One step forward, one step backward

Some of the hair that regrew fell out. I was super disappointed. But, I had tapered down from the aloe vera and Chinese herbs and completely stopped the prednisone. So, I'm going back to the initial dose of aloe vera. I am going to finish up the prednisone or take as much of it as I can before the side effects get to me and finish the bottle of Chinese herbs. I'm so disappointed because I was suppose to get a refill of the Chinese herbs on Friday, but they were shipped to the wrong address. I only have a few capsules left, but the prednisone should make up for the couple days that I will miss taking the He Shou Wu. I'm very grateful that my eyelashes and eyebrows haven't fallen out. It is a blessing.

New growth is falling out

It is so sad to admit, but I found a bald patch where I first noticed the regrowth. I had such high hopes for the aloe vera and He Shou Wu. Not sure what to think now. I'm going to continue taking both because I think it does some good. My skin certainly feels smoother.

Nothing new to report

Still brushing out the hairs, but finding new hairs. One spot that I was looking at appeared bald. I was upset because this was an area that I had found new hair on. I felt it and I could feel the transparent hairs. I tried examining it in the mirror (very difficult to do to the top of your head) and discovered that translucent hairs were there. It is odd that some hairs went through this vellus phase and some came back with their normal color.

More hair loss, but regrowth is getting longer

I brushed out and removed a ton of hair last night. The bald patches are being filled in by transparent hairs that are slowly turning dark brown. It is filling in patchy just like it left with the top of my scalp regrowing first. This is odd because the base and sides were the first to go, but I can't complain. I'm happy to see it filling in. The strands are limp and I can't even do a comb over that would entirely cover all the bare patches on my scalp. The look is pretty pathetic, so I continue wearing a wig. The Paula Young whisperlite wigs aren't really uncomfortable. I can wear them all day long with about the same discomfort as a ponytail.
I noticed one strand in the mirror was almost an inch. That is good, but not all the hair follicles are producing hair, so it is just weird.

Almost gone, but growing back

I'm amazed and horrified every morning. More hair falls out in the brush and in the shower. I can see my scalp now. I think the only reason that I have cut all my hairs down to the same length is because I like knowing how much hair is falling out everyday. I guess that I just want to know what is new growth and what isn't. If I shaved my head, then it would all appear to be new growth, when in reality some of it is on its way out.

Another wig compliment

Some student today told me he liked my hair. So nice, but I think he was trying to stop me from yelling at the class for being too rowdy. Tons of hair fell out today, but now when I look in the mirror, I can see the regrowth from five feet away. I don't have to examine my scalp close up. However, it is still just coming back in patches and falling out in patches. I'll be relieved when I have enough patches to cover my entire scalp. While I'm bursting with excitement about the new regrowth, my mother still doesn't want to see me without my wig. It was difficult for her to watch my sister lose all her hair. Since she bought the wigs for me, I honor that wish. I'm pretty self conscious about the bald patches, but excited for the regrowth.

Shared my story on Squidoo

In addition to this blog, I shared my alopecia story on squidoo. Here is the link to check out the condensed version of my story. http://www.squidoo.com/alopeciastory

Indentations

I noticed that there are indentations in my head where the cortizone was injected. Not only that, but the area that is indented isn't growing hair. I have circles of regrowth outside the injection sites. What is bothersome is that these shots were give a couple months ago. I would have expected the steroids to run their course and the indentations to be lessened by now. I did brush more hair out this morning. I found some new growth, so it is just a matter of time before all of it completely falls out and regrows. The aloe vera capsules make my skin feel a lot smoother. I no longer have dry skin. My nails seem to be improving as well. It used to be that I was using hardener on all of them to prevent them from splitting. Now, I just use it on the thumb of my right hand and I have even noticed that it isn't breaking despite the hardener as was once the case. Overall, that is improvement.

Brushed a lot out and found more regrowth

So, I can feel the new hairs, but I'm still losing hair. I finger over the regrowth at night. It is turning the normal color. I just wish that it was all over my head and thick and growing quickly. I also wish I knew if it would have happened anyway or if this is from one of the products that I tried. I think it is the Chinese herbs and aloe vera because I didn't use the Thymuskin consistently and when I was on the prednisone my hair kept falling out. The cortizone shots did work, so perhaps the prednisone stopped some inflammation, but didn't prevent the hair fallout. My sister wants to go with me to the alopecia conference next month.

Found more regrowth, BUT

Tons of hair was brushed out and washed out this morning. I was grateful to see some new regrowth and the regrowth that I mentioned yesterday is turning thick and brown! Yipee! I'll still wear a wig for a long time, but it is nice to know that there is regrowth.

The new hairs

This morning I awoke and brushed my finger over the new growth. It isn't over the entire scalp. More hair fell out this morning, but it seemed like less. However, there is much less to fall out now, so it makes sense that less would fall out. I have a dilemma. I don't know if the regrowth is due to the vitamins and herbs I'm taking or the prednisone I took a week ago. It does take some time for hair to grow, so I wouldn't have seen regrowth immediately. It is nice that it is growing back. I'm hoping that my head will have regrowth at the front by January so I can start teaching swimming again. That is when the next session starts. I would still need to wear the volumizer or a wig to look normal. But, time will tell. Who knows if this new growth will stay.

New growth! More falls out.

I found new growth in an area that was not an injection site! When I purchased the Hairvive Chinese herbs, it said that six bottles were enough to start regrowth. I was down to the last couple pills in the sixth bottle this morning when I noticed some vellus hairs on the top of my head. I'm not going to attribute that to Calosol, which I have only taken for three days. I'll continue to use the Calosol to encourage more growth, but I think it was the Chinese herbs and aloe vera capsules that caused the regrowth. I expect all my hair to fall out, but I fully expect it to regrow.

Lost a lot of hair this morning

It seemed like I brushed out a ton in the morning. Really disappointed about that. Oh well. I wore my cute wig and felt pretty today. I applied the Calosol. It smells like it has essential oils in it. I read on some website that they are effective in 44% of the people they tested them on. Might as well try them for awhile. I read on that particular website that onion juice was effective in 73% of the cases. So maybe I'll try onion juice again in the near future. I think it will be easier to try after my head is bare. I'm moving quickly to that point.

