Need Your Help!!!

[Tracy]

Hello. I have a question that would greatly benefited from your answers. My boyfriend is 27 years old. About 2-3 months ago, he started to have a very small (pencil eraser size) bald spot above his left ear. The small area now have spread upward and along the hairline; it is now a very big patch (probably 2-3 inches from the front of his ear to the back of his head). We were wondering what could have caused this. I've heard that you usually lose hair in front first, but not on the sides. We've also try to buy a hair regrowth treatment product, but realized that it says "not to use it if you lose hair on the side, it is only for the front." Any insights into this issue/concern is much appreciated. Thank You!!

[Tracy]

Also, the bald area does not appear red, scaldy, or itchy at all....

[Spex]

Hi tracy,

Do you have any pictures?
Regards
Spex

[Tracy]

Here are some recent pictures that I have taken.

The first picture is a small patch on top of his head; just noticed about a week ago, and it looks like it's getting bigger as well.



This second picture is the most recent picture of the above the ear area. It used to be small like the first picture, but has progress to this stage over 2-3 months period.

[Fixed by 35]

I'm not a doctor, but my hunch would be alopecia areata. I don't know much about this condition and certainly don't understand its causes, but it comes suddenly and can go away suddenly. However, you can get cases of alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis (although these are very rare).

This isn't male pattern baldness; MPB is a process of miniturisation, whereas alopecia areata is not. Also, alopecia areata is genuinely reversible. I have heard, although cannot confirm, that steroids are used to treat the condition.

[mlao]

I am not a doctor, but hopefully some of the doctors on this forum can help you.
It looks like alopecia areata not male pattern baldness.
I would suggest that you go to a good dermatologist Who is well versed in hair and scalp disorders and have him get a complete exam and blood work.

[Tracy]

thank you guys for the info. It was very helpful. It gives me an idea as to where i should look for more research. Thanks a bunch!

[bgdl]

it does look for all appearances to be alopecia areata, but it's a good idea to see a dermatologist to rule out anything else such as lichen planopilaris. When the patches are relatively local like these, the first standard treatment is injections of corticosteroid to the sites. The stats are that 80% of new cases of alopecia areata resolve on their own within a year within no treatment at all. So the numbers are in his favor that it will not progress to further hair loss.

You can learn the basics about alopecia areata in the online "Questions and Answers About Alopecia Areata"published by the NIH.

Thea Chassin
Bald Girls Do Lunch Inc

[skotya]

let him rub a garlick on the bald spots and keep doing this everyday. but first let him see a doctor as it can't be MPB.

[MadDog]

Update?

I know this is a super-old thread, but Tracy, if you're still subscribed, can you provide an update? I have something similar going on above & behind my ears.

My dermatologist did a biopsy and the lab results weren't definitive, but said it was most consistent with a type of scarring alopecia called lichen planopilaris. However, that's usually associated with a skin condition called Lichen planus, and I'm not exhibiting any symptoms of that. So they're simply not completely sure what I have.

So, I'm hoping it's something like alopecia areata, because the lichen planopilaris is apparently not reversible. What did it turn out to be in your boyfriend's case?

[jackk]

@maddog: I've had/have alopecia areata. It was brought on by minoxidil use. Twice months after I started Rogaine and bang, a bald patch (about the size of a coin) appeared in my beard. It gradually grew bigger and eventually two more appeared on the back and side of my head.

My advice is to think hard about what might have triggered the bald spot. What have you started doing/using different lately? Cos that is most probably the cause. Be careful man, alopecia areata can spread quite quickly. Good luck.