Hello and welcome, Sara!
You know, sometimes alopecia just goes away. I hope that's the case with you!
Meanwhile, how are you doing?
LeslieAnn

Hi Sarah! Thanks for the friend add! How are you doing? Happy New Year! Feel free to ask me any questions - I would love to help :)

Yeah, it definitely is very hard to come to terms with one's alopecia. I was pretty much in denial for the first 8 years I had it, but when it all started coming out I had to face the facts. I never thought I would say this, but now that I am completely hairless, I am the happiest I have ever been! (And I also feel more beautiful with my wig and fake eyelashes/eyebrows than I ever did with my real hair!) My alopecia weighed on me so heavily for so long that having accepted it now feels like such a relief! It will certainly take time, but as long as you have a good support system in your life (friends, family), you will do great. My biggest advice is to fake confidence even if you don't feel it - when I walk around bald I have never gotten any mean comments said to me because I walk with a smile and with my (bald) head held high :) Good luck at your wig fitting! What kind of wig are you looking for? Synthetic? Real hair? Lace? Let me know if you have questions - the whole process can be very overwhelming at first.

I was actually going to recommend a real human hair wig! My first wig was a full lace 14" Rene of Paris wig. I had to tape the sides down everyday, but it was generally comfortable and very secure. If you ever lose all of your hair I would recommend a vacuum wig (they are amazing!). I was also worried about other peoples' reactions, but I found that they more open I was with people, the less "weird" my alopecia seemed. And to be honest, I found that people really respected me for gracefully dealing with my hairloss (and I'm sure you will find the same thing). When I met my boyfriend I told him right away about my alopecia (it was patchy at that point). It never bothered him, and he stuck by my side and was my true anchor as I dealt with complete hairloss last spring. I think you will be surprised how many guys are accepting of it. And I always told myself that if a guy didn't like me because of my hair, then I wouldn't want to be with him anyway! You are beautiful and strong, Sarah, and you will continue to be beautiful and strong no matter how much (or how little) hair you have :)

Be excited! Is anyone going with you? My first time was a bit scary so I took my mom. She helped me pick a good starter wig but then I went to another place for a fall piece to style for a wedding the stylist put this human hair wig on me and honestly it felt like the old me in that mirror. I had such tears and finally for joy instead of loss. Good luck!!

Yay!! It makes a world of difference to walk out and know that all your spots are covered taking so much pressure off your shoulders. I got mine last January and I definitely thinned out and got more spots over time but I was happy to go through that process privately rather than worry each day if someone would notice my new spot etc.

You must post pics soon! What kind of wig is it?

Hey Sarah - thought I'd drop by to see how you were today. Hope the day is going well for you. :-)

there are such amazing synthetics! my first one felt pretty natural i think my problem was it was a shorter style because i had just cut my hair before i bought it so i landed right above my shoulder giving it a kind of 1950s look lol I really like how easy synthetics are to maintain since they dry back to the same style .. have so much fun with it!!

Hi Sarah. Thanks for adding me! I know this is new to you and I'm sure that it's very troubling seeing as it has come on so quickly. I think you're doing a great job of dealing with this...mine started the same way many years ago (small round patches). If you need to chat just message me. :)

hey sorry for late reply, so how has the new bn for u so far, its bn busy at work for me and now i am chocked wi the bloody cold again for 2nd time in wks, not gd the weather has bn freezin for wks with snow lyin for wks aswell,
oh well it'll sn get warmer im sure, hope ur doin well, catch up sn x

Just dropping to say hello and hope that all is going well. I hope that your keeping warm and have a great weekend. :o)

Hi Sarah! No worries on the late response. As you can see, I'm not exactly "Johnny on the spot" this week either. I'm doing well, thanks for asking. I'm really happy for you that you got your new wig. How do you like it? As for me, my spots are still filling in, slowly but surely. I'm VERY thankful for it, so just learning to be patient. It's odd though, as there's still some shedding here and there, but hey, i've got some regrowth going on so I won't complain. Hope things are still well with you. All the best!!!!

Hi!! Just dropped in to say a hi.You must have bought your wig by now.Just wanted to know how's ur experience with it.I am on my way to get mine soon.Have a great weekend.
XoXo

hiya, feelin better now altho ive bn gettin alot of headaches lately so bak to the doctor again, lol, god it'll be first name terms wi my doc, ha ha
hows u keepin as ur still quite new to this arent u, its great ur results came bak clear but very frustratin wen u dont have answers eh, i still dont either n its bn nearly a yr already,
lets just pray this is gonna be a very lucky yr for alot of us on here, hope ur doin well, take care, speak sn, x

Thanks for responding i am going thru a hard time right now with my hair loss and thinking off shaving it off but scared to. i have no hope for regrowth and suffer from psoriasis so its a pain in the butt. i am blessed with a supportive family so it helps but sometimes it just hits you all at once. anyway i hope to find a nice wig and i hope you are having fun with yours. anyway have a great week and talk to you soon.

