Hoping for help with Alopecia

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I have had alopecia now for like 2 years, been through everything trying to figure out why I have it, and how to get rid of it. Thyroid is fine, I have vitaligo on my hands and when my hair does decide that it will grow back it is snow white, I am only 32 and too young to be that grey! LOL It has now got so bad that I have about 17 places on my scalp. Some very small others as big as the palm of my hand. I had used Olux it is a foam on the bald spots, it helped get baby fine hair to grow back but other hair just kept falling out. Now I am on Prednisone I started out on 60 mg for 4 days and then decrease to 50 for 4 days and so on. My question is does anyone out there know anything else. I am hoping there is a nurse out there that has dermatology experience. Oh my dermatologist says if the prednisone doesn't stimulate the hair growth more that she will do a scalp biopsy. That just sounds like it would hurt. I just need advice! PLEASE HELP!!!!:selfbonk:

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I wish I could give you more hopeful info. My husband suffers this in places on his face and head. It's often related to stress, I was told, and I believe it. I see it worsen in times of extreme stress for him (he is military, so being deployed for war did it the first time).....

Here are some websites I hope help you. HUGS!

http://www.naaf.org/

http://www.follicle.com/

http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/alopecia/alopecia.htm

there is no absolute cure. Just good nutrition and stress reduction, primarily, and some medical treatments are available, with varying successes.

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Specializes in Home Health Care,LTC.

Good luck and keep us posted.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.

I'm a woman that has had it in the past. My dermatologist put me on Rogain - not the one for women, but the Extra-Strength one for men. It did work, but I can't take it for more than 6-8 months at a time, or my scalp gets really itchy.

Mine was related to stress and not eating right. I'm diabetic and they thought maybe that was a cause, but it wasn't. I also started taking gelatin, and that helped somewhat also. Another doc recommended Biotin supplements, but I didn't find that helped.

Good luck! I hope everything works out for you.

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My husband has it .. they told us that is an autoimmune dysfunction .. he get treated with cortisone shots (sq) right into his scalp .. He only gets these shots with active hair loss.. he then gets his full head of hair back with 2 - 3 weeks .. he sees the growth within days of treatment

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my mother had vitialigo...did not effect color of hair... on my fathers side there was a tendancy to gray early...

i hope that you find something that helps...this is frustrating i know

good luck

dale

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