Nails and skin seem better

I have been on True Aloe for two weeks now. My skin feels better and my nails don't seem as bad. When I look at them, the ridging no longer extends from the tip to the base, it is only going half-way down. I want to take that as a sign that the condition is clearing up even though I lost a lot of hair this morning. I know it can grow back, it is just a matter of when. I haven't lost more lashes since I lost the last two in the shower a week ago. That is good. I think my scalp feels warm sometimes not just from the inflammation, but from the wig. It didn't feel hot when I touched it before I put my wig on.

Chicken Soup for the Soul

Today I spent my lunch hour reading Chicken Soup for the Soul. Wouldn't you know it, there was a story about a teenager who started losing her hair. She won he student government president position after talking about other great bald leaders. I wish I had that acceptance and confidence right now. However, there is a difference in self perception when you are 33 and have had hair your entire life. Okay, not much, but with the unpredictability of this disease, it is possible for me to grow my hair back. the shots worked, bu the oral prednisone didn't. Time will tell.

Calosol

I think the next thing I'm going to try is Calosol. They have a money back guarantee. However, it is only if you have lost 75% or less of your hair. I am right around 75% or more. But, if there is a money back guarantee, what do I have to lose besides more hair. I know, I won't be able to determine what is working if I am doing three things at once, but you feel so helpless when you are losing your hair. Trying multiple things just seems like the thing to do.

Can't even pretend it is stopping

Tons came out today. I wish I could believe that the aloe was reversing the inflammation and the Chinese herbs were working. But, it is wearing thin. I stopped the prednisone because I was getting fat and had body acne and the hair fallout wasn't even slowing down. Same story, different month. I'm not sure what direction that I want to take yet. I'm continuing with the aloe vera and Chinese herbs for at least another month. Although the regrowth hope is getting low.

What you can't control

I can't control that my hair is falling out. I could obsess over it, but it would do no good. I keep trying to convince myself that if I get rid of the inflammation attacking the follicles, then my hair will grow back. After all, it grew back in the five areas that were given injections. What's the problem? The loss spread too quickly over too large an area. Not only that, but the injections gave me dents in my head. It is easy for me to take the Chinese herbs and hope they work, but the reality is that it isn't preventing fall out. It may stimulate the growth, but that hasn't happened yet. I wish I could report that it had.

Lots of zits...prednisone not working again

Well, the same thing happened this month as last. My hair continued to fall out of my scalp on the highest does of prednisone. It gave me body acne and a little weight gain. I was hopeful that the aloe vera capsules would be a little stronger and fight the inflammation, but I'm not sure if that is the case. I realize that even though I have almost gone through the recommended six bottles of He Shou Wu Chinese herb, it was at double the dosage. It hasn't been 3 months and it is supposed to take 3 months to work. So, maybe in another month and a half I'll start seeing some regrowth. Maybe my liver chi will be balanced out by then.

Skin never felt better

My skin has never felt better since I switched to the True aloe capsules last week. The small wrinkles around my eyes are not evident and it is no longer dry. I do have some acne appearing on my body due to the prednisone. That happened last time I took prednisone. After 8 days, pimples appeared on my back. I think once I stop the prednisone, my skin will clear up again. It is difficult to say whether the prednisone actually helped or not because although I lost hair, it could have been more. While the scalp hair left, the body hair mostly stayed, so I can't say for certain that it was entirely ineffective. Only time will tell if it all falls out. Even then, it isn't the end of the world.

Losing lashes now

I noticed two of my eyelashes on the shower wall this morning. I'm not thrilled. I had such high hope that the aloe vera would work. My skin has felt fantastic since I switched to the whole leaf capsules last week. However, I know the inflammation is still there. The prednisone didn't inhibit it. The reports of people who had inflammation from arthritis were that it took six weeks to get relief and then the relief was immense. If that is the case, then that is fine. We're headed into fall and I don't expect to have regrowth until Christmas. I'm realistic. You can't change your body chemistry overnight.

It is still falling out and it has been a long time

I guess it has been all summer that my hair has been falling out. I noticed it in May and started taking the Thymuskin, shortly thereafter getting the injections. I didn't start taking aloe vera until sometime in June. I started in on the oral steroids in July, but gave up on them after three weeks. They didn't seem to slow down the hair fallout at all. Last week, I switched from a liquid form of aloe vera to a capsule that is supposed to be more potent. noticed the patches of regrowth last week and decided it was worth it to try the oral prednisone again. However, I haven't noticed a decrease in my hair fallout. I still feel my scalp and notice symptoms of inflammation like heat and redness. I don't know if the aloe in the capsule is stronger or not. I'm assuming it is. It gives me diahrea. I will cut back the dosage in a couple days and that side effect should go away. It isn't bad though. Just some loose watery stools. I think the capsules are stronger because I do have that side effect. On the liquid aloe vera, I didn't experience that side effect. We shall see.

My sister's perspective

My sister has been alopecia universalis for five years. We have had different experiences in terms of alopecia. She has given up hope on the idea of her hair growing back. Injections did not work for her and they worked for me. She couldn't try prednisone because of her diabetes. I tried it, but it was not successful in arresting the hair fallout. I find it interesting that she has given up hope and doesn't see the cause as the same in both of us. She says it is her white blood cells. I call it inflammation because I can see redness sometimes and feel heat. But, white blood cells are behind the inflammation. For me, it is just a matter of getting that under control and then the hair will grow back. She has regrowth on occasion in small areas that usually falls out. She tried a poison ivy treatment that didn't nothing more than irritate her scalp and grow peach fuzz. There are lots of products on the market that she hasn't tried, yet she claims she has tried everything. Interesting how people have different perspectives.

More hair fallout

Tons more hair fell out in the shower this morning. I just ran my fingers through it and pulled out more handfuls of loose hairs. That is disappointing. It means that the aloe vera and oral cortizones aren't stopping the inflammation. What gives? I'm noticing that there are more bald areas on my right arm despite the ones on my left arm filling in. I'm going to try icing my head. That is supposed to help reduce inflammation. It is free. We'll see if it works. Although I doubt it.

