Blu217
Well-Known Member
Hi all -
It's been a while since I posted an update on my scarring alopecia/hereditary temple thinning saga.
Wish I could report it's gotten better. The scarring alopecia has been stable for a few months--no more handfuls of hair. But the spots have thinned even more than last time, but more slowly now. My scalp hurts alllll the time now, despite the 'roids and the emu oil I use in between to lessen inflammation. I saw another derm, who prescribed Olux foam (a steroid topical) for the scarring and spironolactone (blocks antigens) for the heriditary loss at my temples. A huge swath that was my temples is gone, ya'll, and my hairline in general is starting to move back. This just happens to most women on my mom's side of the family. I just wish it wasn't so accelerated already; I'm just 35. I got the double whammy of hair issues. It can be hard to deal but I'm managing... and thinking about that NewHair Dee center part wig! At least I still can part my hair in the middle
.
But it's not all bad. Those who know say they can't tell anything's wrong and don't seem to believe me--until I pull this back and part that to show them. I feel better knowing it's not obvious; you feel like everyone can see you're losing your hair (I am wearing more wide headbands and resorting to baseball caps for security now, tho). Since I've commited to no more relaxing, I've just been growing it out and am discovering the neatest things about my natural texture! Because it's thinner in the top it's easier to manage; the back is still thick, but a little Lacio, Salerm or Silicon Mix detangles and makes it easy to comb root to tip while wet. I admit I have a box of emergency Profective Normal under the sink...
...but I've become so fascinated by my natural texture I'm just not that interested in messing it up! For all the transitioners, let me attest to the fact that you do need several months' worth of new growth before you know what your real hair texture is like. I have discovered mine is full of tiny spirals, teeny waves and bitty ringlets, and I've started to really like the way it looks. I do miss relaxers but don't want to deal with how thin my hair would be if I used one now--plus why destroy all those tiny little ringlets it took so long to find? It takes commitment to get those bad boys to reveal their true selves.
My appointment with my regular doc is finally almost here and I intend to get a full blood workup (he does love running him some tests!). I really have done all that can be done and don't believe scarring alopecia is necessarily caused by "improper hair care practices"--because I certainly never used any and followed the rule books to the T for all these years before this happened. So it can seem super unfair, but that's life. I think that it's not always about trauma; it's also genetic predisposition and/or a spontaneous immune response of some sort. I've also heard it's just a fancy label for plain ole' female pattern baldness.
I never thought I'd enjoy discovering my natural texture--prolly cause I figured I already knew what was up. Happy surprise to find I was wrong and actually like it. It's cute!
It's been a while since I posted an update on my scarring alopecia/hereditary temple thinning saga.
Wish I could report it's gotten better. The scarring alopecia has been stable for a few months--no more handfuls of hair. But the spots have thinned even more than last time, but more slowly now. My scalp hurts alllll the time now, despite the 'roids and the emu oil I use in between to lessen inflammation. I saw another derm, who prescribed Olux foam (a steroid topical) for the scarring and spironolactone (blocks antigens) for the heriditary loss at my temples. A huge swath that was my temples is gone, ya'll, and my hairline in general is starting to move back. This just happens to most women on my mom's side of the family. I just wish it wasn't so accelerated already; I'm just 35. I got the double whammy of hair issues. It can be hard to deal but I'm managing... and thinking about that NewHair Dee center part wig! At least I still can part my hair in the middle
.But it's not all bad. Those who know say they can't tell anything's wrong and don't seem to believe me--until I pull this back and part that to show them. I feel better knowing it's not obvious; you feel like everyone can see you're losing your hair (I am wearing more wide headbands and resorting to baseball caps for security now, tho). Since I've commited to no more relaxing, I've just been growing it out and am discovering the neatest things about my natural texture! Because it's thinner in the top it's easier to manage; the back is still thick, but a little Lacio, Salerm or Silicon Mix detangles and makes it easy to comb root to tip while wet. I admit I have a box of emergency Profective Normal under the sink...
...but I've become so fascinated by my natural texture I'm just not that interested in messing it up! For all the transitioners, let me attest to the fact that you do need several months' worth of new growth before you know what your real hair texture is like. I have discovered mine is full of tiny spirals, teeny waves and bitty ringlets, and I've started to really like the way it looks. I do miss relaxers but don't want to deal with how thin my hair would be if I used one now--plus why destroy all those tiny little ringlets it took so long to find? It takes commitment to get those bad boys to reveal their true selves.
My appointment with my regular doc is finally almost here and I intend to get a full blood workup (he does love running him some tests!). I really have done all that can be done and don't believe scarring alopecia is necessarily caused by "improper hair care practices"--because I certainly never used any and followed the rule books to the T for all these years before this happened. So it can seem super unfair, but that's life. I think that it's not always about trauma; it's also genetic predisposition and/or a spontaneous immune response of some sort. I've also heard it's just a fancy label for plain ole' female pattern baldness.
I never thought I'd enjoy discovering my natural texture--prolly cause I figured I already knew what was up. Happy surprise to find I was wrong and actually like it. It's cute!
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. And I'm living proof that those thin spots can grow back. Good luck with everything.
Much love.
. I do plenty of crying and getting upset and all that, but at the end of the day my situation remains the same, so it helps to look forward and make plans and preparations when the blues are over. I get it out from time to time and mourn sometimes. Other times I rally and keep hope alive. And I'm grateful that despite what is to me considerable and critical hair loss, I can still almost completely hide it--at the very least no one is noticing (people do stare up at my hair while I'm talking to them sometimes, but I suspect that has a lot to do with my wild, transitioning roots constantly rebelling in the summer humidity--relaxers do make it easier to look sleek and tidy, for sure). I miss the relaxers but can't stop fingering those tiny barrel curls that are all over everywhere. 
