This is alopecia, isn't it?

[TotallyUnexpectedSun]

My DC (19) has a sudden hair loss at the back of their head. It is devastating and shocking, in equal measures.
No family history.
We don't know what to do. Waiting to see GP, assuming it is going to be a long wait for a dermatologist.
Are there any homeopathic treatments that could stop it continuing? Any lifestyle or dietary changes that would promote hair growth?
We are desperate for it to be contained . If only it doesn't get any worse. I cry and pray.

Hi, unfortunately I'd say yes, it looks like alopecia. I've had it for 5 years now.
Mine started off exactly like that in the same area, at first it would grow back but a patch would start somewhere else. Get your GP to refer to dermatology, there is steroid injections you can get straight into the scalp that promotes hair growth. Over the years I've had 3 courses of that and it did help.
However my Alopecia progressed to a sudden loss of all hair on my head in January
but that doesn't happen to everyone.

It looks like alopecia, but may be lucky and it not be scarring alopecia so the hair will grow back. As part of seeing the GP ask for blood test to check ferritin level- it should be at 70 for optimum hair regrowth.

Why don’t you take him to the GP and ask for a referral to a dermatologist for something that works? If you get in early it really helps.

Is it itchy? Or red… could be lichen planus which can be slowed with steroids … unfortunately it can’t be stopped completely.

I have alopecia, it started at the back like this when I was 13. I have tried steroid injections multiple times through dermatology with some success, but never lasting success and it can be quite painful, as pp said, I find one patch clears as another starts. At any one time I can have 25-75% hair loss, but fortunately with long hair I can style it in a way that mostly conceals it/use hair pieces.

About 10 years ago I considered shaving it all off so I could stop dealing with it but my friends and family talked me out of it, however for a male this might be the least worst thing (sorry - hope that makes sense).

I have found the most helpful thing is focusing on my health, eating well, and working on my internal stress, I’ve worked out I can’t stop outside stressors from popping up but I can control my response, I tend to be naturally highly strung so working on that really helps. I know stress doesn’t cause alopecia but in my case it can really worsen it.

Hormones are the other major thing that make a difference for me, so ensuring hormone balance can be important too.

I find acupuncture helps a bit.

My alopecia is probably the worst it’s been in a long time because I have had a baby, am breastfeeding, and relying on sugar way too much!

It’s an emotional journey that took me a while to come to terms with but I’ve had it for almost 20 years now and I feel I know my triggers and what I can’t control and have accepted this as my normal.

I hope you manage to find some solutions soon.

Thank you all so much for your kind messages.
I am sorry to hear about your personal hair loss, it must be so hard to go through it, whether it is happening to a male or a female.
I guess for a boy/man, shaving it all off is an option. I pray in case of my child, that it doesn't go any further... but the hair loss so far has been quite rapid.
The loss of eyebrows and facial hair would be even harder I think.
We are going to be asking to see a dermatologist, as soon as possible, and as you all have kindly recommended , to start a treatment straight away.
I know I am not important in all of this, but my heart breaks for all of you, and my darling child . How cruel is this condition.
Thank you again.

Sorry, haven't replied to this message.
No it isn't itchy , nor red.
Just very smooth clear skin.

Take heart from the fact that for many people it stays at the level of quite manageable patches that come and go.

From the time my alopecia began (when I was 12)I have lost count of the number of hairdressers who have told me about a boyfriend's cousin, etc, who had "a patch the size of a 50p piece" that either lasted for ever or eventually grew back.

(It always seemed to be 50p pieces, even after the coin changed size

I know exactly how you feel about your son because as a sufferer myself I have always been really scared my sons would inherit it.

It is a hard condition to deal with, but people adjust, they survive it, they find ways of coping.

Don't bother with any of the so-called remedies you can buy. Just go to the gP. Steroid injections can certainly help in many cases. xxx

Thank you @ReadWithScepticism .
It is a hard road ahead , my child is still so young . I know at 19 they are officially an adult ... but in our case there's still much growing up to do. I very much hope that your sons remain healthy and unaffected.

I very much appreciated the pp talking about the importance of knowing your triggers - I imagine that a healthy life style - low sugar/ alcohol intake, good sleep routine, avoiding stress etc would be helpful, but conveying that message to a teen is like asking them to stop having fun.
Would anyone know - if there's no known family history - what are the possible causes. I've read somewhere about a possible connection between a traumatic event happening in a (young) person's life and alopecia.
Not even sure how knowing the cause would help , but I am just trying to make sense of it all.
Thank you all for your comforting words, and for sharing your experiences.

It is an autoimmune condition. A number of genes are implicated, and I think that before they actually manifest in alopecia there has to be some sort of environmental trigger. I know that some infections can be among the triggers, but beyond that I don't think there is any certainty about what the triggers are.

