Hair Loss Over and Over Again in Cycles

dear doctor,
i am 22 years old. for these 4 years, my hair has lost several times. in fact the first time happened when i was 9. i got some treatment and it grew back. when i was 19, i noticed that my hair fell out some parts. there were just small parts, round size. then i went to the west china hospital which is the best one in the west of china.the treatment went though half a year and i went to see the doctor once a month.they gave me some chinese medicine and something that i can wipe on the non-hair parts. besides that, every month i was taken an injection on non-hair parts. the name of the medicine for the injection is Diprospan Compound Betamethasone Injection after several months, i was recovered.

but, just after half a year. the problem happened again. and i got the same treatment. then after several months it happened again. so, june, 2006 i went back to hospital again. this time, i didnt take those chinese medicines but only got the injection (i made this decision), but the difference is that the doctor didnt inject on my head but my muscle. then after two injections my hair grew back. but i still got injection once a month and it lasted 3 more month. but last month the trouble came back again.that means i only had half a year happy time. this month i got one injection. i wonder what kind of problem it is? why it happens again and again?

thank you very much, sir!

From your description, it sounds like you have a condition called alopecia areata. Your doctors seem to put it into remission with steroid use. Of course, this is only a guess. For more information on alopecia area, please see the National Alopecia Areata Foundation.