I'd be very much interested in finding a doctor who knows more this and other
possible treatments.  Please post a message, or send me e-mail.

Thanks,

Kevin

It is treatable although many of the treatments do not work.  It is
not curable.

It is also very significant in many peoples lives.  It is difficult
to lose your hair and have people wondering if you have cancer.
It is also hard for kids to understand.  Kids can be very mean to
kids that have AA and to kids whose parents have AA.

You are lucky that you are able to accept it so well but for many
especially women and children it is very devastating.

The National Alopecia Areata Foundation(NAAF) is a starting point
for information and local support groups.  If anyone needs the
address email me.

---

=========================================================================
John Miller                           Advanced Data Concepts

(303)282-2469                         Fort Collins,  Colorado

"God made some people with perfect heads the others he covered with hair"
=========================================================================

Please send me any followups you get via email. My mother has alopecia
(but it's universalis). She also has some severe auto-immune problems,
especially lifelong rheumathoid arthritis.  The first time she lost her
hair, it regenerated after a couple years. The second time, wel it's been
gone
for decades.
She tried the cortisone shots to no avail, and they were also very
painful. But then I guess getting shots in the eyelid and eyebrow would
be painful anyways....

You might want to contact an alopecia support group. I have TMJ problems
and have found the best medical advice from fellow patients in a national
support association (rather than from medical/dental/chiropractic
professionals.) But then again, TMJ is a voodoo type disease that has no
real standards and studies.

There's a national alopecia group but I don't have it's address....
--

(Mommy to Amanda Christine 6/29/88                                      
and Armand James 2/7/90)            

: That is not a very sympathetic attitude as well as misinforming.

: It is treatable although many of the treatments do not work.  It is
: not curable.

You are SO right. My mom gets very depressed and cries occasionally when
she sees a shampoo/hair commercial on TV.

Also for persons who lose their brows and lashes, it's even worse. It's
quite difficult to do the makeup to deal with this, not to mention gluing
lashes on all the time.

My mom has had some awful experiences. These range from fear of getting
close to grandchildren because "Paula" (her nickname for her wig) might
come off and freak out the child....to an occasion where she was
undergoing xray of some type and the medical staff forced her to take off
her wig.

No matter how positive you can think about it, the fact is that cancer
patients eventually recover their hair and at least there is a "higher
good" in the hair loss, i.e. that the meds. are necessary for them to live.
Fortunatelt my dad is very understanding and wonderful about it but
I can only imagine how awkward it must be to have sex (and no body hair.)

: The National Alopecia Areata Foundation(NAAF) is a starting point
: for information and local support groups.  If anyone needs the
: address email me.

Please email me. I signed my mom up to receive literature several years
ago, then she went to the national convention and got depressed.

--

(Mommy to Amanda Christine 6/29/88                                      
and Armand James 2/7/90)