People often mention stress as a trigger but I'm not convinced of that and I sometimes wonder whether it is based on a misunderstanding: Doctors hypothesise that bodily "stresses" (such as infections) are implicated, and people hear that as meaning that emotional stress is involved.

Anyway, a key thing to remember about alopecia is that it is sooo blimmin unpredictable and poorly understood that you can drive yourself crazy looking for patterns and causes. Best to try and avoid that rabbit hole. Basically a wide range of genetic and environmental factors combine to produce it

Just wanted to come back on and say that I totally understand and say I completely understand the telling a teen not to have fun, I was in my mid-late 20s before eliminating alcohol/caffeine/junk seemed worth it to give up, because it was only then I had the motivation to give it up long enough to see the difference.

That’s really interesting that you mention childhood trauma. I was raised in a house with dv until age 3, developed alopecia 10yrs later. I don’t know if any actual research though.

To be honest, I don't think a healthy lifestyle (low sugar/ alcohol intake, good sleep routine, avoiding stress etc) would make a difference.

The only, very marginal, effect it might have is that when your hair is at the regrowth stage, it will grow better if you are well nourished. Healthly living won't stop it falling out though, if/when it decides that is what it is going to do

Thank you @ReadWithScepticism , it is a rabbit hole isn't it.
If only I can make it better for him.

Look up Ophiasis alopecia, it is hair loss in a specific area, similar to his. I have hair loss like this, went to doctor, got referred to dermatogist, didn't have to wait too long for an app. They did blood test to cover auto immune diseases, all negative - except Coeliac. I am having to go gluten free which may or may not help. Your doctor may get auto immune tests to save time for a diagnosis. Hope he gets sorted.

I am clutching at straws here , hoping that there's something we can do , in addition to a proper medical treatment , to make it better , to contain it, to stop it. But I know deep down that you are right.
I don't want to sound overly dramatic, but it seems, after this, life will never be the same.

My poor child.

Thank you 🙏

DP has had hair loss just like this at times. There was a point it was worse than your sons, and he had it cut super-short (but unfortunately like your son, he is white skinned with dark hair and so it didn't conceal it very well) but other times that it's just a bald spot an inch or so across, in his hair or stubble which can be disguised or ignored. At the moment I don't think he has any patches at all. Very hard for a 19 year old to deal with. I'm so sorry for you both.

I developed it about 15 years ago (I'm sure it was triggered by stress but it is in both sides of my family). I got steroid ointment from the dermatilogist and it gradually came back over 18 months (the source of stress was removed in that time too). I'd advise against shaving as with dark haired people the stubble looks very patchy in a day or too. But you can get something called camouflage cream to disguise the spots under longer hair.

@Yawnandstretch I am sorry to hear about your childhood experience.
It is so hard to know whether there's a connection.
In our case, I can't think of anything apart from the event when my child fell into a frozen lake, wearing heavy winter clothing, and thought he was going to die . I wasn't there , so can only go by his account , but can only imagine the fear and the shock.
Each autoimmune disease is a mystery of its own, but from what I understand , there often seem to be an emotional/trauma connection.

I have had 3 or 4 periods in my life when a patch of alopecia has appeared. The very first one was about 6 months after my O levels. Just a single patch "about the size of a 50p piece" @ReadWithScepticism 🙂

It didn't get worse. I do remember being rather concerned that I would get more as the years passed, knowing that while my O levels were the most stressful thing I'd been through in my 16 years, I was sure life would deal me much more stressful situations wasn't wrong there.

I can't think of a particular trigger for the other instances, but I think it can be something that happened quite a while prior to the patch appearing.

I did have two at the same time once. One time I did feel they were visible, but they probably weren't.

The most stressful time of my life was my divorce and the few years afterwards, but I think my body and my soul (emotions) dealt with it very differently (some not at all healthy) rather than alopecia.

@TotallyUnexpectedSun yip! alopecia!! i had a 50p piece size on first of april last year and by first august I had nothing left!!! nhs wig is horrendous (who the hell has that much hair on their head) I just wear hats but take them off whenever I arrive home. have them sitting beside me to answer the door. a man might find it a bit easier! I am away to book an appointment to have eyebrows done, they are now getting really sparse!

Thank you for your kind words, and for sharing. What you wrote about your DP's experience, sounds promising, and like a good prospect to a worried mum - thank you.
There's always a hope, always. I need to remain positive and strong for both of us.

I know this seems bad but I hope you’re not saying things like the below in front of your lad?

I don't want to sound overly dramatic, but it seems, after this, life will never be the same.
My poor child.

@EternallyDelighted thank you for your advice.

Please dont panic. Like a pp, I have had a few patches of hair loss which just happened, and then grew back. I was told it was alopecia but never had further investigations (I might have had blood tests iirc) so am not sure what caused it. The patches were easily covered, luckily, and grew back fully.