Hair transplants and alopecia areata

[PatientlyWaiting]

Any one know if HT's work on areas affected by alopecia areata? would a doctor even see me as a candidate because of me having AA? I have MPB, I think i'm a diffused NW3, maybe a NW4, I don't know. On top of my head, including on the corner of my right temple, I have alopecia areata. I'm currently getting treated with steroid injections but nothing is happening, i've had two injections, going for my third one later this month and so far I see nothing at all, no improvement whatsoever.

Here are some pictures of my ugly head that I took yesterday and today, shaved down to a zero guard. Sorry for the blurriness.

[fred970]

It seems to be plain old MPB to me. Don't be in denial.

[UK_]

^ what he said.

Looks like diffuse NW4 but the NW6 pattern is also visible, especially in last pic which is the clearest (i.e. the initial connection between vertex, anterior and frontal thinning has evidently been made).

[PatientlyWaiting]

Okay that was my fault for taking bad pictures and it's hard to tell because i'm shaved down to a zero. If I let it grow you'll notice the spots more. I've been diagnosed with AA/MPB by two dermatology clinics. I wish I only had one problem, I am not in denial of my MPB. I said i'm like a NW3-4. Here are clearer pictures where you can see the dime sized spots on top of my head, and a spot in the back of my head(where MPB does not attack).

Now please, I do not want to debate on whether I have alopecia areata or not, I have it, that's a fact. I am looking for answers about HT's and AA. Not to be re-diagnosed. Thanks.

[PatientlyWaiting]

The spot in the back of my head was completely hairless 2 months ago, it's been growing back because of injections. It's fairly new though. The others have been there for a while, so they are harder to regrow.

[PatientlyWaiting]

Several months ago, in June of this year. Hair grown out a little bit, you could see the obvious patches, they are the same pictures.

So does any one have any helpful info on this site, or will I have to contact an HT doctor?

[35YrsAfter]

Several months ago, in June of this year. Hair grown out a little bit, you could see the obvious patches, they are the same pictures.

So does any one have any helpful info on this site, or will I have to contact an HT doctor?

Known helpful treatments for Alopecia Areata are available through a Google search. Here is one example. There aren't any secret cures to be revealed in the forums. If I were in your position, I would first take a careful look at my diet. Search for the poster in the forums known as topcat. I believe he knows more about nutrition than many doctors. My wife changed our family's diet and I eliminated 4 minor medical problems.

35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office
forhair.com
Cole Hair Transplant
1045 Powers Place
Alpharetta, Georgia 30009
Phone 678-566-1011
email 35YrsAfter at chuck@forhair.com
Please feel free to call or email me with any questions. Ask for Chuck

[PatientlyWaiting]

Thanks. I know what alopecia areata is, who gets it, etc. I have google searched about AA before, that's the first thing I do about anything. I came to the conclusion, with trial and error, that the only thing that works is steroid injections.

Maybe I was not clear in my opening post, I am not looking for some one here to tell me about a cure about AA, or help me get rid of it, I go to the derm for that. Obviously, this is the HT section, I was hoping for some one with AA who had an HT to give me info, or some representative who has seen AA/MPB patients wanting HT's.

My question is, would an HT be pointless on some one who has AA? Would grafts grow on patches of AA. That is all i'm asking. Thanks again.

[35YrsAfter]

Thanks. I know what alopecia areata is, who gets it, etc. I have google searched about AA before, that's the first thing I do about anything. I came to the conclusion, with trial and error, that the only thing that works is steroid injections.

Maybe I was not clear in my opening post, I am not looking for some one here to tell me about a cure about AA, or help me get rid of it, I go to the derm for that. Obviously, this is the HT section, I was hoping for some one with AA who had an HT to give me info, or some representative who has seen AA/MPB patients wanting HT's.

My question is, would an HT be pointless on some one who has AA? Would grafts grow on patches of AA. That is all i'm asking. Thanks again.

