Hello fellow ophiasian...Today I finally have a name for it, and can put pictures and faces together to show what I have, and I thought I was alone....HELLO ....!!!! Nice to meet u
I would love to get together. I have not met anyone else in person with alopecia but have spoken to others on the web site. My email address is doiron@telus.net. Good luck with going back to work. Just remember you are beautiful no matter if you have hair or not. (So much easier to say than to feel , but it is true) I look forward to hearing from you and seeing if we can plan a meeting. Take care.
Hi Ashlie~
Thanks... your daughter is beautiful and so are you. Nice to see pictures on here. I am still not comfortable posting any pics of myself. I am AU so hate to see it for real. It has been 7 years for me but still does not feel like this is who I am.Thus alll the pictures of the puppy!
I grew up in PG and moved away in 2000. Have lived in Sask, AB, and BC all over since. I have met other alopecians along the way. I do not know any in PG tho. There was a guy that was on a few sites that was called Alopecia Boy that was in Prince George. Do not know if he still is tho.
Email or post any time. I know this is tough.
Cheryl
Hi Ashlie. I am so glad that you like the clip-in extensions! They have made all the difference to me too and helped me to feel somewhat normal again. I purchased some plastic shoe-style containers and I store my extensions in those when I'm not using them. I have acquired quite a few of them so I have them sorted in these boxes. You could also hang them. I also have a new "favorite" that you might enjoy. I found some new hair extensions from Ken Paves. He is Jessica Simpson's hairstylist and I saw him advertising his hair products on QVC. If you go to QVC.com and type in "Hairdo" his extensions come up. They are fantastic. Although they are not real hair, they look great and are very light weight. They are also good for our type of hair loss because they have a panel that prevents your scalp from showing through. You can go on QVC and watch the various videos showing how they are worn. The great thing is that you can also easily return/return them if they don't match your hair color, I almost like them better now than the clip-in hair extensions. Take a look and let me know what you think. You can also go to Ken Paves website at KenPaves.com and see his hair products. I also e-mailed his website with questions and they are great about responding quickly with answers. I am so happy that these worked for you and I hope you are doing better. Although my hair continues to fall out, I have really been able to deal with it much better with these extensions. Keep me updated on your progress.
Hi Ashlie
Sorry I don't know anyone that you mentioned but Guelph is pretty (not neccessarily convient though). Since this website has been develloped to the lovely Cheryl and her husband RJ, I have found an increasing number of alopecians in Canada making their way out of the wood work. Previously there were only really MSN and yahoo groups that mostly people in the USA joined. It is fabulous to see so many Canadians here now though. If you ever want to chat, same goes for you. I'm not on all that often but if you send me a message I will get it. Take care!! :)
Hi Ashley, Im sorry I took so long to reply. Been busy with the kids.
You had asked me when I knew it was time to shave. When my hair started shedding I thought it would stop..everday I woke up with panic attacks. It got to the point where my husband told me that at night I would shake all night and of course that was the anxiety built up..I thought I was loosing my sanity. I thank God for having Him in my life to be able to cope with this. Anway when I saw things were not getting better I decided to purchase a wig and told my husband that I did not want this to control my life anymore. I bought the wig this past July. I still would not were it and just used hats but honestly my hair was looking so bad that one day I just said... why hold on to this hair that is doing nothing for me at all. I was trying to wait for my husband to come home from work but that was one of the days he had to work late so i went in the bathroom and without thinking twice shaved it off. Did I like how I looked at first??? no, but I did not like how I looked before anyway. I felt such a sense of reliefe and not counting hairs and finding them everywhere was GREAT!! I decided to let the people I know know about my problem and that they would be seeing me with different looks. Doing both of these things gave me a peace that I did not have when I was going through the shedding. I stopped shaking at night and have more peace than ever. This is a process and it step by step and sometimes we take two steps forward and then two steps back but then we move forward again. Lord willing you will be OK. Im here if you need to vent. By the way I flew from Germany to US and drove to Canada to get my wig. I had never been to Canada and really like it.
Big Hugbr /> Kim
Hi Ashley,
Hang in there. When I went through the shedding from Feb-May it was horrible. Like out of a horror movie horrible. I was depressed, anxious, scared, you name it. I was sent to a therapist through my work which was useless (for me) She told me nothing I didn't already know. My Dr. put me on anti-anxiety meds which made me feel nothing...this was worse! I hated the meds and quit cold turkey and embraced all the sadness, anger, remorse, grief etc. I cried many a night. But I'll tell you, I found my smile. I found my life again. It's getting perspective on everything. The night my husband shaved my head was a sad but relieving day. I didn't have to go through the shedding anymore. I embraced my hair pieces and put my new look together and walked out with confidence. People don;t notice hair as much as they do your presence. Fake your confidence, if need be, and one day you will find you are confident. I still have some bad days...but they are less and less. You have to let yourself grieve...it's normal. I didn't even know what alopecia was until this february and now I'm universalis...it's an adjustment, but you work through it. What helped me was telling people what was happening. I'm an open book and knowledge is power so I wanted people to learn about this disease. We are still fortunate to be agile, have our wits and not have cancer or some other life threatening disease. Take it day by day, hour by hour if you must and visit this site for support. I will be an ear to listen. You will be okay...start listing things you love about yourself and your world. Embrace those in the tough spells...all the best.