It is so nice to hear ,that you are happy with your wig.I have ordered a human hair one.Since I am in India at the moment and there are no wig shops here,I had to custom order one online.Its on its way and i would recieve it in a couple of days.The only problem with the human hair one's are that they tangle a lot.Do the synthetic one's solve that problem?.What sort of adhesive's are you using. Once i come back to the UK,I hope I can also get some NHS help...
By the way do you sleep in your wigs?

hi sarah,
i am fine thanks, although i dont have alopecia my daughter has had au now for 8 years and i can understand what you are going through. i find this site great for being able to chat to other people and finding out about all wigs.caitlin has just ordered a freedom wig so she is excited to be getting that, you really do look great ,it looks very like your natural hair, hope you are coping well x

Sarah, glad to hear your wig is a smash! I'm sure you look brilliant in it. On your point on this condition being more common, I find that to be true now that I know what to look for. I've seen a few AU folks, and a few with AA, but I guess I never thought twice about those things before. However, now that we're going through this same mess, seeing it is far more obvious isn't it?

I'm doing pretty well here. My patches have really filled in, though shower time yields more dead soldiers than I care to see. I can't complain though, since only a few short months ago, it was absolute HELL trying to cover up the spots. I'll count me blessings and be very grateful.

Hope things are still well with you since we last exchanged. Take care for now.

JOhn

hi sarah,
we stay in scotland and since caitlin attended hospital firstly a childrens hospital she has always had custom made real hair wigs ,which she is supposed to get 2 every 3 years but as she was growing she has been lucky that the hospital trust have been giving her 2 a year she is due to see her dermatoligist in february but i dont think she will get any this year as she is now in the general hospital.
we are buying the freedom wig ourselves it is expensive but we are hoping its worth it and it seems it can last 5 years ,its costing £1751 :o
in scotland i think it is 4 synthetic wigs a year but i understand it is different in all parts,, do you have any regrowth at all ? caitlin is in a happy place at the moment so im hoping this continues.
take care irene x

Sarah,I am loving your wig.It looks so darn natural,and suits your original hair color too.After seeing your wig,I regret my decision of ordering a human hair one.Eventually I see myself using synthetic one's too.Are you secure without the adhesive's and what do you do with the hair left beneath? If you don't mind can you tell me the vendor you bought yours from?

How are you doing lately? i saw your blog and know how you feel. i went about getting a bunch of blood tests hoping something was broken that can be fixed to help with my hair problem but it is what it is. anyway i am glad your liking your wigs, havent found one yet but i guess i havent been looking either lol well just wanted to say hi and i am glad your doing ok i'll talk to you soon bye :o)

i'm doing ok i have a math test tommorrow yuck! and i was goofy enough to sign up for extra nights at the hospital so i have been trying to keep busy to keep my mind off of it. i hate washing my hair so i only do it at night and in a big sink in the laundry room cause i dont want to see all the hair coming out. i have more good days then bad but i do trully miss my hair but it has become so ugly and unmanagable that i have to admit i dont take care of it anymore just wash it, comb it and wear scarves. my mom gets so annoyed with me lol anyway thanks for getting back to me and will contact you soon.

hey hey im gd thanks, canny wait till tuesday im off work for 6days, :)

how u doin, its started bloody snowin again here, sick of this cold weather now, bring on the warmth lol,

hope ur well, oh hows the date goin, i havent bn out on mine yet, xx

Wanted to drop by and say hello :o) i am glad things are going well for you, i'm doing ok just taking one day at a time. anyway i'll see ya around

Hi Sarah, how are you? Thanks for adding me!

am good as well, thanks! Photos were taken on a recent island vacation and it was wonderful!

You look good by the way! It's really good to have some support online.

hi sarah.. mainly here for chat and support

Hi Sarah - great blog on dating!

Sarah - I know that there is a link between PCOS and androgenic alopecia, which looks like from what I read online is the main form of alopecia for women with PCOS. But it also says that women with PCOS may suffer from many forms of alopecia. I would confront your doctor on it. That is how I got all of my answers. Search the internet for PCOS and alopecia, there is info. Maybe even print something and take it to them.

I am not sure what the percentages are. When I was at the doctor she said that there was a similar case like mine and the patient had regrowth on the aldactone. I know that there are better chances for me with the diagnosis of androgenic alopecia than there are with lichen planopilaris. LPP changes your scalp to scar tissue so it stops your hair from growing back. I wish you better luck with your doctor! I would switch if you don't feel comfortable with the answers you are getting, that's for sure.

I did see your pics and you can't tell, you are right! I am really thinking about it. I am going to see if anything happens in the next few months with the new meds and then make the decision with the wig. I know that it would give me a boost of confidence I am sure. It is just a big step to take, but I know I will have the support when it comes time to make that decision. Now more that I found AW. Thanks again!

