>!Just noticed it looks like an elbow callus opened up? It's not avidly bleeding or leaking puss, but there's a brown dot in the middle? We cleaned it and are keeping it dry. Does this need to be seen by a vet?!<
I'm a brand new wig wearer. Is this normal for a wig? It's a cheap synthetic wig from Amazon. The lace in the very front sticks up a bit and there's bulky plasticky part alone the hairline, granted you only see them if the hair is pulled back. Everything else about the wig I love! I know it's cheap so I'm not expecting perfect, but if I can make it a little more real looking that'd be great!
All of this hair basically fell out within the last 2 weeks, just for reference. I have alopecia areata and am in such a big flare, I've lost most of my hair. Only a tiny curtain covers the back of my neck.
This is going to be a long post, so grab some popcorn.
I first noticed my first bald spot beginning of January 2026, right after arriving home from a vacation to Disney World. I didn't think much of it and just added some hair oils and vitamins to my routine.
A month later, a couple new spots have formed, and I'm getting increasingly paranoid. I have to wear my hair differently to hide the spots, and I'm starting to worry. I know how a line up of 4 different shampoos I rotate through and wash my hair daily with conditioner.
We finally get an appointment at the dermatologist around the end of March. She diagnoses me with alopecia areata with ophiasis pattern. I get the steroid injections that day in my scalp and am prescribed topical clobetasol solution and topical tofacitinib solution. She also prescribed me oral prednisone for 3 days, which I ended up renewing for the next month.
I apply the topicals daily and all is well. I'm taking vitamin D and viviscal, which is a hair growth multivitamin basically. I start seeing regrowth around end of May/beginning of June. My confidence is coming back and i'm starting to worry less about it.
I will say that the topicals burned my scalp and once I was getting significant regrowth, I applied clobetasol every other day as opposed to daily. Topicals gave me irritation and pimples at first, and I experienced some scalp denting, but I think my scalp got used to it?
By July, most of my original spots have grown in, and my ophiasis has been getting regrowth. Some stubborn spots were filling in slowly, but things were looking up.
End of July I had a family vacation planned, again at Disney world, and this is where things took a HUGE turn for the worse. I'm not sure if it was the stress of travel, but Im now currently in a really, really bad flare up.
New bald spots formed and have connected into each other. Now most of the top of my scalp is visible. Within ONE WEEK, I lost a lot of my regrowth and most of the hair on the very top of my head. Im not even sure this is alopecia anymore. I have a derm appointment next week, if I can even make it that long.
The only things that changed right before the flare up was the travel, I used a scalp sunscreen and a different shampoo? I also used a tofacitinib cream rather than the solution. Nothing else changed.
My basic blood panel came out normal and my vitamin D is normal. I plan on getting some more comprehensive blood tests. And I'm definitely in the market for a wig now, so if anyone has any advice it would be appreciated.
Whoever read to the end of this, thanks for your time, and welcome to my journey.
Edited to mention that I can't run my fingers through my hair without a handful falling out. Handfuls and handfuls come out in the shower now more than EVER before.
I had plain boiled pasta sitting in my fridge and I ate a small bowl of it not knowing it was potentially 2 plus weeks old. How long do I have to live? I'm panicking a little.
I think it's either very old chocolate or granola that has been sitting in my backpack for years. I had no idea it was there unfortunately. I just dumped it out and wiped it with a clorox, but there's still some residue and it's not coming fully clean. Will this be an issue going through TSA?
I'm a groomer and the managers are trying to get me to work a day I wasn't scheduled this week and I already have plans. I told them no already but they said I have to come in. Another groomer last minute requested off so now they expect me to cover her with less than a week's notice. What can I do?
I'm just starting out with balcony gardening and I've had this basil from the supermarket for about a month. She's definitely growing a lot. I've pruned twice already. I water when the soil feels dry when i stick my finger into it. But some leaves are turning a pale yellow and have brown spots? I looked underneath the leaf and there's no fuzzy mold or anything and no bugs. Some leaves also seem to be curling and wilty? Am I overwatering? It is super hot now I live in Dallas TX. She gets mostly indirect sunlight out on my south facing balcony.
I'm desperately trying to figure out how to get a ticket to either Day 1 or Day 2 at the Arlington location. I'm thinking about trying stubhub the day of? Will seat geek open up more tickets the day of? I'm so nervous, is waiting till day of too risky?