Hi Ashlie, you are right taking one day at a time is good. Looking for something that will give us peace that be wig, topper, scarves, hat or shaved look is a big step but one that will help us live and enjoy a better life. I hope you find what you are looking for and if I can be a help in anyway Im here!
Blessing,
Kim
Hello and welcome, Ashlie!
I know how hard alopecia can be; I have had it for about 30 years. Let me know if you need help or support. One thing that you might be interested in is my book, written for women, called "If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing!" (It just won two national awards!) It has a lot of good info in it, it can answer many questions, and it's a fun read, too. You can find out more on my page. It's available on Amazon.com.
Let me know if there's anything else I can do! I am here to help.
LeslieAnn
Hi Ashlie. You hair loss looks and sounds so much like mine! I lost most of mine at the crown of my head and it has spread to the sides above my ears...so far. I have had some response to cortisone shots, but am not placing all my hope on them. I have been very successful in hiding my growing spots with clip-in hair extensions. I could not afford the expensive pre-made clip-in hair extensions that I saw on-line, so I was fortunate to find some Sassy brand human hair at a beauty supply store (Sally's Beauty which also has an on-line site) and actually sewed wig clips on to them to make my own. They are easy to incorpoate into my hair and I have been able to move or add them where I need them as my spots have grown and changed. People are really shocked when they see how much hairloss I have because they cannot tell at all when I'm wearing my hair extensions. I will try to upload some of my before and after hair extension photos so you can see how I do it.
I did go out and do some research on wigs and actually purchased a couple wigs so that I am prepared in the event that the rest of my hair starts falling out rapidly. I do feel for you. It is such a roller coaster. I almost had a complete breakdown when it began happening and as each new spot appeared it would send me inot a panic all over again. Over the last 10 months, however, I have been able to come to terms with it to a certain point. I think the most important thing is to be open with everyone about what you are going through. For me it took away a lot of the stigma and people then understand if I'm not have a great day. It has really helped and I find people really wanting to know more about it. Somehow helping educate people about AA has helped me come to terms with it rather than feel disgusted by it. Also, sharing your thoughts and feelings with others on this website is a huge help in coping with what you are going through. You will get through this. If you are interested, I will let you know when I get my photos posted.
Hi, I was on all kinds of vitamins, hormones, rogaine, and shots. I don't think it really helped me though. I really think that doctors should let there patients know that bcp can trigger hair loss. If someone would have warned me I would have never ever taken those stupid things. Good luck at the doctor! let me know how it goes. Take care Erin
Hi Ashlie, I'm new here too. My story is alot like yours. I was very stressed and got on birth control pills and switched to a different kind and my hair started to fall out like crazy so I got off the Birth control and stress got worse and I started getting bald spots. How long have you been shedding? Try to remember your not alone.!! erin!
Thanks for the add. Look forward to chatting with you...You're right where I was about 4 months ago. Hang in there and smile...there will be a smile waiting for you!
Hi Ashlie, My advice is if they dont offer blood tests ask them to check your iron and vitamin b12 levels as this can cause your hair to fall out. Any thing that will make you feel a bit more confident and give you peace of mind.
I hope you are well
kayleigh
The photos you just added look just like my scalp did in the Fall of 2007. I know what you're going through!
You can see in my photos what my hair looked like the night before I shaved it all off...it was a good decision for me because I could stop getting upset every night as I picked up more hair off the floor, or examined the expanding bald spots. Shaving it off gave me back a feeling of control.
Whatever happens, just remember you're still the same person. Hang in there.
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Ashlie LeBlanc's Comments
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I would love to get together. I have not met anyone else in person with alopecia but have spoken to others on the web site. My email address is doiron@telus.net. Good luck with going back to work. Just remember you are beautiful no matter if you have hair or not. (So much easier to say than to feel , but it is true) I look forward to hearing from you and seeing if we can plan a meeting. Take care.
Jacquie
Thanks... your daughter is beautiful and so are you. Nice to see pictures on here. I am still not comfortable posting any pics of myself. I am AU so hate to see it for real. It has been 7 years for me but still does not feel like this is who I am.Thus alll the pictures of the puppy!
I grew up in PG and moved away in 2000. Have lived in Sask, AB, and BC all over since. I have met other alopecians along the way. I do not know any in PG tho. There was a guy that was on a few sites that was called Alopecia Boy that was in Prince George. Do not know if he still is tho.
