Anyone have encouraging stories with Alopecia Areta healing?

I have a patch of Alopecia Areta on my head. It is about the width of a deck of playing cards, and about as long as an opened cell phone. It was originally three individual spots which have grown and merged into one large one. I saw a dermatologist a few weeks ago and he prescribed me Topicort Gel which I have been faithfully applying EVERY night. I actually jumped up and down and giggled with excitement when 2 1/2 weeks into the treatment I noticed extremely fine baby hairs growing on my scalp. I had my mom look and double check for me. She confirmed the new growth. This is GREAT!

I'm wondering if anyone else has stories to share of their experience with it? Also, if someone else has used this med on their scalp, and how long it took them to have their hair grow back somewhat normal...just thought I'd throw that out there. If my head gets any worse, I would've had a quickly enlarged selection of hats for my wardrobe and shortly thereafter shopping for a lovely wig if I could afford one (I've no idea how much they cost....but that's to learn another time if need be). So, please share with me if you wish. I'd love to hear.

-Ellie

Thanks for responding:) I have not been happy about losing a huge patch of my hair..to say so would be a lie. However I realize that it's a choice. Daily I have to choose if I want to let loss of hair steal my joy in living or just to let it go and accept it. I can't change it. I am really not in control of whether it grows back or not. God is...so I find my joy in other things...I can't stand the thought of being miserable all the time because of things beyond my control. I ask myself, what can I choose to do, and ask God to help me with the hard emotions I feel. It's not that I don't get down like everyone else, just I try and make a choice overall to be happy, rather than sad. One thing/day at a time. And hey, I'll take all the victorious moments I can get. If I get a little hair back you bet I'm gonna giggle and brag and be happy. It's a gift, really. I'm looking forward to the day when "maybe" I can put all my hair in a pony tail again...that would be swell. Merry Christmas to you Marj:) Take care.

-Ellie

There is something we used to use to grow hair back on our show horses when they had a scar, or a thin tail. On the thin tail, we used listerine. My uncle, a detist, once told me that listerine will grow hair on your tongue. I thought he was joking until I started using it on horse tails. But in that case it kills the bacteria or fungus or whatever and possibly somehow stimulates hair growth.

The second thing really does grow hair and I know people who use it, it is an herbal wound solution called Schreiners Herbal solution and their website has testimonials to hair regrowth. i have been able to regrow hair on horses that have not had hair inthe area for years, sometimes it grows back twice as long in that area when it first grows in and you have to trim it to match, it works that well. Once it grows in you can stop using it on the horse and it will be fixed and keep growing hair. Its weird stuff becaue it only has a few seemingly benign herbs in it, but it definitely grows hair.