, and some have said stress and others said nutrition, and some have disagreed with one another so I just keep getting more confused. All I can do is write what I know I did wrong : starting in August 2012 until January 2013, I had an eating disorder and thus was nutritionally deficient for that time (I abused a colon cleanse product), though ironically, I was at my happiest those months. I even got excellent news in November regarding graduate school, so I thought I was on top of the world. Then come January 2013, once I found my first patch, I stopped colon cleanse, and started eating 4-6 small meals a day with protein, and was generally obsessing over my health again, but the hair loss got worse, and to this day hasn't gotten any better.

In short, I really just feel so lost. I don't know how to not feel so ugly. I feel really horrible, mentally and physically. And I'm really scared. Although January 2013 to now, June 2013 isn't that many months to be dealing with alopecia, I feel like I've been on this journey forever, and am getting more and more depressed.