More redness this morning...more will fall out

I noticed more redness on my scalp this morning. I know that area will fall out soon. I put the aloe vera gel on my head this morning. I am adjusting to the lack of sleep with the prednisone again, but I only have one more week worth of those pills. I still have more hope that the aloe vera capsules are going to help me in the long run. Natural therapies are always preferrable to steroids in my opinion. And aloe does help a sunburn heal. It should help calm the inflammation somehow.

So hard to determine

What is sometimes hard to determine is whether the hairs that I see in areas once bald are new growth or hairs that didn't fall out when the rest of them did. It could be that the follicles were in the resting phase when the inflammation hit the area and weren't affected. Hopefully I'm getting my inflammation under control with the True Aloe capsules of aloe vera. The marketing is great on True Aloe. They claim that it is 119% more potent than other capsules. Does that translate to stopping the inflammation in me? Hopefully. Lots of hair fell out this morning, but I don't know how much inflammation that I have in my body to fight, so I am not expecting overnight results. I'm hoping to put a stop to the fall out, but it is difficult. Now that the injection sites have hair growing, I know my hair can grow back. I just need to halt the inflammation.

Found more growth, but brushed a lot out

So, I examined the back of my head in the mirror and found some more new growth. Not as much as I'd hoped, but it is encouraging. It was discouraging to brush out as much as I did this morning and see more patches. However, I think when the inflammation settles down, then I will start seeing more hair come back. The Chinese herbs said to expect hair regrowth after six bottles. I have been through four and a half on double the recommended daily dose because the bottle said for faster regrowth double it. I also set my sights realistically when I read that it was three months before the girl who got regrowth from aloe vera stopped losing her hair and it started growing back. I think I'm around two and a half months right now, so there is hope. Plus the injections worked. I can feel the hair there now. It seems to be starting to regrow around the base of my neck where I lost it first.

Up all night again and hair fell out again

I took the steroids yesterday morning. Same thing happened. I craved olives and ate an entire can. I thought my eating was going to be out of control and it was a little more than usual. Luckily, my family doesn't keep much junk food around. I was up half the night because the steroids give me insomnia. While I was disappointed in the amount of hair that I brushed out this morning, when I talked to my sister she told me the hairs can stay in your head for four days after they stop growing. I did not know that. Last night I felt my scalp and it felt cooler than it has in awhile. I don't know if it is the combination of the prednisone and the True Aloe capsules or my imagination. I switched to True Aloe capsules because I read that there was some valuable nutrients in the whole leaf. Now I have actually acquired a taste for the bitter juice and drink it straight. I'll finish up the bottle of juice and use the capsules for the next month.

Steroids again

Since the cortisone injections did work, I'm going to finish up the pills that were prescribed to me. I took two this morning. This time, I noticed the food cravings right away. I may gain weight. That is one of the side effects. I know there is inflammation though because my scalp feels warm to the touch and sometimes looks a little red. As long as I can get the inflammation down, I know that the hair will grow back.

Losing and growing at the same time

The injections worked! When I pulled at the areas of my scalp that are discolored, I realized that I was pulling hair this morning. They aren't discolorations from the steroids. It is my actual hair. Unfortunately, they can't give me injections over my entire scalp. Now, I have more bald areas than growing areas. I'm still losing hair everyday from my scalp though, so it is weird that there are three places where it is growing. On the body hair front, I'm noticing that my leg hair is coming back and my arm hair is filling in where there was a bald spot. It will still be a long time before things return to normal. That is if they return to normal.

Lots was brushed out this morning

I avoid looking at the clumps of hair as much as I can. I think that helps in some way. I also keep looking at the patch of skin on my arm that was bald a month ago and convince myself that if that grew back, eventually my scalp hair will too. Unfortunately, not soon enough for my California trip, but it might start growing back by then. Who knows. I've read from the alopecia website about people who took the injections and they worked. They swear up and down by them and don't realize that they won't work for other people.

Still falling out

I brushed a ton of hair out today. I asked my mother if she wanted to see my scalp. She appreciates not seein the falling out phase. I guess it is a little psychologcally hard on her too. She is okay with my sister's bald head, but the falling ot phase was difficult. I'm still taking he aloe vera and the herbs.

No real changes

My hair is still falling out at a rapid rate. Still taking the aloe vera and chinese herb, He Shou Wu. It seems a patch on my arm fell out and grew back in, but it is difficult to say for sure. My leg hair seems to be growing back. I'm not losing pubic hair anymore. So, although my scalp hair is still being lost, it appears the loss of body hair has slowed or halted for now.
I'm wearing he ugly wig today. Nothing exciting is happening.

Wearing my cute wig today

I have a cute wig that I save for special occasions. Why? Because wigs wear out. I have another that I wear daily. They discontinued the wig that looks best on me at Paula Young, so I save it for special occasions. I'm wearing it today though. I need a morale boost. It is closer to my natural color.
Still taking the aloe vera and Chinese herbs. Holding out hope for the next few months.

One spot filling in another appearing

While I can't credit the Chinese herbs with any real amount of hair regrowth just yet, I do notice that while one bald spot is appearing on my right arm. The one that I noticed on my left arm appears to be filling in. I am still losing hundreds of scalp hairs per day. I wash my hair with aloe vera shampoo and conditioner and try to remember to put the gel on my bald patches. However it gets discouraging because I don't know whether it is working or not. The Hairvive bottles say that you need to use the Chinese herb, He Shou Wu, for three months before expecting hair regrowth. It has really only been about a month and a half, so to expect scalp hair regrowth may be a little premature.

No slowing down on the fallout

If anything, it seems like more is coming out each time I brush because there is an increase in the diameter of the bald spots. I guess I'm down to about 10% of my scalp hair. I still imagine that my body hair is coming back, but it is difficult to tell. I never really had dark leg hair, so the bald patches are difficult to see. Today the legs seem bare. I haven't been losing pubic hair as much as I once was. I just noticed that when I used to take baths, it would come out. I'm back to showers and not noticing it anymore. If the hair loss keeps up at this rate, I should be bald in two weeks time. I just don't want to lose my eyebrows and lashes. I'm not ready for that yet.

