My 17 year old beautiful daughter was just diagnosed with alopecia areata. Her hair dresser found a bare spot about the size of a quarter on the left occipital side of her head, about 5 weeks ago. Since then it has increased to about a half dollar size. She went to her dermatologist, who did "intra-lesional" steroid injections and put her on a 2 week prednisone taper. We were putting minoxidil and steroid cream on it, but my daughter no longer wants to because she fears that if she stops using them, then her hair will fall out again. She doesn't want to be dependent on any long term medication. We go back to the dermatologist on December 20 for more injection therapy.
Yesterday I found a new bare spot, about the size of a dime. It is very close, about an inch from the first spot.
We were able to get an appointment for her in mid-February to see Dr. McMichael, head of the Hair Loss Clinic at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, but I am not too optimistic that there will be a lot offered that I haven't already learned by googling AA.
I guess we just need to be patient. Are photos good or bad? They might capture how bad it was, and serve as a baseline that she can compare progress with? I don't want her to feel like a freak either. Right now she can conceal the bare spots, but if she loses much more hair it might be tough.
Any advice or words of encouragement would be so helpful. Carol's pictures and time line was so very helpful. Thank you. Any update on Carol?
raney1
Yesterday I found a new bare spot, about the size of a dime. It is very close, about an inch from the first spot.
We were able to get an appointment for her in mid-February to see Dr. McMichael, head of the Hair Loss Clinic at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, but I am not too optimistic that there will be a lot offered that I haven't already learned by googling AA.
I guess we just need to be patient. Are photos good or bad? They might capture how bad it was, and serve as a baseline that she can compare progress with? I don't want her to feel like a freak either. Right now she can conceal the bare spots, but if she loses much more hair it might be tough.
Any advice or words of encouragement would be so helpful. Carol's pictures and time line was so very helpful. Thank you. Any update on Carol?
raney1