Been struggling with AA for twenty years. For me it never ever quite went away. It would move around the back of my head away from my direct view where it’s easier for me to ignore. Once in a while I’d get energized and want to fight it, so I’d start a cortisone and Minoxidil treatment course where for a few months I’d get shots every six weeks. No significant improvement happens, and I’d start fretting over the impact of all the cortisone and so I’d eventually give up and stop the treatment for a year or so.

Six months ago the dermatologist prescribed Anthralin 1%. I had the cream for 3 months before I decided to try it, as I was certain it wasn’t going to do anything for the treatment resistant Ophiasis Alopecia covering the back one third of my head. I was also concerned about my skin and clothes getting discolored. I was picturing charred dark skin, which I imagined would look even worse than the already large expanse of hairlessness on the back of my head. Even more discouraging was how Anthralin tended to always be listed as less effective than cortisone shots. Eventually I decided to try the cream.

I applied it everyday for six weeks. The skin was getting dark but not too unsightly. In fact the darkness lessened the impact of the bald spot a little. I suffered no pain or discomfort, but the routine of applying it, waiting for thirty minutes then washing it off was inconvenient. The old t-shirt I wore for this procedure got stained. And there was no noticeable growth. So I stopped for the first time.

A few weeks later my son noticed a sizable spot of hair growth. I was happy and encouraged. I resumed applying it and read more on Anthralin. I read that Anthralin/Minoxidil combination treatment worked for some resistant patients. So I started applying Anthralin once a day, and Minoxidil twice daily. I did that for another 4 weeks or so. Hair in the one spot became thicker but no additional growth was visible. So I stopped for a second time.

Today, four weeks after I stopped for the second time, my son noticed thin growth throughout the bald area. Hair in some places is more noticeable than others. He took a picture for me to see. I saw hair where I haven’t seen any in years. Notice that most of this growth happened while I was no longer applying the medication. I am now convinced Anthralin has succeeded in resetting my screwed up immune system. The area is not fully covered, and the growth is still thin, and I could be wrong, but somehow I have a premonition it worked.

So I urge everyone to try Anthralin. To my knowledge it's not bad for your health like those aweful cortisone shots. It's not too uncomfortable, and it appears to have worked for me after twenty years of struggle.