Last Day of Swimming Classes

All went well. I wore a full wig. But it is my comfortable, ugly one. Not the cute one that I wear in public and to church. I don't want that to get chlorine in it. I didn't teach all the skills well because, well, I was wearing a wig. However, I'm not returning for fall. I am taking some time off to adjust to the hair loss. Plus, that frees up my Saturdays! I saw the lady with alopecia in the water aerobics class again. She has lost more hair than myself. She just had bangs and some strands left.
Every now and then I think my body hair is returning, but today I'm not so sure. It is easy to imagine something that you desire to happen.
I decided to try an aloe vera capsule when I finish with the liquid form this month. The claim is that it is stronger and more powerful. But, it probably isn't. I just feel like the results from the liquid aren't visible yet, so might as well try the capsule.

Autoimmune diseases

I have Hasimoto's thyroiditis along with the alopecia. Last year, my thyroid medication was increased. After months of taking coconut oil to help with my eczema, I went in to see my endocrinologist. My skin was dry and red. I was convinced I needed to increase my throid medication. Turns out, it was too high. I tested hyperthyroid. They lowered the dosage and after a few weeks everything went back to normal. I have been taking aloe vera for almost two months and now I'm noticing that my skin is dry again. It would be great to find out that the aloe vera is assisting my body in producing thyroid again. A book I read said that it aloe vera is supposed to help with autoimmune diseases. Alopecia is an autoimmune disease. I'm not due to see the endocrinologist for a couple months yet, so I have to wait on that. I'm still losing hair, but I don't expect that to stop right away.

Still losing it

I proabably have about 10% of my scalp hair left. I was really lucky that the hair on the crown of my head chose to leave last. I started losing it from the base of my neck up. I could probably go out with a creative comb-over and tons of hairspray to keep it in place and no one would notice. However, it is less worrisome with a wig.
I did notice that I had leg hair the other day and had to shave it. I thought I had lost all my leg hair, so I'm not sure if I was just imagining that I lost all of it or if the Chinese herbs are helping me grow back the leg hair. I just want to stop losing the scalp hair. Actually, I'd prefer to lose the leg hair and keep the scalp hair.

Nothing new...still losing hair

I'm still losing hair. Nothing exciting. I brushed out a lot this morning, put on my wig and forgot about it. I'm considering trying whole leaf aloe capsules because the advertisement claims that it is SO much better than just the inner gel which is in the juice that I drink. I'm pretty skeptical. I'm holding out hope for the Chinese herbs, but even that seems unlikely. I'm glad that I purchased a 3 month supply at once, so that even if I lose hope, I still will take it for the recommended amount of time. It isn't causing me to lose sleep or giving me acne. Why shouldn't I at least try. What do I have to lose? My hair? It is already going!

Wigs

I have two full wigs now. My mother ordered me a whisperlite wig from Paula Young. I was not excited about the style, but she really wanted me to have a whisperlite wig. You can spend a lot of money on your wig and have it fitted to your own head and cut perfectly or you can just pick one out of a catalog and live with it. I am the type of person who prefers to do the latter. My sister enjoys the former. Different strokes for different folks. While I love the look of the Paula Young comfort wig, it is slightly less comfortable. It is also discontinued, so I wear the whisperlite one when I'm not going anywhere special. I'm saving the cute, short bob for special occasions. The whisperlite will be worn to the pool as now there is a bald patch that would be visible with the volumizer.

Only eight hours

I realized why it seems like I brush out less hair in the morning. Because there is less. It has only been eight hours since I brushed out a ton. When I go to bed at night, there has been twice as much time. Two times the amount of hair follicles have been attacked. It makes sense to me now. I don't know why it didn't occur to me before.
My nails are mangled. I showed my sister today and she said they were worse than hers. She hasn't grown her hair back in five years and is alopecia universalis. I don't mind the wigs so much, but I want to keep my eyelashes and eyebrows. Perhaps that is just selfish of me.

Less Hair Fall this Morning

It seemed like less hair fall this morning. It actually almost seemed like a normal amount. Then I remembered last night how much I brushed out. Yesterday I read another alopecia blog. Someone started growing all their hair back after reading an ebook about reversing women's alopecia. It was $49. I didn't feel inclined to spend that at the time. I also suspected that she posted an incorrect picture. In October 2008, she claims to have started growing her hair back. She had shoulder length hair in July 2009. Hair only grows about 1/2 inch a month. It would only have been chin length at most.

Splitting nails

I'm so upset. My nails are weak and splitting. I know it is related to the alopecia. I hate it. It is the painful part of this disease. The hair fallout is just annoying, but when your nails split, the protection that was once there is now gone. Right now only the index finger of my right hand doesn't have any cracks on it. I'm grateful because I use that one the most. The other ones I put hardener on so that there is some protection.

Hot and Red

I've gotten in the habit of looking at my scalp and have noticed that sometimes it feels hot and sometimes there are areas that look red. From my anatomy and physiology classes in college, that indicates to me that there is inflammation. But it isn't going away as nicely as I'd hoped. I got so many compliments on my wig last night at dinner. I just told them straight out it was a wig. Everyone was amazed. But, this gives me the freedom to switch up to a longer wig the next time I go out. The conversation was quickly dropped. I was a little taken aback that no one seemed to care that I was losing my hair. I was relieved too. Church brought more compliments on my "sassy new do." I just wish people wouldn't notice. Maybe I should have bought a better wig.

Ran out of the herbs

I took the He Shou Wu this morning. I only had two pills left. I should receive a shipment today. I was depressed by how much was missing this morning that I took some prednisone. It didn't help, but I don't have any more Chinese herbs to use. I drank the aloe vera. It is difficult because now I have bald spots on the top of my head. I will probably be completely bald within two weeks. That is disappointing because I still have three more Saturdays to teach class at the pool. Wearing a wig to the pool is pathetic. Even wearing the volumizer seems stupid. I don't mind my wig so much, but I'll miss my eyebrows if they go away. Hopefully the Chinese herbs will have built up enough in my system that it will end the inflammation and encourage new growth. Hopefully.

More spots...can I keep hope alive?

I like having hair. I've had it for 33 years. Mine is falling out daily, but I'm taking measures to correct my body's rejection of the hair. However, it is easy to lose hope when more bald patches show up daily. This morning I noticed that areas of my scalp were red. That indicates inflammation. Either the aloe vera isn't calming the inflammation or it just isn't calming it enough yet. At any rate, I can see how easy it is to get discouraged. I still have 2 more months before I should even start seeing results from the Chinese herbs. That seems like forever IF they work for me. I think the website said there was a 60% chance of regrowth. That is pretty high, but with my luck I could easily be in the 40% that does not regrow their hair.

