Comment by Lori Black on January 13, 2009 at 5:44pm

Hello all, I was diagnosed AA at age 12 in 1984, with injections, ointments and topical liquids I had almost total regrowth by age 15, AU by age 17 it all went again. I said forget the Dr stuff and (scalp) came back totally by age 21. The interesting thing is, when I was 18 I began smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana. I kept my(scalp) hair until age 27 when I ceased all these damaging habits and had a baby. By the time he was 6 months old I was almost half bald again. I have no other problems except some dermatitis/psoriasis in varied locations sometimes, I also have chronic sinus issues but not allergies. I have now been AU again for 8 yrs. I have been blessed with amazingly good health throughout my life, I have 3 healthy boys and am being reminded by this sight of some things I had forgotten in almost a lifetime of dealing with AA. Been drawing on the eyebrows and eyeliner since age 15 accept during the "drug" years and they came back. Never been any rhyme or time to this thing!

Comment by Diana on January 13, 2009 at 7:27pm

these responses are great I thank you all for sharing! Prednisone is great stuff when you are on it for anything I use for my psoriasis outbreaks often but it comes back worse when you come off so where is the balance! Jeez Louise.... take care of the those liver enzymes - thats nothing to mess with my sister in law had an emergency liver transplant and I sure hope nobody here every has to go thru that - Erin wow you have got it all.... I have never seen an immune specialist everybody keeps pointing at the dermatologists I am going up to Shands Hospital in Gainsville, FL at the end of the month to meet with a 4th doc now - this is a fantastic teaching hospital... so I just want to see if I can gain and share knowledge, I would like to talk a professional and for them to be able to listen and learn from us - my symptoms before the hair started falling out - ... and hey Lori!! I love that when you did all the bad stuff you were totally fine LOL go figure, lets all just be bad and live a full and happy life!!! Diana

Comment by James on February 22, 2009 at 3:28pm

I also had mild AA....until I quite smoking "pot"....then I went to AU in 3 quick weeks. It made me want to start again...lol. Is it possible that my immune system was fighting off the effects of the smoke instead of attacking the hair?? then when there was no more smoke to fight off it focused back on the hair?? Anyway, I have pitting of the nails and sinus issues but no allergies. I have a few root canals but I think that may be caused by not visiting the dentist in regular intervals...duh. My father had a couple AA spots in his 20's but nothing before or after. He now has diabetes, parkinson's, and vitiligo...discoloration spots of the skin. Lately I'm getting more zits than normal which makes me feel like I'm going through puberty again..yay...where's all the hair though! I do think Alopecia is a "Genetic, Autoimmune Disorder" that may be hereditary - but not hereditary in all cases. The hardest part for me about AU is the lashes and brows. When you're a man what are our options for both lashes and brows??

Comment by Nancy on March 3, 2009 at 3:46am

Hi all. I am new here. I had AA from age 5-17, random patchiness, and it always grew back. Six months ago, at age 49, I lost all my hair within a month. I now have AU and I agree with lots of others who commented here. I miss my eyebrows and eyelashes. I don't have allergies, or asthma, or any other things that people mentioned previously. I think my trigger was immense stress over the loss of my 19 year old son, and other problems with my daughter. I'm researching getting my eyebrows tattooed, and also experimenting with false eyelashes. It's a lot to deal with. People say it's just hair, but hair is a HUGE attribute to your appearance and when it is all gone, part of you is gone with it. I'm happy to have found this website, and look forward to talking with you all more.

Comment by Diana on March 3, 2009 at 8:19am

Hi again Nancy... strange things our bodies - I like you had AA when I was around 10 and had shots and it never came back and then boom like you lost my hair within a month everywhere and will be 40 soon... I wish I had an answer, I don't think for me it was stress - I know I can get thru this and I am sure you can too, but like you said its your appearance ahhhhhh, kind of not feeling complete anymore - hope to talk to u some more, hang in there, and I am too researching around here on the eyebrow tattooing :-) Diana

Comment by Mary on March 3, 2009 at 10:17am

Hi Nancy, and welcome to this wonderful site. After random patchiness for 7 years, I went AU a year ago at age 55. I had my eyebrows and liner tatooed, and am happy I did it. I just came back from my first scuba diving trip as a totally bald lady, and it was fine - the wetsuit went on easier over my slick dome, and I didn't have to mess with tangled hair after dives! Hang in there, it just gets easier. If you haven't seen it, check out my videos on AW, or on YouTube (the recent one is entitled "Living a Bald Life".)

Comment by Kami M. on May 29, 2009 at 3:21pm

Hi Diana :) I have horrendous allergies. At the present time they're really bad, I have to take an allegra and then throughout the evening I end up taking 2 more benadryls. I've been to an allergist, already knowing I had severe allergies I thought maybe he would confirm it was related to the AU. Now I'm allergic tot he sun as well, if I am even in the sun for 10 minutes, I turn into hives and start itching. I had no symptoms prior to my Alopecia, I discovered 2 quarter size bald patches in within 3 months I was totally bald (AU). Strangest thing I've ever seen.

Comment by Diana on June 6, 2009 at 8:59am

Hi Kami.... wow allergic to the sun... thats a tough one... I am to the rain, like you I break out in hives, my husband laughs and does not believe me, but its so true!!What about food allergies then, so I guess your allergist did not confirm if it was related? I believe it all is somehow... I experienced it the same as you but little shorter period of time, but I would say within 2 months I had absolutely no hair....yes strange - I wish I could rewind and go back and see if there were any more symptoms, but I guess what does it matter, because the doctors still would not be able to do anything!! - well u take care!!

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