I discovered a small bald patch near my ear at the end of November 2009 - It has been a month now and the patch does not seem to be getting bigger although it is not regrowing either.
The other side of my hair feels tender and sore and I have another small patch there. Since my diagnosis I have not been able to relax I am so worried..
I am seeing a Dermatologist tonight but I have done some research and am not keen on using conventional treatments ie steroids etc.
I have seen a Trichologist called Peter Bannister who uses a method called Biosthetics, applying a mix of essential oils to the scalp. He seems to have had good results.
I also spoke to Stevens' Trichology Centre in London who have a long history of treating this condition.
I have seen mixed reviews of Homeopathy and Ayurvedic medicine which I am also considering.
I am just overwhelmed and don't know which form of treatment to take but I am getting more and more anxious and will try to start a treatment soon - does anyone have any recommendations or success stories? What has worked for you?
It seems all the conventional treatments do more harm then good.
Hi there!
Sorry to hear you have this problem. I wouldn't worry too much - it will make it worse! I've had it too, and the hair does grow back - initially it grew back my normal colour, but eventually if the patch suffered it more than once it came back white - so I'm now a skewbald in horse terms (brown and white hair - interesting!), which I have coloured by my hairdresser.
Why does this happen? It seems to be an autoimmune reaction - that is the body is reacting against itself. What causes that? The best answer I have found is from problems in the gut (to see click [url]Elizabeth Lipski's Digestive Wellness[/url]). If you were stressed or have had antibiotics or a gut infection these can alter the normal balance of gut bacteria, and this imbalance can damage the gut wall, allowing through into the bloodstream minute particles (molecules) of semidigested food which are seen by the immune system as 'invaders'. These molecules may resemble those in your body, and the immune system goes on to attack your body, believing it to be the invader molecules - in this case the hair follicle. Any part of the body can come under attack, as in the thyroid (Hashimoto's), joints (rheumatoid arthritis), myelin sheath covering nerves (multiple sclerosis), melanin cells in the skin (vitiligo), and so forth. So be grateful it is nothing more serious than your hair follicles!
How to deal with it? - sort out you gut bacteria and heal the gut wall. This is best done with the help of a nutritional therapist - see the [url]BANT website [/url]for one near you.
The other thing that I am sure helped was head massage - you should be able to move your skin against your skull, and with stress it seems to clamp down reducing the blood supply to the folicles, so massage can help loosen it and allow for better blood flow - good excuse for a regular massage!!
Hope you get sorted soon - all the best
I have a client who has had alopecia for some years now. I have seen her for three and a half years. She responds well to massage and reflexology.
She has tried everything regards allopathic and complementary treatments.
Hers is very much stress related and when something bad is happening in her life she sheds hair rapidly.
As Caroline has already said, stress can quickly deplete the gut flora and it is worth considering that gut flora produce some B vitamins often suggested for reducing stress so a catch 22 situation.
Have you had some large stressor which may have triggered this....even as long as months ago?
Patchouli
Hi there
Thank you for your advice I hope to hear more.
I found it interesting that you suggested a link to digestive problems. I did suffer a bout of mild food poisoning just before I noticed the patch.
However I have been extremely stressed over the last 2 years. It is hard to pinpoint but I can think of a number of problems in my life which I am certain has caused my hair loss. I lost my job, then had to work a series of pressured sales jobs whilst looking into new careers. I eventually found a permanent job and am not exactly happy with this one either - I had mounting debts which I have just managed to clear so hopefully this should ease my stress. I have also had a few major relationship break ups over the past two years and am still depressed about that.
I am finding it hard not to worry about my condition but I will try my best to be brave and find some sort of natural remedies.
I saw the Dermatologist today who prescribed me Dermovate (steroid cream) but I don't want to use that as I have read a lot of scare stories about steroids with Alopecia Areata..
The other side of my scalp feels very sore I just hope it calms down soon.
I've been using Aloe Vera gel since diagnosis it seems to have a very pleasant calming effect.