Just so you know...

I am completely bald.  It has been rough.  I tried herbs, shampoos, and steroids.  Last week, I started acupuncture.  I was having awful rashes around my eyes.  The acupuncturist took one look at me and told me she could treat my baldness.  She had treated it before and she could get my hair to grow back if I do everything she told me.  I am suppose to rub ginger on my head three times a day.  Lately the ginger root has left my scalp itchy and when I scratched it with my jagged nails, it left scratch marks that look like a cats.  The scratches are scabbing up and now my scalp feels a little rough. 

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.