What do Gail Porter, model Anna Fitzpatrick and ME have in common?

Alopecia. Yes yes. Today's post is alllll about that. And how my hair is growing back. And for those who have it. ;)

I think there are a lot of people out there who has alopecia and is has no idea what is good for them, like me, a month ago, depressed, counting how many strands of precious hair you lose one day. Although mine isn't THAT bad, and my hair is still enough to cover up the 8 bald patches that they initially found on my head, I was still thinking about what I was going to do IF all my hair really fell out.

Alopecia areata is-according to the western doctors, an autoimmune disease where the white blood cells attacks the body's own hair follicles. After the attack, your hair may go into a resting phase and start dropping off. It starts from a small round patch somewhere on your scalp and may grow bigger. You may have a few patches after that, or it may stop in that spot and it'll go away by itself. It may occur anywhere in the body but the most obvious part is on your head. Some say emotional stress or anxiety triggered it. But I doubt it. According to western doctors, it is not contagious. It is not a terminal disease. It just makes people get more depressed or have social phobia because they have a fear of interacting with people due to the disease.

In my case, the dermatologist used steroid injetion, topical corticosteroids and anxiety pills to treat me. I just went for my first injection 3 weeks ago and my next appointment is tomorrow. As for the corticosteroids, I apply it on my scalp everynight before I sleep. But accoring to Wikipedia, Initial stages may be kept from increasing by applying topical corticosteroids. However, topical corticosteroids frequently fail to enter the skin deeply enough to affect the hair bulbs, which are the treatment target. Anxiety pills? Lexotan? Hmm.. Half tablet before sleep during examinations. That is it.

Besides that, I went for ayurvedic treatment. According to the ayurvedic doctor though, he says alopecia is contagious. He says its a microscopic bacteria that lives on your head. I went to search about it and I can only conclude that its ringworm. Anyway, he gave me a small bottle of stinky oil and asked me to apply it and leave it for one hour before washing everything off. Yes, the smell is unbearable but I still do it everyday with a showercap on. No pain , no gain.

I'm doing both at once and I find it effective. Change around if you don't think the treatment suits you. If it works, stick to it. If it burns a hole in your pocket, search for alternatives. I think there are so many things that work for different people. I had bad experiences too, just don't give up that easily.

And for those people who can't cope with socializing and going bald, it's not your fault. Think of cancer. How do people who go through chemotherapy cope with their lives? Same thing goes here. I THINK THE COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES to have standards for beauty, to discriminate bald people, to stare, look or make fun of them. They don't want to be pitied. They just want to fit in. Be nice. I once read this blogpost "Conventional Beauty Standards be Damned". Well said. summarizes everything I have to say.

Like herrr :)

Anna Fitzpatrick who has Alopecia Universalis

Pretty, isn't she? ;)