More fell out

I'm not expecting the natural cures to work immediately. But it would be nice if less and less started falling out. I'm drinking an increasing amount of aloe vera. I just keep reminding myself that my exzema didn't go away the first time I ingested coconut oil or put it on my skin. Over time I noticed an improvement and it has been clear for over a year. It is still discouraging to have to deal with hair falling in my food and clogging my drain.
I got another compliment on my "hair." Someone I never met in my neighborhood told me my hair looked nice. I'm grateful for cheap, good looking wigs from Paula Young.

So many compliments on the wig

My mother told my aunt about my hair loss. She relayed this story to me. My aunt would rave about this one woman's hair until she told her, "Stop. I've lost my hair. I wear a wig." What did my aunt do? Went out and bought a wig! She wears them on occasion despite having her own hair. Well, I've noticed an increase in compliments while I wear my cute, short bob. It is definately frustrating because I don't want the wig. I don't like the compliments because I feel like I'm lying to people. At the same time, I don't like patchy bald spots and the wig is the easiest way to cover them up and move on with life.
The falling out phase of alopecia universalis is the worst. It is inconvenient. There is the uncertainty of whether you will lose it all and adjust to being bald or if it just temporary is frustrating.

Wishful thinking

Ok. I lost a lot of hair yesterday. It did not seem like less. I tend to make those comments like the condition is improving right before it seems to get worse. However, I'm not expecting results from the Chinese herbs and aloe vera for at least another month or two.

A little less

Yesterday there seemed like a little less hair loss. I'm not counting hairs. That would take too long and be too much of a painful reminder. When I brushed through my hair yesterday, it just seemed like less came out. However, that could be my wishful thinking or the general progression of the disease. I really have no idea. Perhaps more body hair and less scalp hair fell out yesterday. This morning, it seemed like fewer hairs were coming out in the brush. However, I had just put aloe vera on the bald spots and it could be that the hairs that needed to be removed were sticking to the aloe gel.
I get to teach swimming again today. I will do the same thing as last week. Put on the volumizer into a pony tail. I just hope that the front hairs hold on long enough to allow me to clip the volumizer in for the next four weeks. I'm getting a spot near the front of my scalp and it could easily fall out before then.

Acne is still there

I made the decision to discontinue prednisone without my doctor. I was tapering off the drug and getting acne. There was no slowing in the hair fall out. Yesterday, I didn't take the prednisone and I suppose there was more hair fall out, however, it is difficult to tell. I have a greater area that is being affected now and more spots that are bare now.
I have found a way to enjoy my showers more. I brush out my hair before going into the shower. By removing most of what has fallen out before going in, I reduce the amount of hairs that clog the drain. There are still a lot of hairs that come out in the shower, but it is more manageable if I brush first.
Still using the aloe vera shampoo and still no have hair falling out. I like natural alternatives, so I will continue doing that for a few months. The odd thing about this disease is that for some people it just goes into remission, making it difficult to tell if the treatment worked or if the disease was going into remission anyway.

Nothing new

I wish I had more to say. Still losing tons of hair. I'd say I'm down to about 40% of my scalp hair now. What is interesting is that in the bare areas, there are some strands holding on. I don't know how or why. The fingernails are still mangled and I'm coating them with hardener so that they don't split and hurt. I'm still doing the aloe vera juice and shampoo along with the He Shou Wu hair growth complex. Not anticipating results for at least another two months. Although it would be nice if my hair fall out slowed down. At least my wig looks nice. At least I don't have to go to work everyday. I'm trying online methods for generating income. Affiliate programs. Nothing too difficult or exciting.

Didn't take Prednisone this morning

The prednisone is not effective. I'm losing more hair than before and it is giving me acne on my face now. I did not take the dose this morning. I could handle acne on my back, but I'm 33. I should not be breaking out with zits. I'm continuing with the aloe vera and He Shou Wu treatment though. I found a website that detailed some success stories with He Shou Wu that made me more confident in it. Although, I doubt I'll see results for two more months. I'm disappointed that the aloe vera hasn't seemed to help, but I keep reminding myself that natural treatments take longer.
My nails look bad this morning. I was ever so hopeful that something was improving. Oh well.

Prednisone isn't stopping it

More bald spots were apparent this morning. I'm not holding much hope out for the prednisone to control it. Interestingly enough, there are some strands of hair that have stayed in place where I received the steroid shots, but I don't know if it is enough to justify getting more shots because more is falling out. It is a game of cat and mouse. You can keep injecting cortizone, but other areas will go bald. I do still have some hope in the the herbal remedies. They aren't suppose to work immediately. I did use coconut oil to get rid of my eczema and angular chelitis. However, it wasn't immediate. In fact, I had to get a prescription for the angular chelitis, but I didn't have reoccurance and I haven't had an eczema outbreak in over a year. So, while it may take 3 months for the Traditional Chinese Herbs to work, I'm going to give them a try.

Disappointment and Relief

I got fired from my job on Friday. I didn't love it. The mistake that was made was not entirely my fault, but I received the full blown punishment in the form of a termination for it. But, I am relieved that I don't have to go there again. I have a wig that is comfortable and no one needs to know that I am getting more bald patches on my scalp. It completely matches my hair color and sometimes I let the tufts of hair that I currently have hang out. I don't think that I'll do a lot of different color wigs, maybe different styles, but I'm most likely to stay in the same color that my hair naturally grew. I don't know why. I don't deal well with change.

New wig on a first date

I wore the new wig on my date tonight. Looked super cute going out. However it was the Paula Young comfort wig, which says the liner is supposed to stick to your scalp. My scalp isn't bare. When I got home, my wig had shifted around and looked a mess. Oh well. It was more comfortable than the hairband headpiece. I can't stand hairbands. My date told me we should go out again so he either didn't notice or didn't care.

