Doctor says every form of alopecia is genetic

Except for my dad who has been receding since his 30's every one else in my family seems to have their hair. In conversation with my dermatologist last week, he said my AA is genetic. He says the gene lives and has lived within me from birth. He says it's been dormant, but something triggered it. He continued to say, that in so many people that have a genetic predispositon, AA could stay dormant their whole lives, while in others in shows up in their teens...or after episodes of stress or auto-immune illnesses, like lupus. He explained it as a mutuation of the protein blocks of our dna, that can been transmitted with and without incident, from generations to generation. He said, in most cases the AA patient is completely healthy and nothing can be done save the cortizone shots to help control inflamation. That's the bad news, the good news is that it can go into remission on it's own and with the same suddenness as it appeared.

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Comment by Sandy on August 28, 2012 at 4:51pm

I have started cutting back on gluten and animal fats. Trying to eat within the parameters of Dr Weil's anti-inflamatory diet... I told my doctor about this....and he said I am showing signs of some hair growth, but it's most likely independent of my diet....I felt like disagreeing with him, but ultimately I just said overall the diet makes me feel better and that in itself will keep me happy, which should keep my auto immune system from haywiring, which can help stop the hair loss....So whether diet affects AA directly or not...it does promote a sense of well being....that is enough to help me feel like Rapunzel.

Comment by Jana on August 28, 2012 at 6:42pm

Diet results don't seem to be linear enough for some doctors. ; )

I have been working toward gluten and processed-sugar free, and have been seeing some fuzz on a head that has been predominantly bald for three decades. And yes, I also feel much better holistically, which is easier for me to "digest" as I have lived with hair for longer than not, so its return would be an adjustment, even if an indicator of health. I do think there is more to it than just these two elements, but it is a start. Sooo many alopecians are talking about diet . . . And many kids with alopecia seem to have startling results from going gluten-free alone.

Comment by madhu on August 30, 2012 at 6:00pm

i think what ur doc says may be true cos we moved from another country 2.5 yrs ago and my daughter who had a head full of hair started losing hers within 4 months of our move. Maybe she had a genetic predisposition and the move and environment changes triggered it. I wonder sometimes if we move back would the hairfall and alopecia go away. But i guess thats wishful thinking.

Comment by Sandy on August 31, 2012 at 9:43am

Madhu, your daughter could go into remission and never get it again. A woman I knew told me her daughter was 12 yrs old when she was on a swim team at school. During one of the swimming meets, she noticed her daughter had 2 bald spots.....They cut worse before they got better. Once the competitions were over, life went back to normal and the girl's hair slowly but surely started filling in. The mother did nothing about the hair loss and apparently the daughter is now in her 30's now and has never had another incident. Each sase is different. Stay with the program your dermatologists puts your daughter on. My doc asked whether I was depressed and should be on meds for depression, anxiety or insomnia....I told him no, but in many cases patients w/ AA are also on meds that help them relax and focus....Just an idea. I am not a proponent of a Prozac World, I am more like a proponent Propecia world these days. : )

Comment by madhu on August 31, 2012 at 11:45am

Hi sandy,
We also hope that its just the change in environment that triggered the episode of hair loss. keeping our fingers crossed and hoping for the best. But she was 2.5 yrs old when we came here, so not sure what stress she could have had to trigger such a drastic hair loss. Maybe kids also undergo changes to adjust to sleep cycle and surroundings and that could induce stress.

Now i dont know if i should move back to my country. Again the surroundings would change and no doctor can give me the assurance that a change will stop the hairfall. i'm tired of feeling guilty about moving and indirectly causing this.

Right now, keeping her confident and self assured is most important.

Just ranting and sharing my thoughts..

Comment by Jana on August 31, 2012 at 12:52pm

I like to say that if stress triggered or caused AA, we would all have it. ;)

Stress makes any condition worse. Don't highlight it as the cause of your daughter's hair loss. But DO keep doing what you are doing, and support her in feeling good about herself. : )

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