Hi, there my loveliness! I hope you are doing well and staying safe. Today I want to talk about my continued long battle with an androgenic journey with alopecia and where I am today. If you have been following my blog, you already know that in 2017, I was diagnosed with androgenic alopecia. It’s a pattern of hair loss that affects both men and women.
In women, the hair becomes thin all over the place, and the hairline does not recede. This condition in women rarely leads to total baldness. Never did I thought that I will have androgenic alopecia. I have received overwhelming response and support. Hence, I wanted to update you about my journey three years later.
Beginning of my long battle with alopecia
Growing up in a society where women’s hair is part of my beauty, sudden loss of hair was a sudden psychological shock to me. I was depressed. I did not want to talk to anyone. I was hiding my head. I remember taking the above picture reviewing a picture. Even then, I had a head full of hair.
However, suddenly in September last year, I started to lose my hair like crazy. I have my typical hair loss each day but this was drastic. I started photographing it. Within a month I lost two-thirds of my hair. I didn’t know what to do I went to my dermatologist who did a biopsy and diagnosed me with androgenic alopecia. She told me that there is no cure for this disease when using combination treatment, I will get some but not all of my hair back. Typical treatments for this condition include.
Rogaine or Minoxidil was approved by the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of androgenic alopecia. The study is currently being marketed over the counter as 2% and 5% solution, with 5% being solution being more effective.
In addition, oral treatment such as Finasteride, or Spironolactone is so prescribed alongside rogaine. Finasteride is prescribed only in men because it can produce ambiguous genitalia in a developing male fetus. Since Spironolactone is an antiandrogen, it can cause the feminization of male fetuses. Hence it should not be taken during pregnancy.
I was in emotional pain. I was put on Rogaine, antiandrogen, an antifungal shampoo, ketoconazole 2%, which has shown to effectively treat in regrowth hair. My dear friends, at this point I was desperate to do anything. I was doing research on any treatment. My dermatologist saw how depressed I became. She told me that can lead to more hair loss.
She also mentioned to me that I should also look into buying a laser helmet, which has shown to regrow hair by 43%. Based on my doctor’s recommendations, I bought irestore. This FDA-cleared, low-level laser therapy is a clinically proven way to stimulate hair follicles to grow thicker and fuller hair. It uses clinical-strength laser technology to treat balding, thinning hair, and receding hairline. I use it for 25 minutes every other day.
During my long battle, I was along taking hair vitamin with 5000mg every day. I had been following these treatment regimens for a while. I have seen some improvements for sure after 3 to four months. I never thought I will have to deal with this before the mid-30s and definitely did not expect such a long battle with alopecia.
Where I am Today After 3 Years:
My lovely readers! I have gone a rough patch, and have come a long way. During the long battle with alopecia the past three years, I have switched from Rogaine to my mom’s natural recipe of onion juice, organic coconut, avocado, castor, and almond oils (used weekly). I still take Spironolactone and Vitamin with Biotin and B12 every day. I no longer use my mom’s recipe and use irestore once a week, though I plan to make it more regularly now.
My dear lovelies! I have gained half of my hair back and don’t have any bald spots. My hair is no longer my cause of depression. I have learned to accept the improvement I have gracefully. At least I am 50% better than I was before. I am okay with that. I will take my current hair over large bald spots and very little hair anytime. I feel beautiful again.
It’s amazing how appears can do things to our mind. I guess I am part of the norm. One thing I have learned that it a great thing to feel beautiful what we feel about ourselves can have a strong effect on our mental status. I longer feel ashamed of my hair. To be honest, I think I have grown a lot as a person. Though I would not go back to my balding self, I will not treat me the same way as I did when I first was diagnosed with alopecia. Thanks to mindful based meditation I have learned to accept and appreciate myself. I have learned to be more compassionate towards myself.
My beautiful lovelies! Have any of experienced what I have or know someone? I would love to hear your story and what treatment has worked for you or your friend.
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