Brushed a ton out this morning

My sister asked me the other day after I told her I'd lost about half of my hair when I was going to buzz my head. She made the comment because she buzzed her head after losing about that much. The difference is that I have to lift up chunks of hair to see the bald patches, whereas during her loss they stared her in the face. I can still look in my mirror and smile without seeing the bald patches. I know exactly where they are, but as annoying as it is to lose the hair daily I'm going to keep what I have as long as I can. With my headband attachment, most people can't tell that half most of what they see isn't my own hair. I can see the subtle color difference immediatelly and know that it doesn't match.
After declaring that my nails were better, I noticed a crack on my third fingernail in my left hand. Oh well. Natural treatments will take awhile to work. I'm not holding out hope for the prednisone even though I'm taking it. It has been nice not having to shave my legs, so I can't complain too loudly about the hair loss.

More Dates

The irony is that while I've been losing my hair, I've had an increase in dating opportunities. Unfortunately, my self esteem is down a little and I'm discouraged. But my latest opportunity came by sending the wrong guy a message on facebook. While we have mutual friends, I'm not really sure I know this guy. It is pretty much a blind date. But one that I'm excited about after talking to him on the phone. I mean, we both think blind dates are low stress and fun because there is no pressure.

Removing handfuls of hair

Well, the good news is that after a couple weeks of drinking aloe vera my nails seem to be in better shape. They were brittle and splitting at the onset of the disease. But on inspection of my right nails, I didn't notice many divets and they felt stronger. My left nails seem to be holding up, but they still have a hardener on them. I'm encouraged by this because my sister said her nails were very pitted during her hair loss phase. I don't know if they are now that she has lost all her hair. She never tried aloe vera and prednisone.
The hair fallout is pretty bad at this point. All I have to do is gently pull my fingers through my hair and remove 20-30 hairs at a time. I'm not pulling the hair, just removing what is already loose.

He Shou Wu

I started on the chinese herb He Shou Wu on Friday. I'm really happy that they claim it takes three months to work. It is too easy to get upset when you don't see immediate results. It isn't a terribly expensive herb and there are vitamins in herbs, so I don't see too much harm. Whereas, the prednisone caused insomnia and acne and didn't stop the hair fall out. It seemed like I had a ton of it this morning.
I told my best friend last night that the hair she complimented me on was not real and admitted that I was losing it. She is going to medical school and encouraged the alternative of aloe vera because of its anti-inflammatory properties.

Swimming Today

I get to teach swimming today. I will wear my long volumizer in a pony tail. It will look awful for five hours and then I will go home and collapse. Only five more weeks until the session is over. Hopefully I'll keep the patch of front hair that long so I can clip in my volumizer.
The prednisone has given me a case of back acne. Either that or the synthetic wig irritated the skin on my back. More likely it was the prednisone. The new wig is short and does not extend to my shoulder blades. It looks awful, but I doubt the kids at the pool will take much notice. They will be more excited to be swimming.

The hair loss seems worse

The hair loss while I have been taking prednisone seems worse. I wonder if it is just the course of the disease, if the prednisone is not taking effect, whether I would be worse off without the prednisone or if by chance the prednisone is causing more to fall out as an adverse reaction. It is insanely annoying.
On another note, I ordered He Shou Wu, the traditional chinese herb used to treat hair loss. I like acupuncture and if I had an accupuncturist I trusted, I would go see one. I contacted one at the start of my hair loss who didn't sound confident in treating hair loss with acupuncture. She was a little pricey, so I didn't bother to go see her.

wigs in jeeps

Wigs don't do so well in jeeps. I went on a date last night and the hair blew all around. It is a synthetic wig, so it hurt when the strands got in my eyes. I had to hold my hair in place, which was not so fun. The date turned out poorly. I never told him that I wear a wig, so I don't know if he suspects it or not.
Tons of hair fell out yesterday, so I doubt the prednisone is working. I saw a website saying that there is only a 50 percent chance that it will, so I'm not surprised. There are a lot of things out there to try and if I lose my hair, I'll adjust. It is just the whole falling out stage that stinks.

Negative Comment

Many men love long hair on women. A man at work yesterday criticized my "haircut." He said my hair looked good long. Well, it was just a volumizer and it is easier to wear a shorter wig. I had cut my hair, so when he asked if I cut it, I didn't bother mentioning that I was also wearing a hair piece. He told me I had a Brady Bunch look now. I'm considering telling him not to comment on my hair again because I'm going bald and I don't really like the piece either, but I don't know what purpose that would serve. Just to cut down on embarrassment. People don't want to hear about your problems.

Discontinuing the onion juice

Okay, after putting the onion juice on my scalp and letting it get near the edges of the bald spots, I thought the inflammation is cooling. Not so bad. However tons of hair came out. It seemed like more than usual. It probably didn't have much to do with the onion juice at all, but I'm going to hold off on trying that alternative therapy again. I'm sticking with the aloe vera shampoo and 2 oz of juice and the prednisone. I don't feel the prednisone is working, but it was cheap and covered by insurance. I get to taper down the drug this week, so hopefully sleep will become more frequent.

Onion juice

I read a couple websites claiming that onion juice was an alternative treatment. I don't really believe it, but I don't have much to lose besides a few old onions that are doing nothing but sitting in my refridgerator. I blended them together and smeared the concoction on my head. My eyes watered like there was no tomorrow. I should have anticipated this. It isn't like I've never cut onions before. I don't think the prednisone is having much effect besides depriving me of sleep. If the aloe vera does work, it won't be for a couple months. So, I'm supplementing the alternatives where and whenever I can. I won't be going sunbathing again until the current burn heals if I do try that again. Too painful!

Up Early again

Well, maybe taking the prednisone in the morning doesn't make a difference. It is 3 am and I'm awake again. My hair is still falling out, so whatever the prednisone is doing isn't working or wasn't able to stop the damage that had happened prior to Thursday. I'll try again for some sleep.

More hair fell out...so...

I don't think the prednisone has taken effect yet. More hair came out in the shower and during the day today. I slept later this morning, so it was definately worth it to take the prednisone in the morning as opposed to before bed. Hopefully I will sleep soundly tonight.
Still taking the aloe vera, but I don't know if that is doing anything for me. Sunburn, who knows if that really works. I figure I'll be wearing a wig for at least a year. It will probably take that long for me to psychologically accept it. My wigs look a lot like my natural color. Everyone tells me how cute my hair is when I wear them. I've never had so many compliments on my hair as I get when I wear a wig. Well, it is my hair. I paid for it!

