One of the rarer health issues Jackson experiences is Alopecia Areata. Only about 8% of people with DS also experience Alopecia. Alopecia is an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks the hair follicles and causes bald patches. It can be triggered by thyroid issues, gut issues (candida overgrowth, malabsorption, etc.)-both of which Jackson has experienced- and a host of other things. Often it is unknown what causes it.
There are different types of alopecia. Like I said earlier, Jackson has Alopecia areata, which causes patches of hair loss, and these patches often come and go. Alopecia totalis is total hair loss on the head, and Alopecia universalis is total hair loss over the entire body.
Jackson's dermatologist doesn't think his will turn into totalis or universalis, but there is no way if knowing.
Treatment is also kind of a guessing game as there isn't one that has shown amazing results across the board. Jackson was prescribed a hydrocortisone cream for his head, and we have added biotin to his supplement regimen. As of yet, we haven't had much regrowth. We have also started an essential oil protocol that was shown in a study (and anecdotally by other moms) to cause regrowth, and I am trying to get up the courage to try the autoimmune protocol diet with him to see if it has any effect. Jackson already eats relatively healthily, but the restrictiveness of the AIP diet is quite daunting to me.
Honestly, most days I don't even think about Down syndrome, but I do think about his bald patches quite a bit. I get frustrated that he has something else that will cause him to stand out from his peers. But then I remember that currently these patches don't bother Jackson, they cause no real threat to his health, and little kids are amazingly accepting of people who may be a bit different than them. Thank goodness for the innocence and acceptance of youth!
Here are several links to some of the alternative methods for trying to treat alopecia I have learned about in recent months. I cannot attest to their efficacy, but I wanted to post them just in case others are interested.
If anyone has tried something else that has worked, I'd love to hear about it!
Essential oils
Autoimmune Protocol Diet
No comments:
Post a Comment