Email or post any time. I know this is tough.
Cheryl
Stephanie
Sorry I don't know anyone that you mentioned but Guelph is pretty (not neccessarily convient though). Since this website has been develloped to the lovely Cheryl and her husband RJ, I have found an increasing number of alopecians in Canada making their way out of the wood work. Previously there were only really MSN and yahoo groups that mostly people in the USA joined. It is fabulous to see so many Canadians here now though. If you ever want to chat, same goes for you. I'm not on all that often but if you send me a message I will get it. Take care!! :)
You had asked me when I knew it was time to shave. When my hair started shedding I thought it would stop..everday I woke up with panic attacks. It got to the point where my husband told me that at night I would shake all night and of course that was the anxiety built up..I thought I was loosing my sanity. I thank God for having Him in my life to be able to cope with this. Anway when I saw things were not getting better I decided to purchase a wig and told my husband that I did not want this to control my life anymore. I bought the wig this past July. I still would not were it and just used hats but honestly my hair was looking so bad that one day I just said... why hold on to this hair that is doing nothing for me at all. I was trying to wait for my husband to come home from work but that was one of the days he had to work late so i went in the bathroom and without thinking twice shaved it off. Did I like how I looked at first??? no, but I did not like how I looked before anyway. I felt such a sense of reliefe and not counting hairs and finding them everywhere was GREAT!! I decided to let the people I know know about my problem and that they would be seeing me with different looks. Doing both of these things gave me a peace that I did not have when I was going through the shedding. I stopped shaking at night and have more peace than ever. This is a process and it step by step and sometimes we take two steps forward and then two steps back but then we move forward again. Lord willing you will be OK. Im here if you need to vent. By the way I flew from Germany to US and drove to Canada to get my wig. I had never been to Canada and really like it.
Big Hugbr /> Kim
Hang in there. When I went through the shedding from Feb-May it was horrible. Like out of a horror movie horrible. I was depressed, anxious, scared, you name it. I was sent to a therapist through my work which was useless (for me) She told me nothing I didn't already know. My Dr. put me on anti-anxiety meds which made me feel nothing...this was worse! I hated the meds and quit cold turkey and embraced all the sadness, anger, remorse, grief etc. I cried many a night. But I'll tell you, I found my smile. I found my life again. It's getting perspective on everything. The night my husband shaved my head was a sad but relieving day. I didn't have to go through the shedding anymore. I embraced my hair pieces and put my new look together and walked out with confidence. People don;t notice hair as much as they do your presence. Fake your confidence, if need be, and one day you will find you are confident. I still have some bad days...but they are less and less. You have to let yourself grieve...it's normal. I didn't even know what alopecia was until this february and now I'm universalis...it's an adjustment, but you work through it. What helped me was telling people what was happening. I'm an open book and knowledge is power so I wanted people to learn about this disease. We are still fortunate to be agile, have our wits and not have cancer or some other life threatening disease. Take it day by day, hour by hour if you must and visit this site for support. I will be an ear to listen. You will be okay...start listing things you love about yourself and your world. Embrace those in the tough spells...all the best.
Blessing,
Kim
Kim
I know how hard alopecia can be; I have had it for about 30 years. Let me know if you need help or support. One thing that you might be interested in is my book, written for women, called "If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing!" (It just won two national awards!) It has a lot of good info in it, it can answer many questions, and it's a fun read, too. You can find out more on my page. It's available on Amazon.com.
Let me know if there's anything else I can do! I am here to help.
LeslieAnn
I did go out and do some research on wigs and actually purchased a couple wigs so that I am prepared in the event that the rest of my hair starts falling out rapidly. I do feel for you. It is such a roller coaster. I almost had a complete breakdown when it began happening and as each new spot appeared it would send me inot a panic all over again. Over the last 10 months, however, I have been able to come to terms with it to a certain point. I think the most important thing is to be open with everyone about what you are going through. For me it took away a lot of the stigma and people then understand if I'm not have a great day. It has really helped and I find people really wanting to know more about it. Somehow helping educate people about AA has helped me come to terms with it rather than feel disgusted by it. Also, sharing your thoughts and feelings with others on this website is a huge help in coping with what you are going through. You will get through this. If you are interested, I will let you know when I get my photos posted.
Kelly
I hope you are well
kayleigh
Welcome to Alopecia World.
Jeffrey
The photos you just added look just like my scalp did in the Fall of 2007. I know what you're going through!
You can see in my photos what my hair looked like the night before I shaved it all off...it was a good decision for me because I could stop getting upset every night as I picked up more hair off the floor, or examined the expanding bald spots. Shaving it off gave me back a feeling of control.
Whatever happens, just remember you're still the same person. Hang in there.
Mary
Thank you for adding me as your friend. Glad you are here.
Suzanne
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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.