r/alopecia_areata

Hi!

Wondering if anyone on oral minoxidil alone had any success. I’m losing hair in my scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, and in my nose. I was planning on starting a JAK inhibitor but my doctor said the side effects/ risks are really bad and talked me out of it.

She said to start with oral minoxidil, but the topical minoxidil never did much. Has anyone had success with it?

Also, I can’t have any steroids so my treatment options are limited. Unfortunately the itching is so bad too and that would have helped.

Thanks so much!!

This is the first time I’ve posted about my experience with AA, but I really want to thank all of you because this community has made it easier for me to deal with AA.
I was diagnosed last year, I’ve always had a really good head of hair & it came out of nowhere, possibly due to stress or losing my best friend of 10 years a couple of years ago, idk.
it started out small with two spots and now I have 5 spots. I receive steroid injections monthly and I’m too scared to take minoxidil.

I was considering JAK inhibitors but I’m not sure it’s worth the potential side effects.

If anyone has positive stories about remission, please share your experiences. I want to feel hopeful about this mess of a condition.

Whoever is reading this, I want to say it does get better. I’ve seen tons of regrowth with injections and acceptance :)
Thank you everyone.

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!

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.

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?

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

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.

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. 🙏🏻💜

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.