What is Alopecia Areata (AA)?
Alopeica Areata is a genetic auto-immune disorder. It is NOT contagious. Alopecia is a general medical term to describe baldness that could have any number of causes. It is often triggered by a mental or physical stressor, which confuses an over-active immune system and causes hair follicles to see your hair as foreign and release the hair from its follicle.
Sounds great huh? This is my second battle with AA. About 10 years ago, right after 9/11, I lost the hair on my head and legs. My brother and his wife (girlfriend at the time) sat me down, handed me a bottle of something and shaved my head. It was very traumatic and I didn't handle it well. There were no support groups, and still aren't, where I live and I really didn't understand what was going on.
This time around I've done my research. However, there are still no support groups in my area so I blog!
Today is about 4 weeks since I started losing my hair.
This is me two months ago.
It started out slowly at first. I had some psoriasis on my scalp and the hair started falling out from that spot first. Now it has progessively gotten worse and.....
This is me today.....
Stark contrast... I know. But my hair doesn't make me who I am. I have to look on the bright side of things.
- Less money on shampoo & conditioner, oooh and hair dye!
- It takes alot less time to get ready in the mornings!
- I have more time to focus on other things that need to be done!
I will be okay. I'm not sick. I'm not contageous. I'm just me. And I'm beautiful with, or without hair.
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