Ouch!

I read somewhere online that a sunburn acts kind of like a contact irritation and impairs the autoimmune response. So, since yesterday was sunny and I had time, I took a book outside and read next to the pool. It was a little chilly to be sunbathing, so of course I couldn't feel the effects immediately. I'm not in the habit of laying out a lot, so I wasn't terribly concerned about skin cancer, though I probably should have been.
The prednisone must still be in my system even though I didn't take the dosage at last night. I looked at the doctor's orders and it does say take in the morning. I still woke up super early this morning. Oh well. I should be okay. I taper down from the prednisone after 1 week. The insomnia shouldn't last forever.

Wrong side effects

I read that prednisone could make you drowsy and gain weight. I am awake. It is 3:45 am. I should be asleep. I don't even have to work today. Yesterday I woke up around 3 am too. I was able to doze off a little between four and five, but then I was awake again. I didn't have dinner last night. I had a bunch of cherries and lost my appetite. I don't know if it was the new medication or if I just have anxiety about being on a new drug. It could be because I got asked out by a bald guy I barely know. I'm not anxious about him being bald, but he probably doesn't know I wear a hairpiece. He shaves his head. Being male and bald is a little more common than being female and bald.

Woohoo!

No seizure this morning, so it isn't impacting the effectiveness of my seizure medications. I don't know that it is working just yet. I pulled a clump of hair out a few hours after taking it, but that hair may have been destined to fall out anyway because the drugs hadn't started taking effect. I'm still skeptical about whether it will work. Nothing worked for my sister, but she couldn't take the oral steroids due to diabetes. She didn't try aloe vera, but now she is comfortable without hair and has 2 toddlers to worry about.

Prednisone

I was prescribed prednisone for the alopecia. I know that a lot of people are wary of using this steroid, but I have taken it before for asthma and know how my body reacts to it. I asked if it would interfere with the seizure medications and my dermatologist said no. However, if you read websites, some report that it might interact with the seizure medication. I can't imagine that it would be worse than my bout of double vision and vertigo that I was having on my last seizure medication. I took the pill about half an hour ago. I still feel fine. No results to report so far.

Shorter hair falls out more easily

Well, now that my hair is chin length, I don't notice myself pulling the hairs out. They fall out easier because they don't get tangled amidst the other hair. It kind of minimizes the trauma of seeing all my hair in the drain. Because the hairs are smaller, they are kind of less noticable.
Everyone told me that my short hair looked nice yesterday. Unfortunately one woman that I confided in about wearing a wig asked in front of the class if it was a wig. Then she says, "oops." Yeah, thanks a lot. By chosing the same color and texture wig, I was able to hide the fact for awhile. But, the co-worker that overheard is African American and tons of African American people add extensions and don't think twice about it.
I see the dermatologist tomorrow. While the list of side effects for oral steroids is bad, I've seen double and had vertigo from seizure meds. I don't know if it can really get much worse. I think I'd be willing to take them for a little while anyway.

Washing my hair

I hate washing my hair and brushing my hair now. It is easy enough to forget that you are losing your hair when you put on a hairpiece that matches your natural color and texture so your appearance hasn't been altered too much. But when you wash your hair and clumps come out, there is the reminder.
My legs are nice and smooth now. I haven't shaved in over a week. A couple stray hairs growing long though. Not enough to notice. I'm going to keep them there to show the dermatologist on Wednesday to prove to her that it is universalis. She didn't even check five weeks ago when she gave me the injections.
While I thought I saw tiny hairs growing in the bald patch on my arm, it could have been that they just hadn't fallen out yet.
I read about how a sunburn will destroy some of the T cells and halt the progression of alopecia. Yesterday I decided that I would try to get some sun. Unfortunately, it was overcast. Any UV rays I received outside weren't enough to give me a burn. Maybe I'll try again after work if there is sun.

Coconut Oil Cures

Coconut Oil Cures

Haircut

After I woke up this morning, I decided enough with the long hair. The headband hair attachment is easier to put on. It matches my hair better. I took some scissors and did a rough cut to chin length. Now my hair fits easily under my headband hairpiece. If I still want to use the volumizer, I can just pull the shorter lengths of hair through. It will be a layered look. Maybe. Even if all my hair started growing in today, I would be wearing a hairpiece for awhile because of the bald spot on the top. The patches around the base of my neck are easy enough to hide, but not the growing bald spot on the top.

Amazing!

I just noticed that this blog has had 101 impressions. I don't know why people are interested in hair falling out or the emotional impact that it has on someone.
I taught swimming today in my volumizer. It looks absolutely awful with a loose ponytail. But, the good thing is that everyone's hair looks awful when they are in the water and no one has commented on it.
I don't demonstrate as much as I should partly because of the wig. I usually have a student who is doing the skill correctly demonstrate and I tell the other kids why it is right. This is actually a safer way to teach because I can visually see what the students are doing all the time. If I demonstrate, then they could be dunking each other or horsing around.
The aloe vera isn't working for me, but I'm going to continue taking it just in case it helps my immune system in other ways or it takes awhile to help your boday. After all, it is a natural therapy. I'm going to the dermatologist on Wednesday.

More fell out

A lot of hair is falling out. I can't stop it. The aloe vera might be repairing my immune system. The person I read about had her hair fall out for three months before it stopped and grew all back in. Does that mean it was the aloe vera? Hmm...it might not have been.
I got a new hairpiece. It is a short bob with a headband. Not a full wig, just an attachment. But you see less of my natural hair. It looks better than my natural hair though. I just can't see myself wearing a headband everyday.

Not so bad

The EEG wasn't so bad. I didn't pull my own hair through the volumizer, so it bunched and got into a big tangle and when I took the wig off the technician complained that I didn't brush my hair. She had to tug at the knot, which I'm sure made more hair fall out, but it I was not too self conscious. I told her what alopecia was and that I was being treated for it. I didn't tell her the treatment wasn't working or go into detail about the alternatives I was trying. She was nice about it. Luckily it was over in an hour. I put the wig back on and left.