Thanks for clarifying. I will ask Dr. Cole what his opinion is in the next few minutes.

35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office
forhair.com
Cole Hair Transplant
1045 Powers Place
Alpharetta, Georgia 30009
Phone 678-566-1011
email 35YrsAfter at chuck@forhair.com
Please feel free to call or email me with any questions. Ask for Chuck

[35YrsAfter]

Thanks for clarifying. I will ask Dr. Cole what his opinion is in the next few minutes.

Dr. Cole said Alopecia Areata needs to run its course and "burn out". Once it's quiet for about two years he will consider doing a hair transplant.

[PatientlyWaiting]

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.

Does run its course mean, the patches need to grow back in order to be considered a candidate? Or does he mean he would do it on some one who's had the AA patches there for a long time and didn't get new ones? Mine started last year, I now have 1 year and a half with the same 7-8 patches. I will have 2 years with them, if they are not gone, by early next year.

[MackJames]

Thanks for your help, I appreciate it.

Does run its course mean, the patches need to grow back in order to be considered a candidate? Or does he mean he would do it on some one who's had the AA patches there for a long time and didn't get new ones? Mine started last year, I now have 1 year and a half with the same 7-8 patches. I will have 2 years with them, if they are not gone, by early next year.

A patch that started forming when I was twenty never came back fully. At this point I would assume it's stabilized even though there's been no further hair regrowth

[gillenator]

MPB, is a progressive disorder. This means that genetic hair loss progresses over a lifetime. It never resolves itself in spite of age or even during periods of minor loss. As many of us know, this is why hairloss meds like low dose finasteride can greatly help to buy us time, but nothing more.

This is why I pay more attention to the individual's family history because it is the greatest indicator of potential hair loss in the future in spite of the infrequencies of the progression. I talk with guys who say their loss has subsided on its own, then only to have it resume later.

Some doctors will want to see if the patient responds to the meds beyond 12 months before they will do the procedure. And especially on the younger guys who have advanced classes of loss in their future.

Alopecia Aereata is a different type of loss altogether. Very unpredictable and more common with females. My brother had it related to a very high stressful period he was going through. Later the patches grew back but some of them grew back with white hair, meaning he lost the pigmentation.

[drybone]

Hey Gill.

Quick question.

I have been told by several people that our testosterone levels decrease as we age.

By age 65 we dont have enough to convert to DHT that could damage the remaining hair follicles.

What are your thoughts on that?

[PatientlyWaiting]

MPB, is a progressive disorder. This means that genetic hair loss progresses over a lifetime. It never resolves itself in spite of age or even during periods of minor loss. As many of us know, this is why hairloss meds like low dose finasteride can greatly help to buy us time, but nothing more.

This is why I pay more attention to the individual's family history because it is the greatest indicator of potential hair loss in the future in spite of the infrequencies of the progression. I talk with guys who say their loss has subsided on its own, then only to have it resume later.

Some doctors will want to see if the patient responds to the meds beyond 12 months before they will do the procedure. And especially on the younger guys who have advanced classes of loss in their future.

Alopecia Aereata is a different type of loss altogether. Very unpredictable and more common with females. My brother had it related to a very high stressful period he was going through. Later the patches grew back but some of them grew back with white hair, meaning he lost the pigmentation.

I've been on fin since about November 2011, before that I was on and off it due to not being able to afford Propecia, which was the only brand I knew and I didn't know about generic drugs at all. I was on dutasteride 0.5mg/day and Rogaine 2x/day foam since March 2013 and had good results by month 3, but in month 4 the alopecia areata came back at full force and I don't know why my hairline suffered so much also. Maybe it was a shed. I stopped dut early September 2013 because Inhouse stopped accepting Master Card, the only card I have.

If I ever get an HT, I will always stay on fin or dut and minoxidil. I am not going to mess around with losing the little native hair I have left.