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Kristy

Female

Schaumburg, IL

United States

Profile Information:

Relationship Status:: Married
About Me:: I'm 33, and I was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata in the Ophiasis pattern in 2009, about 8 months after the birth of my daughter. I had some success with Prednisone initially, but once I finished the taper, my hair began to fall out again. My ophiasis pattern returned, and I also had one huge spot on the side of my head, and my dermatologist renamed my diagnosis "diffuse" AA, as it began to fall out everywhere, not just spots, and my hairline began to majorly recede. Had to stop Kenalog as too much atrophy of my scalp.

So at the beginning of October 2010, I shaved off everything that was left and had a HUGE burden lifted off of my shoulders. Two months later I was totally hairless...no lashes, brows, body hair, you name it, gone. I initially wore wigs out but was bald at home and around all my friends and family. I never hid my alopecia...I worried more about a wig falling off than being bald in the first place. I'm okay with being bald now and I go everywhere hairless. I got my eyeliner and brows permanently tattooed and I love it.

It is now August of 2010 and I've been bald for almost two years now. I have learned to accept the hand I've been dealt, and I now just hope to bring awareness and acceptance for all of us who have to deal with this condition.
Do you have alopecia?: Alopecia universalis
Are you age 18 or older?: Yes - I am 18 or older

Comment Wall:

Robbi

Hi, Kristy, welcome to AW! You are so beautiful and so is your baby girl. I can relate to the frustration this disease can cause, and I know how awful it feels to have so little control over it;I'm about your age and have grown up with alopecia. Feeling ok with having alopecia is definitely a process that is unique to everyone, but it will come--I promise you. There is so much support, advise, & strength you'll find here. You are not alone :)

May 31, 2010
Tiffany P

Welcome to AW you have great photos :o) I know this is hard to get thru but you will make it and in time you will realize that your beautiful either way. have a great week.

May 31, 2010
LeslieAnn Butler

Hello and welcome, Kristy!
How are you and your little one doing today?
LeslieAnn

May 31, 2010
Jessica

Kristy,

Yes, you seem to have gone through what I did... so stange how this happens. I would love to chat or get together sometime. Out of town now but will be back in the next few days. Also myself and several other women in the chicago area get together once a month so if you would like that please feel free to join us sometime. I will send you a personal message with my phone number..

Glad to meet you

jessica

May 31, 2010
Stacy P

Kristy, it was so nice meeting you. We should plan a get together again. I will be out of town for the next few weeks. Maybe when I get back, I can have a family BBQ or something here. K! =) Nice meeting you again.

Jun 26, 2010
Beth S

Hi Kristy. I am not sure if we have met yet. I dropped in on the last few events but have not been able to stay. It is a great group we have with such great resource! I am fairly new myself. Just approaching my one year anniversary of losing all my hair as I have AU. It took about 6 months for it all to go and it has been hard. You look great in your pictures. Hopefully I will see you soon at a group meeting. Let me know if I can help with anything.

Aug 15, 2010
Natalie

Hi Kristy! Thanks for the friend add :) I also had the ophiasis pattern. There is a great wig store in McHenry, IL that I got my lace wig from - let me know if you would like me to pass the contact info along to you :) And feel free to ask me any questions about shaving your head; I know how difficult of a decision it can be. Keep on smiling!!

Aug 23, 2010
Natalie

Hi Kristy,

The place where I got my full lace wig is called "Kathleen's Creative Expressions." Kathy Devyak owns it and she is wonderful! I felt so comfortable with her and she is such a good listener. The address is: 665 Ridgeview Drive McHenry, IL 60050 and her phone number is 815-759-0329. Her email address is kmdevyak@sbcglobal.net and the website is www.kcexpressions.net. Her wigs are very high quality (mine is real human hair). Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to help :) Have a great week!

Aug 24, 2010
Pat

Hi kristy, you look very pretty. Don't you feel free?

Sep 11, 2010
Mary

Good for you, Kristy! The moment I shaved my head, I stopped obsessing and began to go down a much healthier path toward self-acceptance.

Sep 11, 2010
Jessica

you look awesome Kristy.... it was great seeing you today! thanks for having us over, next time i'll bring snacks lol let me know when you and the hubby want to hang dinner zoo whatever

jess

Sep 11, 2010
Fox

You look great! Does the wig hold up? (tangling etc)
I was looking at these wigs and thought they're expensive and they looked wiggy in the internetshop,but when I see yours I want to order one too! :)))

Sep 13, 2010
Fox

Thanks for your comment,I have desided to order a human hair lace front wig and as cheap as possible :))

Sep 16, 2010
kaitlin lavin

Saturday = No work! So of course I'm having a fabulous day (: Hahaha!! Hope it's going well for you!

Sep 18, 2010
Jessica

How u b sista? what happened with the wig? hope is well have an awesome weekend with the fam and happy b day to little miss ava
hugs
jess

Sep 24, 2010
Leah England

Hi Kristy, your post made me cry- thank you for your sweet words of encouragement!! Ya, i AM really scared and maybe disappointed is even more accurate or strong... I dont know if I want to go through the treatments, I cant find even ONE SINGLE person here that's had success and it's all so painful and the side effects (THEY scare me!).. right now it's so early on in my journey with alopecia that Im struggling to decide whether to hang onto hope with both hands and dive into research and treatments like mad - or skip it and try for acceptance... I still have about 3/4 of my hair, but it's falling out in droves. Just scared and confused and only taking thinking about it for an hour a day before I fall apart...

Leah

Oct 20, 2010
Lynn Bell

Hi Kristy, thank you for your insight. I appreciate it! Do you know much about false eyelashes?

Nov 15, 2010
Leah England

Hey, Kristy, thank you!!! I haven't been on AW for awhile, been trying to start school, joined the Board of the Theater department for my daughter at High School, she started Volleyball club (3 cities away, what was I thinking? it was the only one I could afford) and now closing down a business and desperately seeking new employment!

I have been getting my head steriod shots, and taking them orally and putting the steroid creams and foams on my scalp... I have fuzzy regrowth in places, but overall it still slowly dwindles away. My hair looks about 2 or 3 phases past your picture from the back of your head where you're holding up your hair and it's all gone down below and the baldness is creeping upward.. mine is EXACTLY the same, and now spots on the top and crown of my head are appearing, my temples have been gone for awhile, and working it's way upward and around my crown. Is that what yours did too?

How long did it take you before you were completely done with all this patchy-hopeful-not-hopeful-treatment-grows back- still falls out- stuff??

My head is tender, the skin on it hurts all the time,like .. bruises or a sunburn. The injections suck and the meds burn and itch. my scalp skin is now bumpy and wavy from the steroids causing atrophy in my fat tissue, so the bald areas look like ocean waves in the skin.

You look SOOO beautiful and SOO happy. What did you do, Kristy??

Jan 19, 2011
Alliegator

Hi! Do you know where in Texas you will be moving? It is a great state. I think you will love it! I don't know of any support groups, but I have tried to contact the NAAF representative to get it started. You should join the Texans with Alopecia group on this site if you haven't already!

Apr 2, 2012