My 11 year old son has alopecia areata. We have tried many different treatments over the past 3 1/2 years but nothing is working to keep his hair. He is about 70% bald and losing hair everyday. It is devasting to watch this. Is there anyone who knows about treatments and/or medications that work to regrow hair? Does anyone have any advise on how to keep my son's self confidence up when he looks so much different than the other boys his age. We are new to this area so trying to fit in has been challenging.
Thank you everyone who gave me your suggestions and support regarding my son's alopecia areata. We are going to the Dermatologist this week and I will discuss these ideas and options with him. Your ideas were very helpful. Thanks again.
I have seen people have good results in hair growing by using Nioxin. You can get it in salons and specialty hair product stores. Good luck!
S.
Hi D.,
I have a friend that has graves disease and she has been taking folic acid to keep her hair. I don't know if this work for your son, but maybe give it a try it certainly wouldn't hurt. Good luck!
Hi D.! I have not had experience with Alopecia, but friends of mine have! They also have a son who is in 11th grade now with alopecia. My friend is an RN, and I know she has learned quite a bit about it. There are many different factors that could be causing this problem. One of them we have learned is possible vitamin deficiencies. They have him taking USANA Health Sciences nutritionals. Usana is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and their products are rated the top nutritional in the U.S. and Canada for potency and purity. This information can be found in the COMPARATIVE GUIDE TO NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS by Lyle MacWilliam, where over 1500 supplements have been extensively tested. I will call her and ask how his hair is right now, I do know it was getting better! Anyway, They told us about these nutritionals about 6 years ago, and we have been using them ever since (Myself, my husband, and 3 kids) I personally was always sick, and was anemic,etc. Since using these products, I have not been to the Doctor for any sickness which is quite amazing if you knew my story!! Deficiences can cause so many different things in the body. If you care to check out this company and their products further, you can go to the website and read more about it. I will post more info on how their son is doing after I talk to her (hopefully tomorrow)!
You're in my thoughts!
Blessings!
B. H.
bhooyer.usana.com
email - ____@____.com
Has he been screened for celiac sprue? Google "alopecia" + "gluten".
Ask for a blood test called a tTg
i have alopecia also tee tree oil helped me alot it also flairs up from stress so try to keep him calm and stress free. i havent tried it but its said that cortizone shots help but from what im told its very painful to get a cortizone shot so getting on in the scalp would pry be excruciating. talk to a dermatoligist. what happens is the bodie is attaking the hair like a disease. i hope it helps the first time my hair fell out i freaked out, im sure you and your son did the same thing...im also told its hereditairy my little sister has it also. good luck
You might consider contacting Wigs 4 Kids. It is a non-profit organization that provides custom made wigs for children under 17 in Michigan. It won't bring back his hair but it might help him with his self confidence. Appearance and fitting in mean a lot at his age. Maybe this would help. http://wigs4kids.org
D.
My heart breaks for you to have to watch your son struggle with this/his confidence...it is so hard to watch your kids struggle!
I know nothing about alopecia, but the response about gluten was interesting to me. we have recently learned that my daughter is highly sensitive to dairy, eggs, wheat/gluten. we learned this through a blood test. while she doesn't have celiac disease (severe allergy to gluten), i have been researching the whole food allergy/sensitivity issue. a food allergy or sensitivity can wreak havoc on the body. the suggestion regarding checking for celiac disease may be worth looking into...wheat/gluten seem to do some of the most damage to the body compared to most other foods.
my other suggestion, should alopecia be the true diagnosis (no gluten issues), would be to check out a chiropractor (Tent)in livonia who does a ton of alternative treatments by way of supplements. while a lot of people would be wise to go to him first, they often go to him after they have seen many doctors...only to have him diagnose a completely different problem and 'cure' what was ailing them. let me know if you would like the info.
lastly, i am wondering if your son would be comfortable at all with shaving his head or gaetting a buzz-cut. i know that sounds crazy, but as a lot of mid-age guys know...when you start to lose the hair, sometimes just shaving it looks cooler. i know your son is just a mere 11 years old, but young swimmers shave their heads sometimes. maybe he would even want to try a swim team. it was just an idea to help him find a way to feel like he is not 'standing out' as a victim, but instead standing out by choice? i hope that doesn't sound crazy. again, i couldn't possibly know what you are going through, or what he is going through. i have a 9 year old son though, and i just tried to imagine what i might try.
very best of luck to you!
Hi D., my daughter is going through the same thing. I was searching all over the internet for local doctors who specialize in this area and run into your post. Do you know any dermatologists that you can recommend? Can you share what treatments have you tried and what works and what doesn’t.
Thanks,
S.
Hi D.---I wish you much luck in getting this thing under control.
Have you thought of your son's diet as a means to help stabilize or even reverse this disease? I am studying under a naturopath who has her PhD in nutrition. Please feel free to give me a call if you would like to know more.
In health, D. ###-###-####
Hi D.,
While I don't know much about alopecia, I do know about losing your hair. I went through chemo a year ago and lost my hair. I found a great place called Advanced Hair Solutions. They specialize in people with alopecia - they have a salon in their office, lots of wigs - he may not want a wig, but they might be a good resource for you. They are located in Auburn Hills off of University Drive. There number is ###-###-####. They gave me something to put on my eyebrows so I could keep them - and it did help. I would at least give them a call - good luck!