Hi Sarah !!!!! How are you ? I hope your doing great ! : D ~ Mackenzie

thanks, yeah i am altho still get down thinkin it might never last and they'll fall out again, i try not to think like that but cant help it, i wore fake lashes once and the were a pain n the butt, lol, but i couldnt get them on rite either very fiddely altho people tell me they get used to it, wen i first used contact lenses they were a nitemare but easy now, so maybe the same,
it was really hard and upsettin losin my eyelashes and everyone tryin to be nice and say they didnt notice, but i hated it, but usin eyeliner was great, and im lucky mine have come bak, hopefully for gd tho, xx

Hi dear how is everything? i read your blog and i hope you find a solution thats comfortable for you. nomatter what you will still look great. just wanted to drop bye and say hello and also ask how there weather is ? its finally warming up over here which i am glad about. ok bye dear

I'm ok its friday and raining like crazy i might need a boat to get to the mailbox lol well having one of my good days so dancing around the house and studying a little bit. i enjoy my good days cause usually i'm using up a box of tissues and having ben and jerry lol well talk to you soon.

Hey Sarah, here's a link to it http://sasa.com/SasaWeb/eng/product/viewProductDetail.jspa?itemno=1...

I'm not sure if you can buy it off the shelf in Ireland since it's a Japanese product. And unfortunately I've just realized the color selection is not great for it but have just found out that they do sell something that is just a sealant for eyebrows. I'm going to see if I can buy that too if I find it, just to try it out.

My lashes so far are still ok.. but I'm thinking I should start practising with falsies just in case...haha :)

thanks :) i think i'm a little nuts - so many wigs now but I guess at least I'm having fun with it.

hahah I have exactly the same fears about practicing!!! What if i pull off my old ones accidentally?? LOL. Alopecia sucks indeed haha but hey at least gives us a reason to glamour it up all the time hehehe

I haven't started wearing the long hair wigs out with my friends. Besides my good friends, I haven't told anyone about my condition either. I just don't feel like delving into a conversation about my hair but today, I'm feeling like I'm just not going to care and wear whatever I feel like. And if someone asks, I'm going to simply tell them that I have an autoimmune disease that causes me to lose hair...or something along those lines :) And give them a BIG smile hehe. I am feeling more and more brave these days. I've accepted that I need to wear wigs and draw in my brows daily but lashes...oh gee, i guess I will cross that bridge when I get there.

Thank you for your feedback, Sarah. I am so glad that something that I have said resonates with you. My hair is coming back and I really want to share everything I have learned because I know how devasting alopecia is - especially to children and women. So if you have any questions or want some suggestions for turning your condition around, I would be more than happy to discuss it with you.

Happy Belated Bday Sarah! Hope you had a wonderful bday with family and friends.

By the way, how was your Easter weekend?

Hi sweetie how is everything? i am doing ok just going day by day its real pretty in florida. anyway hope all is well on your end and i love your hair in your pic :o) talk to you soon.

hey sarah how r u doin, hope things r gd x

hello thats great to hear ur well, my eyelashes didnt fall out till maybe august last yr and my eyelashes sort of grew in quickly as wen they fell out there were little tiny one's comin in, i have most bak altho dont seem as full as before yet my eyebrows took a little longer but they;ve bn comin in for couple of months now so it wasnt long, so believe there is always hope, yeah im so excited as there is some little dark hairs dotted about which im hopin is a gd sign, :) speak sn x

Hey Sarah, no worries :) It's good to hear from you! For me, I've been on oral steroids and am having some small fine growth of hair and my eyebrows are growing back in. BUT! as you know with Alopecia, there is no cure so I've accepted that when I've stopped my treatment, it might fall out again and that's fine with me :) Just taking it a step at a time and still enjoying all my wigs :) Its so good that you're handling it much better than you thought! I mean, being mentally prepared always helps and I'm sure being positive helps too. Hugs!

Love your new pics you are so pretty and things are ok on my end, i am done with my finals and now just looking for hair solutions. other then that i have 3 months off and i'm going to enjoy it :o) didnt know wig shopping could be so confusing lol anyway have a great weekend and stay sweet :o)

Hope your up beat and positive....try to keep as healthy and active as possible...and keep your mind healthy too..take care

Yer thats the only way with this damn thing..im over the worst now and have been lucky got to say...however Hell and back! was a trip and a half,,lol...guess ill always wonder if it will return thou...

Yeah since my mom is a hairdresser i'm going to drag her around with me till i find the right one lol and anything is possible with hair growth i know mine cant because my follicles are being damaged but hopefully one day science will find a way to reverse or clone hair.:o) anyway you look beautiful no matter what and its great to have the support here on AW. i'll talk to you soon sweetie bye

Thanx 4 the add matey i hope you are ok :)