after a particularly devastating and painful period of my life, i was diagnosed with alopecia areata - almost a year ago. at the time of diagnosis, i only had two small quarter size patches. i immediately began getting injections, and continued to do so until two months ago. although i was confident in the course of treatment, i found that the injections did not seem to help me. altho some hair would grow in the center, the spots were still growing larger. and others one would start forming nearby. at one point, i had a very large patch (4 by 3 inches) on the back of my head and multiple small ones on either side.

feeling hopeless, i spoke with a few more doctors. one dermatologist said that in his opinion, it was a waste of time and money to get the shots. he used the analogy of scurrying mice (with the mice symbolizing the t-cells that attack the follicles). the injections simply "shoo" the "mice" (t-cells) away from the active spot, but they move to another spot. it doesn't address the problem, and could actually create more spots. he suggested letting the disease run it's course and focus on trying to get emotionally and physically healthy.

so i tried a new approach - i stopped the shots and tried alternative methods to deal with the inflammation directly.

for the past month and a half i have followed this routine: i take aloe vera pills, drink aloe vera juice, take a multi-vitamin with phytosterols (phytosterols in humans have been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating activity. Results have shown phytosterols particularly target T cell Lymphocytes, helping to balance and normalize their function), rub emu oil on the spots and drink kombucha juice daily. i also pray regularly, and visualize healing and hair growth. and you know what? it has WORKED!!!

the soreness in my scalp has diminished considerably. the shedding has lessened. the new spots that have formed aren't growing any larger. and the old spots are filling in with thick hair again.

growing up i never believed in "natural medicine". now, i swear i would eat try bark if someone told me it might work! :)

our bodies are all different. what works for one, may not work for another. but it's worth trying new things. and the great things about the holistic/natural route is that even if it doesn't help with the alopecia, it is good for your body overall.

i wanted to share this. will keep you posted on how it develops. and perhaps, it will benefit one of you as well.

hugs, claudine