Please Help, is there any hope out there?

[KeepDreaming]

Hi,
I am 24 and lost my hair before I was even a year old. I was born with a beautiful head full of brown hair, but I have never known what it was like to have hair. Until I hit puberty, all I had was scalp. Then, and so far, I have fuzz that grows but, it's not a head of hair. I've worn a cap most of my life and wore a wig for my college graduation. It was a disaster! I never want to wear one again, but I keep feeling I'm going to have to. It feels like I'm lying to myself and others. I have never even had a boyfriend because guys don't look past my hair loss.
As far as dermatologists go, I've encountered nothing but dead ends. I stopped going in high school because the last time I went, I was put on display where othere dermatologists came and looked, but had no words of encouragement. I felt like an some science project, they wouldn't even ask how I was doing, just questions about my hairloss. And yes, they have not given women the proper attention in this area.
I guess, I'd just like some encouragement from someone out there. It's been hard, it's affected my self esteem in so many ways. I always just wanted to be normal, is there any hope?

 

[mariejoe]

At the risk of being too-in-your-face, may I ask what they think happened to cause the damage to you scalp?

I can't even begin to imagine what it must have been like in school. Kids can be so cruel, after all.
And being a teenager in a culture so obsessed with "beauty".

However did you keep your sanity? You could probably give us lessons in coping!!

Doctors have little or no experience with female pattern hairloss, let alone something out of the ordinary.

And yes, they have not given women the proper attention in this area.

They guys don't have it much better, I'm afraid. Some of the men-only products are just not safe for women of child-bearing age.
Hairloss just isn't very high on the list of important medical problems. It may be at the bottom.

 

[KeepDreaming]

Well, I can say that none of the dermatologists I saw ever told me or my parents anything concrete. Like I said, sometimes, they would never even address me. At one point, I was on a topical steroid treatment, but that didn't work. Now, that I'm older it's getting harder to walk around with a cap all day. I have been blessed with supportive friends, but I guess I just hope for an answer. I've been praying and hoping for as long as I can remember.

 

[bombscience]

Well, I can say that none of the dermatologists I saw ever told me or my parents anything concrete. Like I said, sometimes, they would never even address me. At one point, I was on a topical steroid treatment, but that didn't work. Now, that I'm older it's getting harder to walk around with a cap all day. I have been blessed with supportive friends, but I guess I just hope for an answer. I've been praying and hoping for as long as I can remember.

I have more respect for you than anyone on these forums. To deal with something like that has to be incredibly emotionally trying. Hopefully someday soon there will be way to deal with this. Nobody should have to go though baldness at young ages, even if it is purely vanity. It's not healthy for the mind.

 

[mariejoe]

Well, I can say that none of the dermatologists I saw ever told me or my parents anything concrete.

Have you given any thought to seeing a derm or endcrinologist today? Maybe you live near a hairloss "expert"?

 

[KeepDreaming]

I have been looking into going to see a derm that specializes in this. I am narrowing down my search. But it's just frightful that they might just take my cash and leave me with no answers or hope.