I'm reposting a slightly modified version of a post I shared on a community forum from around May 2015.
Around May 2015, while waiting at the bank with my mother, I heard her say, "Why is your hair so thin here?" That day, after going to the hair salon to cut my hair, I discovered three bald spots.
It was near the crown, on the side temple and back of the head. At first, I didn't think much of it and visited a local dermatologist. After an examination and injections, I was told that it would improve with good sleep and nutrition.
However, after about a month passed, my hair started falling out even more when I woke up...
I continued visiting the dermatologist for about three months until my hair had almost completely fallen out, at which point I went to a university hospital for further examination.
At the hospital, they explained that my hair loss was due to weakened immunity...
From then on, I received treatment by applying medication directly to my scalp rather than injections or oral medications.
The treatment involved applying medication (DPCP) all over my scalp.
Since I was a student and had to attend classes, I wore hats almost all the time during the treatment period.
During the initial stages of treatment, I had to check the reaction to the medication applied to my scalp. If the reaction was too strong, they would reduce the concentration to minimize immune reactions. This process took about a month. Then, for about three months, I visited the hospital weekly for scalp medication application. They warned me not to scratch my head on the day of application because the medication was washed off immediately.
As winter approached and my scalp showed less response to the medication, they increased the concentration slightly. Gradually, my scalp started feeling smoother...
Yes, my hair began to grow again... Small white hairs started to emerge little by little. At first, they weren't very noticeable, but they grew more visible over time.
There's hope! Grow, hair, grow!
It grew more noticeable over time, but not enough to remove the hat!
Almost all my hair has grown back... Yet I continue with the treatment. From around this time, the treatment intervals changed to once every two weeks...
The medication concentration remained the same...
This is a photo from August 2016. Yes, my hair has fully grown back... Haha...
In total, the treatment period was about 3 months at the local hospital and 12 months at the university hospital, totaling about 1 year and 3 months...
For your reference, this frontal alopecia was non-genetic. It occurred due to factors like overwork, stress, and irregular lifestyle habits, which lowered my immunity...
Because lifestyle habits aren't easy to change, this condition progressed into frontal alopecia before it could be treated early...
In my immediate family, no one suffers from baldness, but there are cases in my extended family.
When all my hair had fallen out, I resigned myself and hoped it would grow back, but dealing with the aftermath—especially the constant nagging from my family (especially my parents)—was very stressful...
And... if you notice hair loss, please rush to the hospital immediately... Especially if you didn't notice it at first and suddenly wake up to find 30 strands gone in an instant...
That's my recovery journey from frontal alopecia... Thank you!