Comment by Mary on January 12, 2009 at 1:46am

Hi Diana,

Hang in there. As you can read in my other posts, and see on the videos, I went from 7 years of very concealable AA to complete AU last year at age 55. The only symptom I had the whole time was the characteristic alopecia pitting and slight shape change of my fingernails. Losing the eyebrows and lashes was really hard for me, too, but I've survived and have gotten used to the way I look.

I don't have any other immune issues or allergies. I've been worried about this, too, and I'm interested to see what other people have to say on this.

Comment by Alison on January 12, 2009 at 2:57am

hi there,
i have AU and lupus, arthritis. no allergies though

Comment by Lee on January 12, 2009 at 2:59am

Hello, I have AU, I do not have alllergies or psoriasis, but members of my immediate family do. I agree that they are connected somewhow, as well as asthma. Hang in there. It gets easier as time passes.

Comment by Diana on January 12, 2009 at 10:59am

thanks for all that gave me their input! Lupus is certainly in the whole psoriasis family along with artristis... - if anybody else reads this does anyone remember any weird stuff going on before their hair started falling out... I had swelling in my forehead like there was fluid in there.... makes some kind of sense to me but tell that to a doctor! would love to hear from anyone again!

Comment by Marie on January 12, 2009 at 11:48am

Hi Diana,

I think I have freaked out my dermotologist specialist. I had one tiny spot of AA at 25 and not at 32 rapidly lost all hair becoming AU. I have wondered the same. All my doctors say they have done all the blood work and aren't able to find anything out of wack but clearly something is...they just don't know what to do.
About 2 or 3 months before the AU I had this strange rash all over my body except my torso. It wasn't red but rather was little raised bumps that was very itchy. Very weird. I was given steroids and it went away. A month or two later my lumph nodes behind my ears swelled very large and weeks later all my hair started falling out.
I forced my Doctor to refer me to an Endocrinologist just to see if they could find anything. I have yet to go.
It concerns me that a specialist is very confused by the fact that I got this disorder so late in life and so severe. Everyone is perplexed about it including me.
Since all this only happened about 3 months ago I am still investigating.

Comment by Nicole on January 12, 2009 at 11:53am

I have asthma, allergies & AU. The only strange thing I had experienced before AA appeared was having very oily hair. I've tested for everything under the sun & the doctors cannot put their finger on it. Going to the doctors is like a lost caused for me. They tried to say that I have lupus until that test came back negative. Right now I am going AU. Like Diana & Mary, it is very hard to deal with the lost of my eyebrows & lashes and the destructiveness of my nails. I wanted to cry the other day because I just couldn't draw my eyebrows right. I am dealing with my issues and trying to face the fact that I have Alopecia.

Comment by Diana on January 12, 2009 at 12:04pm

Hey Marie and Nicole! Sure sounds like everything I went thru! I had that rash too, except my derm said it was my psoriasis and I told him I had psoriasis all my life and it has always been on my joints and this rash was all over my legs ... that swelling behind your ears, when my swelling moved from my forehead, moved to my eyes and then my ears... almost felt like swimmers ear... but I like you am frustrated nobody has answers... just lots of the same tests.. I am going to Shands Hospital at the end of the month, its a really good teaching hospital and I will see what they have to say then I am done, with all the research I have done on line there is obviously no cure, and obviously no treatment... I in Europe they have done a stem cell transplant and has been in remission for 3 years.... one of docs I saw said even if that was available you would only want a stem cell if you needed it for a disease you were dying from!! Nicole have you been taking Biotin for the nails?? That is the only thing I have not lost yet and have been taking biotin faithfully since my hair fell out...

Comment by Mary on January 12, 2009 at 12:11pm

Nicole, I went through the frustration of trying to draw my eyebrows on for a month or so after they were pretty much gone. It took me a long time, and then they often weren't where I wanted them. Then I got the tattoos. What an improvement! They're a little paler brown, but quite nice looking with no makeup on. So, when I swim or hike, they're there even without powder.

But, I spend about 30 seconds every morning when I want to "dress up" just lightly stroking brow powder on with a small brush, just basically going over the tattoo to define and darken it. Since the brow shape is already there, it's a snap and really quick. AND, I just discovered at the Bald Girls Do Lunch event this month that BGDL sells a brush-on sealant that prevents the powder from rubbing off or "sweating" off. It's great!

Comment by JeffreySF on January 12, 2009 at 3:11pm

All I have is Alopecia at the moment....Touch Wood.

Jeff

Comment by Orbit on January 13, 2009 at 8:16am

Hi there, I have AU and have had no other symptoms. My mom has psoriasis and a bit of arthritis. I think that I may developing arthritis in my right hand and knees, not exactly sure. Other than that I am the only one in my family with any form of alopecia. I guess that I'm the lucky one :-)

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