An EEG today

Today I have an electroencephlogram. This is a test that neurologists order to look at your brainwaves. Why am I including it in a blog about alopecia? Because they glue the electrodes to your head. The glue does not stick well to your scalp. It sticks to the hair. This should be interesting as mine is falling out. It is a test that I dread and it takes place during a most inconvenient time during my life as I only have 50-60% of the normal amount of hair. A couple bald patches here and there. While I dread washing my hair because of how much falls out, this is going to take the cake. To get the glue out, I usually tugged on my hair and picked at my scalp. Lucky for me, I have a wig to wear. Only the technician needs to know I have bald patches.

splitting nails

My fingernails are splitting and it is driving me crazy. My sister told me that when she went through the hairloss phase of her alopecia universalis, her nails looked like someone took a hammer to them. Mine are vastly different. They have become brittle and have vertical ridging. Supposedly the biotin that I've been taking is helping, but somehow I doubt it. It is very painful because the nail hardener isn't helping anymore.

Swimming with a wig

After reviewing my schedule, I realized that I did not really need to swim to teach. I have 2 swimming pee wees, 1 competitive pee wee, a level 3 and a level 5 class. While it is ideal for me to demonstrate, it is not imperative. I have a few more proficient swimmers in my upper level classes that I have demonstrate the skills. The other students watch and I tell them what the demonstrator is doing correctly. In reality this is better because I can't tell if they are paying attention when I demonstrate, but I can if I have someone who is doing it correctly demonstrate for the rest of the class. It give the swimmers doing it correctly a sense of accomplishment and pride.
I do have to be in the water for swimming pee wees. Each time the water splashed on my wig, I wondered how bad it looked. It isn't a big deal. No one looks great with wet hair. My volumizer was pulled into a loose ponytail. While it looked messy and I could tell the color differences between my normal hair and the volumizer, I doubt anyone else could.
The irony? I saw a woman who was taking water areobics with alopecia. She was almost entirely bald, but she was older and must have come to terms with the hair loss. Maybe she had chemo. It didn't look like the clearly defined bald patches I have. However, I try not to look at the bald patches at all.

Tiny hairs

I'm still losing hair from my scalp. More than I want to admit. But the quarter sized bald patch that I have on my wrist that I noticed the day after my cortizone injections to my scalp (3 weeks ago) has tiny hairs on it. I have been drinking 2 ounces of aloe vera juice 2 times per day and rubbing aloe vera gel onto my skin. I don't know if it will all grow back or not.

Emailed for Info

My sister went through the loss of her hair about five years ago. She really wanted to participate in a study to help further the research being done on alopecia. Yesterday, I sent an email to ask for more information. The email address was alopeciaregistry@mdanderson.org. I don't know if they'll contact me and ask for my DNA to study. It does seem linked to autoimmune diseases. Both my sister and I have one. She has diabetes and I have hypothyroidism. Before I started using coconut oil, I suffered intensely from allergies too. My immune system is definately overactive.

Not the Wig!

One woman that I work with walked behind me and playfully swatted at my hair right before her smoke break. I was a little unnerved. The Paula Young volumizer that I bought matches my hair color pretty well. In fact, I've received more compliments on my hair since I've started losing it and wearing a volumizer than before. The volumizer fools people because you pull your own hair through open wefts. Your hair color naturally blends with the wig because in a head of hair there are many shades. My volumizer is slightly darker than my natural color, so it just looks like I have fewer highlights than before. I am looking forward to getting my next Paula Young hairpiece. It will be a headband with a classic bob and attached bangs. It is a hairstyle that I wore for years, so it suits my personality a little more than the volumizer.

How I Deal With Loss

You may be wondering why I don't have photos of my bald spots. Keeping reminders around and obsessing over what I don't like isn't how I do things. Alopecia isn't my only medical condition. I've had juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and hypothyroidism for 20 years. I tend to find a hobby and put my creative energies into that. Even though I had epilepsy, during my teenage years I swam competitively. I continued swimming despite having two seizures in the pool. My coach just had to pull me out.
While blogging about my experiences may seem like it is focusing on the issue, it is also part of another hobby. I am trying out internet marketing. That is why you see the sidebar with ads for hair removal or aloe vera. You can read about my experiment with online moneymaking at internetmarketingexperiences.blogspot.com. I am not good with technology, but I like to write. And blogging fuels my creative juices and gives me something to do in my spare time.

Aloe Vera

My biggest hope right now is that aloe vera is truly a miracle plant that will reverse the autoimmune disease. Click Here! to download an ebook about the miracles of aloe vera. I have been using it for about two weeks now. While it hasn't done much in terms of stopping the hair loss, I am going to be patient. It took a long time for my hair to grow. Even if it arrested the inflammation, I doubt it could stimulate growth within a week.
I hold high regard for natural cures. Last year, I read about the miracle of coconut oil in the grocery store. I bought some in hopes of clearing up a case of angular chelitis. It did not immediately go away. In fact, I ended up seeing a doctor for medication. However, in the past I had frequent out breaks of cracks in the corners of my mouth and eczema on my hands. I ingested coconut oil daily and you know I haven't had an outbreak since.

Short video

Me with my hair volumizer from Paula Young wigs. My nephews are sitting on my lap.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX7zCay_OfE

More and More Comes Out

I have been losing my hair for about the last month. I thought I would blog about my experiences with alopecia. I knew that this was likely to happen one day because my sister all her hair five years ago. It was pretty traumatic for her at age 20. I'm 33. I don't have a problem wearing a wig. In fact, my hair has never looked better than it has since I've started losing it.
My first instinct was to go online and research what might help. I found a website for a shampoo that was supposed to improve my immune system. Sounds great until you realize that it is an overactive immune system causing the loss. I quickly ordered the shampoo from Thymuskin. Maybe it is working, maybe not. My hair is falling out and I've been using it for a month.
I had a dermatologist give me cortizone shots in the few areas that didn't have hair. However, more bald patches have since appeared all over my body so I'm not holding out hope for the cortizone. After reading that aloe vera has healing properties, I bought a bottle and some aloe vera juice to drink. I've been doing that for a week, but it hasn't made any difference. It still comes out.
I'll try to post pictures, but I'm not very tech savvy. I don't own a digital camera but I do have a camera phone. I will need to buy the cord to download the photos. Stay tuned.