How do you know if you have Alopecia Areata? Generally, the first symptom is that you will notice a small bald patch or patches. It is typically a round or oval spot that is completely bald and feels smooth. When I first noticed that I had a bald spot, I thought it was the result of always wearing ponytails and my hair breaking off. Soon the one bald spot was followed by other spots.
If you think, you have Alopecia Areata, it is best to visit your doctor. He or she, may refer you to a dermatologist for further examination. The dermatologist will most likely be able to determine if it is Alopecia just from visually examining the spots and going through a medical history with you. The dermatologist may pull at the hair that is close to the bald spot to see if it comes out easily and examine the hair strands. They may send you for blood work to rule out other possibilities and verify that it is Alopecia. Don’t be scared, I remember when I went for the blood work and I thought for sure something really awful was wrong with me. They took a lot of blood much more than the normal set of labs. In some cases, the dermatologist may perform a biopsy of one of the bald spots. Once the dermatologist verifies that it is Alopecia, they will suggest some treatment options.
It is scary and stressful when you first determine you have bald patches. Alopecia is not as scary as it may seem when you are first diagnosed. You may be able to cover your bald spots, you may respond great to the treatment plans, your hair might come back on its own and at the worst case scenario you are bald. You can decide to wear wigs, scarfs, bandana or just go bald. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you having Alopecia is not stressful. However, it is important to recognize the reality of Alopecia. It may be life changing but it is not life threatening.
Now for some humour.
One night at our ladies ringette game, I had hung my wig up and put on my bandana for under my helment. A fellow player comes around the corner into the dress room and lets out a scream. We are all startled and then she proceeds to tell us she could see some hair hanging from a hook and her first thought was that someone had hung themselves in the dressing room and no one was doing anything about it. It was just my wig!! “Oh, Lois.” The team had a good laugh.
Choose to laugh,
Shannon
baldbrillance 