Dr. Eleojo Achimugu is a doctor, but that did not make her own experience with lichen planopilaris any less uncertain. In this chapter of The Baldcast, she tells Dr. Sanusi Umar how worsening scalp symptoms led her to search urgently for someone with specialist knowledge of hair.
Waiting for the Right Specialist
Eleojo was awaiting an appointment with a dermatologist who had a specialist interest in hair. While she waited, she says her symptoms became worse. The gap between needing help and reaching the appropriate specialist became an important part of her account.
The conversation begins with Dr. Umar asking how her LPP was diagnosed. Rather than moving straight to an answer, Eleojo describes what was happening while she tried to secure the care she needed. Her story places the search for expertise at the center of this chapter.
The condition discussed is lichen planopilaris (LPP), identified in the accompanying chapter description as a form of inflammatory scarring alopecia. Eleojo does not describe a successful treatment or a final resolution in this excerpt.
When Symptoms Would Not Settle
Eleojo says her general practitioner had already prescribed steroid ointments. Yet, in her words, her symptoms “hadn’t calmed down.” She was still looking for a way forward as the wait for specialist assessment continued.
That uncertainty led to a choice she recognized as inconsistent with the advice she would ordinarily give others. “I was desperate trying things off the internet,” she says. “The very things I’d say to people, don’t do.” Her admission conveys the pressure of persistent symptoms without suggesting that any particular online remedy helped.
Traveling Beyond London for Someone Who Would Listen
Eleojo then contacted a medical trichologist she had met previously, Dr. Wilson. She traveled from London to see her outside the city. Eleojo explains that she wanted “someone who would take my hair seriously.”
Her words underline what mattered to her in that moment: being heard by a professional with relevant expertise. The chapter does not establish what happened at that appointment or whether a specific treatment followed.
A Doctor Seeking Answers as a Patient
In this exchange, Dr. Umar guides the discussion by asking about the path to Eleojo’s LPP diagnosis. Eleojo’s response is a reminder that medical training does not remove the personal uncertainty of dealing with symptoms that continue despite prescribed care.
The chapter leaves the focus on her determination to find an appropriate specialist, rather than claiming an outcome that has not yet been described. Her account continues in The Baldcast.
Watch the Chapter
The Baldcast, Episode 7, Chapter 04: “Desperate for Answers”
Take the Next Step
Follow The Baldcast for the next chapter. Series playlist: [[ADD SERIES PLAYLIST URL]]. Consultation: [[ADD CONSULTATION URL]]. Lichen planopilaris information: [[ADD CONDITION PAGE URL]].
Medical Disclaimer
This article shares one person’s experience for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult a qualified clinician about persistent scalp symptoms or hair loss.
Further Reading
- https://dru.com/lichen-planopilaris-hair-surgeon-patient-story/
- Umar S, Kan P, Carter MJ, Shitabata P, Novosilska M. Lichen Planopilaris Responsive to a Novel Phytoactive Botanical Treatment: A Case Series. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2022 Jul;12(7):1697-1710. doi: 10.1007/s13555-022-00749-3. Epub 2022 Jun 8. PMID: 35674981; PMCID: PMC9276860.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9276860/
