Alopecia World
Where acceptance is all there is!
Gluten free and anti inflammatory diet journal
About 5 months ago I noticed what looked like a small knick in the back of my head...long story short, this was no knick! It progressed into a large patch, more patches appeared, i began losing facial hair, etc. After the first patch becam quarter sized, I saw a dermatologist and she said I had AA...i figured this prior to my visit because I had googled it! Lol, the power of the internet...I think i had more info about it than the doctor knew! Anyway, she gave me a sample of a topical cream and said the patch looked like it was done growing bigger and would regrow. WRONG! Obviously it didnt, and i knew from my research that there wasnt much I could do, as far as effective treatments go....I accepted it and eventually shaved my head since I could no longer hide it with a hat.
Long story short, I probably had a similair experience to all of ya'lls! I'm 32 and this is my first experience with my alopecia, needless to say...its rough coming to terms with lossing your hair in such a drastic way! Upon surfing the web for info i came across stories of gluten free diets and the notion that eliminating certain foods could help with regrowth. I also found this awesome site called "Alopecia World"...you may have heard of it?!? Here i found real support and a place to connect with others who know EXACTLY what i'm going through! Its a great thing! I also found people who are seeing results from G/F diets and anti inflammatory diets or just eleminating foods they are sensitive to. It just seemed to make sense to me.... It definately couldnt hurt to try!
I made up my mimd to fully make the switch and STICK to it, at least for 3 months to see if i could get results. (it seems to take 3-6 months before people get any type of results) I began with immediately eliminating caffeine from my diet about 4 weeks ago, since I was a heavy soda drinker. I replaced soda with water and now drink more juice when i crave soda or something with more flavor.nothing with sugar added...100% juices and only natural sweetners.
The following week I began to eliminate gluten from my diet and other anti- inflamatory foods. I may have slipped a bit, due to being uninformed and being confused about what was and wasnt ok to eat but I knew I was making HUGE strides in the right direction! I figured even if a few things slipped through, it still had to be an improvement and I had to crawl before I walk! It is a MAJOR change for me and easing into it seemed to make it less drastic.
I know that everyone has different sensetivities to different foods but I am not able to pay for these tests or for additional testing. I just decided to eliminate gluten, caffiene, dairy and red meats from my diet since these seemed to be the major pro-inflammatory foods.
It has been a month since I began this whole process and about 4 days ago i stopped shaving my head to see if I could notice any changes. To my surprise...regrowth! It seems that the majority of my bald spots are now covered with white or clear hairs. Mainly the last places that I lost hair are the ones growing back first, or so it seems. The original patch, which now covers 15% of my head is still bald but i now have some hope. I am excited but dont know if this is just coincidence or there is a connection to my dietary change?!? Surely it has to be from the diet??? I find it hard to believe that its sure coincidence! I def will continue with the diet change and hope for the best! I will add some pics later and keep ya'll posted! Any shared experiences, comments, suggestions, questioms are welcome! Please share your stories, as it helps others and yourself!
Comment
-
Comment by BaldIsEvolved on October 30, 2016 at 1:05pm
-
Louis - if you're still on this forum I'm curious where you're at now after a couple years. Did you maintain or regress? Still on the diet or no?
-
Comment by siddharth madhan on January 30, 2016 at 4:35pm
-
can u help me know what were the major anti inflamatory ingredients u consumed? dont mind trying this for sure
-
Comment by Louis on June 20, 2014 at 12:06pm
-
Updated pics....made a lot of progress and continue to limit inflammatories as well as sugar, caffiene, gluten etc.
-
-
Whats up world? I would 1st like to apologize for my absence....it wasnt by choice! Ive been incarcerated since my last post in 2013 on some marijuana charges....Please dont judge me lol! Anyway, I obviously couldnt fully adhere to the diet after I got locked up but did continue to limit my gluten, red meat, sugar, dairy and caffiene intake the best I could. I ate A LOT of tuna and chicken! I was scared that my hard earned progress would stop and even regress but it didnt... today I have a FULL head of hair, just a few areas that look thinner but are barely noticable. Also one or two spots that are small and look like knicks from the clippers. I also took a daily multi vitamin, fish oil (anti-inflammatory) and zinc (helps regulate immune system).
-
Comment by Jack Sparrow on September 20, 2013 at 6:00pm
-
Louis how are things now....?
-
-
Good for you. Personally, I'd rather die than give up dairy. With no hair, it's one of the few pleasures I have left.
There are also lots of anti-imflammatory foods and supplements you can take. D-3 is essential so your immune system functions properly. Pycongel (pine extract) is also a powerful anti-imflammatory. Biotin, Viviscal, and Health Essentials are great supplements that strengthen hair and may even induce hair growth.
-
Comment by Rosanna on January 22, 2013 at 1:57pm
-
What's the story with liquid d-3 and biotin? I already take a mulit-vitamin.
-
-
No problem Rosanna, good luck with the diet and life in general! You may want to consider supplements as well, if you're not already taking them. I take liquid d-3, biotin and a daily vitamin.
-
-
Hi Louis,
I have cut out diary and have experiences a big improvement but I will expand to cutting out other anti-inflammatory things. Thank you for sharing, Louis!
Thanks also for sharing Dr. Weil's link, Sandy!
Best,
Rosanna
-
-
i cant get photos to upload in this blog but I posted on my profile...check em out! Yes, still seeing results but have been cheating these past few weeks....it seems like progression has slowed a bit but never did i develop new patches. Even the area where it started (behind right ear, which is where many others began as well) has whit hair growth over it. its not as thick as it used to be and still thin in spots but if this is as good as it ever gets....I'm OKAY with it!Ive come to terms with it and would prefer to have a full head of thick hair like i Used to but ill be just fine if i have to shave it bald again. i walk around in public the way it is and nobody really pays it no mind and if they do....I just dont pay them none! hang in there and good luck with all
Disclaimer
Any mention of products and services on Alopecia World is for informational purposes only; it does not imply a recommendation or endorsement by Alopecia World. Nor should any statement or representation on this site be construed as professional, medical or expert advice, or as pre-screened or endorsed by Alopecia World. Alopecia World is not responsible or liable for any of the views, opinions or conduct, online or offline, of any user or member of Alopecia World.
© 2025 Created by Alopecia World.
Powered by
You need to be a member of Alopecia World to add comments!
Join Alopecia World