Well, I saw my derm on 5/5/10 & showed her my photos reflecting the recession I've experienced since 3/28/10, also showing her the thinning that has occured 1" past the hairline.  She agreed that it was time to prescribe something stronger than the cortico lotion I've been applying.  I then explained to her why I felt that possibly FINASTerRIDE may be beneficial to my scarring Alopecia & showed her the two clinical studies I had found on the internet. She was aware of one of the studies but not the other.  Both studies prescribed 5mg of Dutasteride taken daily along with 1% Pimecrolimus cream to be applied twice daily on the affected areas of the scalp. (Dutasteride is a stronger medication) Finasteride is mentioned in the report as being effective in some cases as well.  I think I  could start with Finasteride, if my alopecia is hormonal, I should see some results, that is my reasoning anyway.

My derm responded by explaining that outside the study I presented  not much research has been done on the subject treatment for women with FFA.  I explained that the study concluded that some females with FFA appear to have a hormonal link to this hairloss that is officially an autoimmune issue & that said treatment was successfull in 6 out of the 13 females studied.  I further explained that although my hormones are with-in "normal range"  & I am not in menapause,  I have experiened some physical changes that are indicative of hormone shifts with-in the last two years, this shift may have been enough to set off my Alopecia, further advising her that  I had two physical occurences in the last two years which my OBGYN concluded were due to a fluctuation in my hormones, thereby hormones are for a fact affecting my body.

The only way to confirm or discount if it there is a hormonal link to my Alopecia is to try the treatment.  I advised my derm that pregnancy was not an issue, she was concerned about that, but, I put that to rest.

She gave me injections at the hairline & another row of shots 1" past the hairline where hair has thinned out.  She honored my request to try the subject treatment &  prescribed it for the next 3 months (5 mg Finasteride daily & Elidel cream applied twice daily to scalp), adding that if during this treatment phase the hairloss does'nt slow down or cease she will take me off  of it immeadiatly & put me on Plaquenil (experimental)  which is what is currently being prescribed for my scarring alopecia (FFA).

I can not go on without testing the Finasteride first, knowing that some women in the study came to a full arrest of the disease. If my hairloss progresses the way FFA does, I don't want to look back & wonder "what if i would have tried that treatment"?

So there it is, it has been about a week now since I started my new line of treatment & of course it's too soon to tell if effective, according the the study, doctors saw effectiveness after the first month & 6 months for the big possitive changes.

Maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones, we will see.  I'm realistic about it, I know, we all go through pretty much the same journey of looking for that thing that will stop our hairloss.  I have to say my derm is turning out to be super receptive, attentive & caring, I intend on taking her along with me on this ride. My next appointment is 6/2/10

Wish me luck!!