Treatment Experiences with Alopecia Areata

Ebony: I don’t recall going through too many therapies from my diagnosis. I was very young when this happened to me, but I recall some of the medications that I’d have to take. It was a little hard to adjust to considering the adverse effects and things of that nature. My mom did the best she could in giving me the best options for my hair loss and making sure I was comfortable with every decision being made.

Some of the challenges I’ve had with the medications are that I’d notice a lot of flare-ups within my immune system. Outside alopecia, I have other autoimmune diseases, including asthma. I recall taking medications that affected my asthma in a negative way. Some medications were staining when it comes to shampoos and things of that nature. When I did the shampoo medication, it left some bad stains, not just on my scalp but the upholstery in my home. There were alternatives they tried suggesting, but those were some of my challenges.

What I liked most about some of the medications is how they provided some relief. When it comes to hair growth, there were some positive effects. I experienced some hair growth a few times, but unfortunately that was temporary. That’s what I didn’t like: the minute you stop taking the medications, your hair will fall out. It’s almost immune to it if that makes sense, but those were some of the things that I’ve dealt with on these medications.

For health care providers, I’ve seen at least 5 in my lifetime. They’ve been a mixture of primary care physicians and dermatologists.

The reason why I’ve see so many types of providers was because of the limited medical options in my hometown. I’m from a very small town, so we traveled at least 40 minutes to get the best care possible.

Transcript lightly edited for clarity.