Chilly Nights

The furnace went out last night and the thermometer outside registered below zero. Since most of body heat is lost through the head, not only was my bald head chilly but also the rest of my body. Can icicles form on baby hair? Probably not inside the house, but this leads to the question of what caps to wear on cold nights. I purchased a cap from Slumbercap.com not to long ago. The quality product and service from this store is great. The cap has good uses under itchy wool caps or wigs, but it's made from basic cotton and not my preference for sleeping. For my personal comfort I prefer to sleep without a cap, but if needed a fleece lined or super-soft cotton texture works the best. Both Target & Old Navy are good, economical choices for these types of winter caps. Upon its return, my hair will be deeply valued on cold winter nights.

Doctor Dread

I'm a twentysomething with very few health problems. Besides the nuisance cold or cough, I've had no serious ailments since losing my hair. After a recent night with chills and a high fever it was time to go to the doctor. No problem, right? Not exactly. Although I am completely comfortable with my baldness around people in my everyday life, I have an unhealthy stigma of what a doctor would say about the alopecia. In short, I have not been to doctors because I was afraid of what they would say.

Swallowing back irrational fears, I put a wig on my clammy head for my first doctor's visit in a long time. The nurse asked me about family history and then she asked if there was anything else. In an uncharacteristically shy manner I said, "Yes, I have Alopecia." She was surprised because the wig was hiding the baldness. Then, she sat down next to me with a friendly smile and told me about her sister-in-law who also had Alopecia. This was such a relaxing experience and I was so thankful for the healing time she spent with me. Later, the doctor was very nonchalant and did not really talk about the Alopecia.

Dreading the doctor was so silly. I am continually growing, and it is hard to say that I will ever be 100 percent comfortable with my baldness. In the most beautiful way, the personal growth will be so much sweeter than any future hair growth.

2007 Photos

Photos taken with Alopecia Areata Universalis.

Explaining Alopecia

Most people have never heard of Alopecia Areata. So trying to explain myself can be quite difficult. Several times I have gotten a response of "yeah, an old friend or classmate had that." I mostly try to portray to people that despite the baldness, I am healthy and happy. Nonetheless some still do not grasp my explanations.

After about five months of sporting my new bald look, I still had a few acquaintances ask, "When are you going to let your hair grow back?" My thoughts raced through a series of unbecoming responses before I settled on, "It will grow back in time." I have total respect for men who have that nice shaved looked everyday. When my hair starts to grow back, I will not hold on to the bald look. Long locks that I can eventually donate to Locks Of Love will be my style!

Rogaine

My dermatologist suggested that I use Rogaine. He said to use the generic over-the-counter Minoxidil Topical. This is not a cure for Alopecia, but a stimulant for hair growth.

I used the box treatment and found this treatment ineffective for me. When applied to the scalp, there is an initial tingling and the head massage offers unique pampering. The main reason my doctor suggested the treatment to increase the blood flow to the scalp which is known to help re-growth. However Minoxidil (Rogaine) treatments could get pricey over the span of 3 or 4 years of baldness. I have chose "rubbing therapy" on my own. My personal theory is that during these early stages of hair loss the Minoxidil (Rogaine) style treatment does not help. Maybe when the hair on my legs or arms starts to grow back, I will begin another round of Minoxidil (Rogaine) treatments on my scalp.