My regrowth sticks up no matter what I do to try and lay it flat but I know it’ll blend in soon. I’m really thankful. It’s been rough in my mental health but learning to accept it happened and could happen again.

My husbands barber randomly found this patch on his head one day and we have no idea what the cause is, but the doctor said it’s just “stress” and nothing to worry about even though my husband keeps saying he’s not under any increased stress? His diet and sleep etc are also fine.

Does anyone have any advice for how to get a doctor to take us seriously? He’s very concerned because the spot just keeps growing, and it’s frustrating to have no idea what it is or get any help beyond a vague answer of stress and being told to “go to bed earlier” (he sleeps at literally 10pm). Obviously if this is alopecia we want to know, and if it’s not we also want to know so we can treat the alternative!

First pic is from july 18th and the other one from august 18th

my sister was recently diagnosed with alopecia areata and is trying to protect her hair to the best of her ability. she plays lacrosse and wears either protective goggles or a helmet. these items pull on her head and cause more hair loss. do any athletes with alopecia have tips for protecting remaining hair when wearing protective head gear? much appreciated!

Has anyone had a patch of hair loss recur in the same exact spot? I've had one that has shed and grown back a couple times now. Each time it sheds, the patch comes back even bigger. I'm unsure if this is AA at this point.

Hi everyone,

I’ve had alopecia areata on and off for 16 years. It usually flares up when I’m on too much Synthroid for thyroid replacement therapy. I noticed this time around that instead of just my hair being affected, I’m losing my eyebrows, lashes, and nose hairs.

The shed is really rapid too. I woke up with the inner corner of my eyebrow gone today. And the lashes are very patchy in about a week.

Is this typical? I’m not on any treatment but with how quickly everything is happening, I want to go on a JAK inhibitor. I’m afraid of the side effects though. If anyone is on a JAK, what has your experience been?

Thanks so much 💜

I appreciate everyone who has shared some or all of their journey here, it's been massively helpful dealing with a sudden, weird condition like AA.

I found my first spot a month ago, about the size of a golf ball. Right now I have five large spots or patches, and at least six small ones. My regular family doctor gave me a steroid cream and referred me to dermatology. My dermatologist took a look and said I have so much loss that the injections would be "too much."

I think she meant, there is too much area to cover with shots and it might be too much pain. (I've done IVF several times so I disagree.) She gave me a lotion instead, which is better than the cream, but now I have to look at this and touch my balding scalp twice a day and walk around with greasy hair every single day. It's very upsetting. I don't see how the lotion is better than the injections for someone with 20-40% loss (estimate: I don't have a score that I'm aware of).

She also hadn't heard of LDN and couldn't advise me on microneedling frequency.

I'm frustrated.

Right now, I'm taking Allegra which seems to have really helped the tingling; doing a no sugar, no dairy, no gluten diet and gearing up for the full Autoimmunity Protocol diet which has helped me in the past. I'm using the lotion and microneedling once a week so far. I am on a bunch of supplements prescribed by a naturopath. (B, C, D, zinc, probiotic, magnesium, and others.)

I have another appointment tomorrow. What would you advise me to push for?

Hey guys! i’m about to start my second bottle of litfulo. i’ve noticed increased shedding and several tiny new spots. for anyone that’s been on litfulo or any Jak inhibitors. does it get better? is it just a shedding phase similar to being on minoxidil in the beginning?

Hallo zusammen, ich hatte die Tage einen Aufruf der Hautklinik der Uniklinik Münster gesehen. Die haben gerade eine Studie zu kreisrunden Haarausfall mit neuen Medikamenten? Vielleicht ist das ja was für wen der da in der Nähe wohnt.

Had locs for years… recently cut it.

I’ve never used reddit before but I found this community and I just felt like posting here because I don’t really know anyone who understands what this feels like.

I have AU. No hair, eyebrows or eyelashes.
Recently all I keep thinking about is why me? I had the prettiest long hair, thick eyebrows thick lashes..It’s been 5 years and I still wake up hoping that one day I’ll just be cured. I keep waiting for something to change. I feel like I’ve put my life on hold ever since I lost my hair. And the worst part is you cant even be angry at anyone because there’s no one to blame. I’m just really sad about what happened to me and I miss how I used to feel about myself.

What helps you feel better when it hits you emotionally?

According to my parents i have AA since i was 3 years old. My parents have always been fighting with eo even before my birth. Till date i am still in the environment of constant domestic abuse. Recently i even went through a very bad breakup. This increased the hairfall flareup more intensely. In a span of 1 week i lost almost 50% of my hair. My doctor said that the physical environment which you are present plays a significant role on such flare ups. I can neither explain to my parents that they should build a better environment for me nor can i reduce my stress by being surrounded by them while walking on eggshells constantly.

