On Thursday my registration pack arrived for Walk for Skin with a lovely blue t-shirt.
Hubby and I will be walking 5 miles, not much of a challenge for us, but then this walk is only about raising awareness for the two skin conditions I have, Alopecia and Lichen Sclerosus and their support groups Alopecia UK and National Lichen Sclerosus Support Group.
I have had alopecia since the age of 4 and last year lost almost all of my hair on the right side of my head, with further bald patches over the remainder and the loss of an eyebrow and most of my eyelashes.
I started Contact Sensitisation Treatment in January 2010. This involves initially applying a strong sensitizer (usually a chemical called diphencyprone) to the skin of a person with alopecia areata to make them allergic to it. Then weaker strengths of the sensitizer are applied to the bald areas every week to produce a mild allergic dermatitis. A worthwhile regrowth will occur in up to 50% of sufferers in about 6 months. The treatment however may produce some severe local reactions. Loss of skin colour (depigmentation) may develop, so it is used with caution on those with dark skin. After several weeks of treatment I am pleased to say that I am beginning to get some re-growth.
My treatment does make my head red and scaly, which becomes itchy, some days all I do is scratch my head
Due to the almost complete hair loss on one side of my head, I decided to shave my hair off entirely. It would have been weird if I had left it as when it began to grow back I would have one long side and one short and ended up looking like the lead singer of Human League in the eighties.
Due to my being on reception all day at work I did not think a bald head gave a good impression so I have bought a wig. It was great looking at different wig styles with my colleagues.
On returning to work on the Monday after I got my wig my colleagues declared that they loved it, they can't believe how great it looks and that it takes no styling.
I was diagnosed with Lichen sclerosus about ten years ago and have regular flare ups and am currently being seen by two different hospital departments, gynaecology and dermatology. As with alopecia there is unfortunately no cure and it is treated with a steroid cream. Symptoms are different for each person, but the itching can drive you insane.
http://www.britishskinfoundation.org.uk/standard.aspx?id=2673
http://www.alopeciaonline.org.uk/index2.asp
http://www.lichensclerosus.org/
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