My Hair Loss Story

Hello

I thought I would do a blog post about my hair loss story. 

In July 2019, I started noticing that whenever I brushed or washed my hair, much more hair than usual would fall out. Sometimes, even lightly running my fingers through the ends caused clumps to come away. Over time, more hair continued to shed, and a bald patch developed on the top of my head.

Feeling embarrassed, I bought a cheap wig online and began wearing it whenever I went outside.

I didn’t believe this amount of hair loss was normal, so I called my GP surgery and scheduled an appointment. My doctor recommended a blood test to investigate the cause. Two weeks later, I had the test done and received the results soon after. However, they didn’t reveal any clear explanation, so my doctor suggested referring me to a dermatologist through the NHS. He also advised considering a private consultation if I could afford it, since NHS waiting times could be long.

After discussing it with my mum, I arranged an appointment with a local dermatologist a couple of months later. She was very kind, taking time to ask about my medical history before examining my scalp. She explained that the hair loss was likely triggered by the trauma of the operation I’d had in June 2019 and diagnosed me with Diffuse Alopecia Areata/Telogen Effluvium. She prescribed a steroid lotion to apply nightly for three months, along with a shampoo to use when washing my hair. To rule out other possible causes, she also gave me a list of 11 blood tests to have done.

A few days later, I contacted my GP surgery again to book another blood test appointment. I brought the list of tests with me, and a sample was taken. The results showed no indication that anything else was responsible for the hair loss.

I used the lotion and shampoo for the full recommended period, which helped my hair start growing back, though it remained quite thin and uneven in length. This photo shows how my hair looked by the end of October 2019.

In late November 2019, I had my hair cut short so it would be all one length again.

Here’s a photo from July 2020 showing how my hair was growing back.

On 10th December 2020, I received a letter inviting me to an NHS dermatology appointment scheduled for 22nd January. Unfortunately, this was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On 15th February, I received another letter confirming a new appointment date of 25th February.

At that appointment, the doctor and I discussed various treatment options. She also asked whether I’d be interested in receiving a wig through the NHS, which I agreed to. She submitted the referral on my behalf, and on 4th March, the NHS wig supplier contacted me. After we discussed the type of wig I wanted and I sent over some reference photos for colour matching, she booked me a fitting appointment for 30th March.

I began wearing one of the wigs I was given, and after a while I decided that if I was going to continue wearing it, I didn’t really need to keep my natural hair the length it was (around shoulder length). So, I got my head shaved. From there, my hair slowly started to grow back.

Here’s a collage showing the different stages of my hair growth