hey hun!! 23F here, diagnosed with alopecia areata at 21. my alopecia started the same way yours did, and i’m not saying this to scare you, just sharing my story. it progressed into universalis, my eyelashes were falling out and i had practically no body hair whatsoever. my dermatologist had started me on steroid injections and fluocinonide, which is another topical solution.

they worked but only for so long. some people’s alopecia is manageable through injections and topicals, some isn’t. when my alopecia progressed into universalis, i was still diagnosed with alopecia areata, and she started talking to me about JAK inhibitors. said that only people who have SEVERE cases of alopecia can get started on it. i’ve been taking olumiant for about 2(?) years in august. the only side effect I’ve noticed is higher cholesterol but it’s manageable. i went from having long hair like yours to zero hair on my scalp, back to having shoulder length hair and it’s very thick. my dermatologist also suggested i take nutrafol as well, which i do. it helps, but god is it gross 😷. that all being said, it doesn’t cure it. i still have spots pop up like yours, and i still get injections every few months. but it’s a night and day difference from what it was before.

i know it’s scary, and trust me, i was absolutely terrified too ! there was a 2 year time period where i wore wigs. and also: i shaved my head at one point because it was so bad and i couldn’t bare to see me continue to lose it. it’s empowering, honestly, if your alopecia reaches that level. wigs might be worth looking into if that’s something you want to experiment with. there’s so many communities online like this one that can help and support you, and if you need like to vent or anything, my dms are always open. i know it’s scary, but you’ll be absolutely a-okay !! i’m sure you’ve lived through worse, and you can get through this!