Ok, so this is a pretty personal post for me, but I’ve had such great conversations with people around Alopecia and I’ve been asked for an update on it, so here we go.
Back in early June, I noticed a small bald spot forming in the front of my scalp. I had no idea where it came from or why, but I also noticed that I was losing a lot of hair when washing it. Granted, I always have shedding when I wash, but I’m talking handfuls of hair. It was scary and seemed to be getting worse until I had a full blown bald spot like you can see in the picture above. My hair as a whole was also brittle and I was experiencing a lot of breakage, so much so that my hairstylist commented on it and said that it should not be happening based on how I care for my hair.
This really rocked me. I was scared bc I didn’t know why it was happening and my hair has always been my “thing” so to lose it made me feel really insecure. I was avoiding washing my hair bc at the rate it was falling out, I was pretty sure I’d have no hair left very soon. I would cry to Mike about it bc I didn’t understand why it was happening and unfortunately I couldn’t get in to see a dermatologist until August – 3 months away. (I called every dermatologist that took our insurance and that was the earliest appointment I could get). In the meantime, I just colored in my scalp with my trusty eyebrow pencil and just kept truckin’ along.
August came quicker than I thought and I went to see the dermatologist. I had no idea what to expect, but assumed they’d at least do a blood panel. They did order one and the derm was certain it was alopecia as it fit all the symptoms, pattern, etc. He then told me he was going to inject the site with steroids for regrowth. Like a needle in my head y’all. I was BUGGIN. I hate needles and this guy was about to put one IN MY HEAD. He was very kind and talked me through it and it really was just a slight pinch – apparently you have less nerve endings in your scalp then other areas, who knew? That evening, I had a very slight headache, but no other issues.
A month later, I hadn’t noticed much regrowth, maybe a hair here or there. I’m not a doctor, so I didn’t know how long it would take bc the steroid injections work for some people and don’t for others. I remembered that a few friends had used Monat’s Intensive Repair Treatment spray for postpartum hair loss and saw success with it, so I figured I’d give it a try.
Fast forward to today, the bald spot has grown back in! Was it the steroid injections? Might be! Was it the IRT spray? Perhaps. But you asked, so I shared. I also only shed a very small amount now when I wash my hair. No more handfuls, thank God! Again, I’m not a doctor, I’m just sharing what worked for me. I did stop using the hair products I used to – I don’t want to call them out specifically, but if you see my last hair post on this blog, you can figure it out. One particular line had a TON of negative reviews and hair loss experiences online so I stopped using it immediately.
From what my derm said, Alopecia is a seasonal thing, so I could lose hair again in the future, but in the meantime, I’m taking my vitamins, watching what products I use, working to keep my scalp healthy and just going from there.
I hope this post brings some clarity to the questions you had and if you are dealing with hair loss or alopecia, do not be ashamed and do not hide. Once I shared what I was dealing with on my Instagram stories, my DMs blew up with so many messages of women struggling with hair loss, thinning and balding. You are not alone and there’s a community of people out there to support you!
Keepin It 100: As always, opinions are my own. I purchased all of the products in this post with my own money. I was not paid to write this post, however if you purchase the products in this post with the affiliate links I’ve shared, I do earn a commission on your purchase at no cost to you.
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