Different experiences

www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald -- My Twitter: @baldguyproblemz 

Hi, it's the 1st of the month so here is my blog... If you haven't read it already, my story can be found here: http://prettybaldonline.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/real-life-male-alopecia-story-meet-ben.html 

I have already talked about my opinion of alopecia, and this time I wanted to talk about the different experiences people can have with their alopecia... Although I do think I have come to the conclusion that the experience is pretty similar but there are different stages of the journey.

Pain --> Learning --> Strength

That's my experience with alopecia in a nutshell.

Pain
Of course it was painful, it was probably the most difficult thing I have had to deal with in my life.

Learning
The lesson I learnt was that with hair or without hair, it didn't change who I was, I found I didn't need hair to have a good time.

Strength
This is my latest stage; this journey has helped me become stronger as a person and I genuinely think that it will help me with any hardship in the future... And strangely, I think it has helped build my confidence.

I do acknowledge that everyone's experience with alopecia will be completely different and I wanted to see how it differed. I did a little research into others' experience's of Alopecia; I went onto a Facebook group that I am a member of 'Alopecia Areata' (we are about 5000 strong now) and posed this question:

'If you could describe your experience with alopecia in a word or phrase, what would it be?'

I received well over 100 responses and my findings were quite interesting... Some results were as expected and some were very encouraging.

Of course words like 'depressing', 'pain', 'stress', 'scary' and 'sad' topped the list with 27 in total, this is what is exactly what I expected... However, promisingly, 35 responses were extremely positive and included words like; 'freedom', 'gift', 'strengthening', 'loving self', 'learning', 'empowering' and others. I was extremely pleased to see so many people see it in a positive light!! Additionally, it was nice to see so many people enter funny answers which really demonstrates the good humour and comfortableness with their condition, my favourites included 'suddenly smooth' and 'bad hair year'.

After asking this question and seeing the answer 'a gift' from a lady called Rachel, I asked her more about what she meant... Her story was truly inspiring, she described her alopecia as a 'cataclysm to redefine myself and become a more authentic version of me, my best self'... She has learnt to love herself and believes that alopecia has improved her life; she is genuinely thankful for her alopecia. This may seem odd to some of you but I think this is the last phase of everyone's journey through alopecia... 

I don't feel like I have reached this stage as I still struggle with it and have only been suffering fully for just over a year. It seems pretty far away to be honest, I cannot imagine myself rather having alopecia than not... Rachel says she would not change anything which is vastly admirable, because if I had three wishes... Having my hair back would definitely be one of them! However, I do acknowledge that alopecia has strengthened me, I still think I have a long way to go as I haven't truly accepted it yet. I still look at myself and wish for improvement but I do think this will gradually go away, soon I hope.

Personally, at the moment, I feel inadequate and to be honest a little self pitiful because I am really concerned that no one will find my attractive. When I say this to people, they tell me not to be silly but it is a genuine concern of mine that I just look too weird to find attractive. I am not looking for a relationship but still, it does upset me. 

I do not like to feel sad about it, I feel guilty for doing so... I tell myself others have it worse, which can be useful but it is important to remember that we are allowed to feel sorry for ourselves... Saying you can't be sad because others have it worse is like saying 'you can't be happy because other people have it better'. Which makes no sense!! 

I would like to finish as usual by saying alopecia doesn't define you, which I know is true but I have to be honest and say that I am struggling at the moment. On the bright sight, I have come a long way and bumps are to be expected. I do think that eventually, I will come to fully accept it and love myself; Rachel's story has been very encouraging in that it helps provide a promising future.

BP

Guest post: choosing the right treatment option for you...

I love the power of Twitter and via its engaging 140 character posts, I became engaged with Dr Bessam Farjo, a hair transplant surgeon! Working in the industry since 1993, we're pretty convinced he knows his stuff and we're delighted to share his insights into treatment for hairloss and treatment choices! Enjoy...

WHAT’S THE BEST OPTION FOR YOU?

Blog by Dr Bessam Farjo, founder of the Farjo Hair Institute and medical director of the Institute of Trichologists.

Every week, it seems a new ‘miracle’ cure for alopecia is hitting the headlines, but it’s important that those living with the condition know all the facts before starting a new treatment. Estimated to affect over 1.7 per cent of the UK population, new potential treatments for alopecia will always be a hot topic, but it’s my job to ensure that people exploring treatments are correctly informed and advised before any decisions are made.

As many of you will know, alopecia areata is renowned for its sudden and random onset, whilst other forms, such as traction alopecia and female pattern hair loss, are more progressive.

Treatment of alopecia areata can be controversial and, if you’re happy to live with your hair loss, my first piece of advice would be to leave it alone to see if it recovers on its own. Alopecia areata is a very unpredictable condition and there is always the potential that it will grow back without any treatment at all.

If you’re keen to consider taking action, many doctors will advise you to start with steroid injections, as these are generally deemed the most effective form of treatment. These injections contain corticosteroids – an anti-inflammatory medicine which is essentially a man-made version of a hormone usually produced by the adrenal glands. As alopecia areata is a condition caused by the immune system ‘attacking’ its own hair follicles, the steroid injection works to suppress the immune system, so that hair follicles have the opportunity to grow back. These injections are usually administered to the affected area on a regular basis – but it differs from patient to patient.

Another option available on prescription is oral corticosteroids, such as Prednisone. Again, these steroids work by suppressing the immune system to allow hair to grow.

Many people will also be given the option of applying steroids topically, but the real long-term benefits of this are unproven.

For those suffering from female pattern hair loss, there are an abundance of additional options available. Minoxidil – which is available to buy in lotion or foam (Regaine) – most likely works by regulating the potassium channels in cell membranes, and allows increased production of protein. This was proven by published research we collaborated on a few years ago, with University of Bradford.

Low level laser treatment may also be something that people with female pattern hair loss would like to consider. Laser treatment works by projecting laser light energy directly on to the scalp to help strengthen the cells within hair follicles, thus promoting growth.

Of course, hair transplant surgery is also an option for female pattern hair loss sufferers – although this needs to be carefully considered. Some women are more suited to surgical treatments that others, while some are not suitable candidates at all. There are a several different surgery options, including Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE), Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) and ARTAS Robot.

The main difference between these procedures is that follicular units grafts are harvested in strips from the donor area for FUT – which are then microscopically dissected and prepared – whereas grafts are extracted individually in FUE. The ARTAS robotic procedure is a minimally invasive option that uses digital imaging and precision robotics to harvest healthy grafts for transplantation by the FUE method. There is no need for the surgical removal of a strip of tissue from the back and sides of the head, which means there’s no need for stitches or staples to close the wound. Benefits of FUE include a quick recovery time and the ability to return to normal activities soon after surgery, while FUT surgeries typically allow the transplantation of more hairs.

Other people claim that platelet rich plasma therapy (PRP), Derma Roller and even Minodoxil are worthwhile treatments for alopecia areata. However, in my opinion, I think that the likelihood of results with these treatments is purely coincidental, as the hair more often than not comes and goes anyway.

At the Farjo Hair Institute, we work hard to make sure our patients are armed with all the information they need to make the best decision for themselves, whether that is surgery, medicine or ‘watchful waiting’.

Dr Bessam Farjo

Want to keep reading...? Here's another guest post by Mark Blake Trichologist, with a Q&A on alopecia...

Victoria x

www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald