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Permalink Reply by Pam on November 9, 2013 at 9:17pm

My son developed this condition right after his 19th birthday...he fell into a depression and started to lose hope.  I am happy to say he is well on his way to recovery now.  Please do not lose hope and remain positive.....I know it's hard, but hang in there!

 

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Permalink Reply by Jason on November 9, 2013 at 10:45pm

Hi Pam,

Can you tell me about what his typical day of eating would look like ? I am on an elimination diet myself and would be curious what he eats on a daily basis... fruit, meat, etc. Any topical treatments? I do take a multi vitamin myself, any specific info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much and best of luck to you and your son! 

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Permalink Reply by Pam on November 10, 2013 at 12:13am

Hi Jason:  He does his best to limit gluten, dairy and sugar and preservatives....For breakfast would be gluten free waffles and fruit, lunch would be sandwich (gluten free bread with shredded turkey/chicken) and salad, dinner would be grilled salmon and asparagus, snacks are fruits and vegetables, drinks are water, cranberry juice, natural fruit juices, and occasionally natural soda)....He eats alot of fish, chicken and turkey, gluten free pasta......no pork,beef or lamb....I bake him gluten free muffins for snacks too....Being a young guy, when he goes out he tries to make wise choices and usually always eats at home first - takes Lara Bar with him usually. He uses all natural shampoo and deodorant - nothing with scents or chemicals, no hair products at all.  He takes zinc, biotin and a probiotic.  He has had two rounds of Kenalog injections for the scalp.  He has done really well - went from about 10 bald patches to only one right now.  What seems to work for him is maintaining a healthy diet, drinking lots of water, and keeping stress to a minimum.....when he gets lazy about these things, almost immediately he notices it in his hair.  All the best to you Jason and stay positive!

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Permalink Reply by CocoB on November 10, 2013 at 12:50pm

7631C566 is my bbm pin if u wanna chat :) I e had aloepecia since I was 12 im now 28

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Permalink Reply by Rose Marie' on November 10, 2013 at 1:49pm

Hi Addy

I think alopecia is a very difficult condition to navigate and one which can be an absolute struggle.  I have a daughter who is 22 years old.  She has had alopecia since she was 12.  It has been a challenging and enlightening experience and I believe with my heart and soul that you will find your way. Even after 10 years we still sometimes have bad days...but they are few and far between for her now.

I believe when alopecia begins to limit your life it is a good time to consider becoming proactive around how to handle it.  So, the first thing I would do is to ask yourself is it becoming a limiting factor in what you want to do.  If you feel it is, then think about the things that you may be able to do to help yourself move onwards.  This could be as simple as talking to your parents or a loved one about your fears.  Or it could be finding an alternative hairstyle which you feel comfortable with.  It could even be working with scarfs or hats or supplementary hair to see if they can help move you to a place where you feel comfortable.  

I do understand how frightening and overwhelming this can be, but please believe me you can do this.

Rosy

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Permalink Reply by Ellen Chinery on December 3, 2013 at 2:41pm

Hi Addy!!
I am in the same boat...Each day I struggle with showering and washing my hair. I first started losing my hair five years ago, when I was 20...and within a few months it had developed to AU. After having absolutely no hair for about three years, it grew back! Very bizzare! It's been one of the hardest things to deal with. It makes me hate people who have beautiful hair. And today even though I have hair, it continues to fall out in patches. Sometimes I get overwhelmed with the thought of losing it again. This sucks. And it's easy to feel alone. But you're not and you are able to deal with absolutely anything. I hope this site has been helpful for you. The thing I find most distressing is how difficult it is to find support. Just try to take things one day at a time, maybe even one minute at a time if you need to.

-ellen :)

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