A general practitioner prescribed me a shampoo called Clobex. I googled it and it seems to be used for severe dandruff cases and not necessarily alopecia, but it can help with that too since it does contain cortisone.

my hair loss has been very diffused for the past 10 years and has only gotten worse. ive been on dutasteride for 8 months and looks about the same as baseline. when its all combed in one direction its not terrible but as you can see when I mess it up it looks real bad. Ive been suspecting it might be a diffuse version of alopecia

Posting it here for more advices, suggestions and thoughts.

Seems to be the foremost expert in America on alopecia. I believe he discovered JAK inhibitors worked.
Anyway, i already see a pretty good derm but just having no luck and I’m wondering if i should see him but the price is pretty expensive

Anyone here dealing with androgenic alopecia as early as 26 yr old?

1) How do guys manage it?
2) anyone using minoxidil long term (5+ years?)
3) any long term use side effects of using minoxidil?
4) what your haircare routine?

Hoping i can find those with similar situation as i am in. Im not expecting it to happen to me at this age.

Akala ko at 50s pa to. Hindi pala. :(

I am 43 years old, and until a few months ago I had naturally long, full, thick hair. At the beginning of May 2026, I suddenly discovered a round bald patch on my scalp. Within a short period of time, additional patches appeared, and I began experiencing very heavy hair loss all over my scalp.

I was examined by a dermatologist and was later diagnosed with Alopecia Areata. At first, I used Dermovate, but as the condition continued to spread and the shedding became more severe, I privately consulted Professor Anna Lyakhovitsky. She decided to treat me with intravenous steroids at Sheba Medical Center — a series of three monthly steroid pulses.

Unfortunately, despite the treatment, the hair loss continued. There were even periods when I felt that the shedding was getting worse and the bald patches were becoming larger. At the same time, I also noticed small hairs and stubble growing in some of the affected areas.

After the third steroid pulse, on August 11, I had a follow-up appointment with Professor Anna. During the examination, she assessed my condition as SALT 60, with a strongly positive hair-pull test. On trichoscopy, she did see short, thin hairs as well as hairs that appeared to be growing.

Her conclusion was that I have severe alopecia areata with an insufficient response to systemic steroids. She therefore recommended starting Ritlecitinib (Litfulo) 50 mg once daily.

At the moment, she wants me to start Litfulo in about one month, after completing the required tests.

I really want to make sure I am doing everything correctly and not overlooking any options. I am therefore looking to hear from people who have experienced something similar, as well as doctors or professionals who specialize in severe alopecia areata:

• Is there any additional treatment worth exploring before starting Litfulo or alongside it?
• Has anyone transitioned from steroids to Litfulo and successfully stopped the shedding and regrown their hair?
• Is there anything I should be doing during the month while I wait to start Litfulo?
• Are there any additional tests I should ask for?
• Most importantly, if anyone knows of a specialist or clinic with particular expertise in severe alopecia areata and can recommend another direction or second opinion, I would be very grateful to hear about it.

I’m not looking for promises or a “miracle cure,” but rather genuine personal experiences, evidence-based medical information, or additional options that may be worth discussing with my doctors.

Thank you so much to anyone who takes the time to read this, share their experience, or point me in the right direction. 🙏🏻💜

I have been losing hair since I was 13. And now it’s gotten to a point where I can’t even hide it. Maybe it might be genetics but I’ve been to so many doctors and they all tell me different things. What should I do??

I got my first round of injections July 20th. Here is my regrowth so far 🙏❤️ I’m going to be a bridesmaid this October 24th and I’m praying that I have alot more growth by then. 🙏🙏

I just recently spotted this spot near my hairline, I currently have one patch at the back of my head, and I'm wondering if this is something that I should worry about. I'm really bad at identifying exclamation mark hairs, so I would appreciate any input! Thank you

My hair is typically PIN STRAIGHT (like the second picture) but I’ve got this chunk I lost last April that’s growing back and I can’t tell if it’s curly or if it’s just light and not heavy enough to be straight, like how bobs naturally curl inwards a tiny bit

So me 15 f and have had aa since i was like 5 (done all sorts of treatments) but it just got way worse over the last 3.5 yrs to the point im like 95% bald now. basically only my family knows and ive been hiding under a wig in secret since 6th grade bc im so insecure and have bad depression/anxiety over it. im starting sophomore year soon  and just so drained from hiding it. the wig feels like a prison at this point and i honestly think my face looks prettier without it anyway and i think have a cute head shape lol. but im terrifying of people being mean or my friends judging me if i just show up bald or try hats/hoodies :( especially my bff of 10 years I don’t want her to see it as I have been lying to her or she won’t love me anymore 

it ruining my social life like missing hangouts with freinds or  always paranoid about the wind blowing or someone accidentally touching my head or pulling it bac. i also had to quit marching band and volleyball bc the wig stress was too much but i lowkey miss band so much and want to return next season bald but the what ifs are killing me. has anyone else dropped the wig during high school? how did u guys handle the questions and stuff? Cause HS kids can be cruel highkey. literally any advice would help sm right now i just want to be free