2007 Photos

Photos taken with Alopecia Areata Universalis.

Explaining Alopecia

Most people have never heard of Alopecia Areata. So trying to explain myself can be quite difficult. Several times I have gotten a response of "yeah, an old friend or classmate had that." I mostly try to portray to people that despite the baldness, I am healthy and happy. Nonetheless some still do not grasp my explanations.

After about five months of sporting my new bald look, I still had a few acquaintances ask, "When are you going to let your hair grow back?" My thoughts raced through a series of unbecoming responses before I settled on, "It will grow back in time." I have total respect for men who have that nice shaved looked everyday. When my hair starts to grow back, I will not hold on to the bald look. Long locks that I can eventually donate to Locks Of Love will be my style!

Rogaine

My dermatologist suggested that I use Rogaine. He said to use the generic over-the-counter Minoxidil Topical. This is not a cure for Alopecia, but a stimulant for hair growth.

I used the box treatment and found this treatment ineffective for me. When applied to the scalp, there is an initial tingling and the head massage offers unique pampering. The main reason my doctor suggested the treatment to increase the blood flow to the scalp which is known to help re-growth. However Minoxidil (Rogaine) treatments could get pricey over the span of 3 or 4 years of baldness. I have chose "rubbing therapy" on my own. My personal theory is that during these early stages of hair loss the Minoxidil (Rogaine) style treatment does not help. Maybe when the hair on my legs or arms starts to grow back, I will begin another round of Minoxidil (Rogaine) treatments on my scalp.

Inquisitive Tikes

Who do you relate with? Some are relate better with people their own age or elderly or teens, but I have discovered a new relational bond while having Alopecia Areata Universalis. This is going to sound really funny. I seem to have a unique connection with toddlers. From grocery stores to amusement parks, crying to inquisitive tikes, babies seem to stop in their tracks with a face of "she looks like me but she's so much bigger." There is something about the shared baldness that can make a crying baby stop or a thoughtful baby want to touch my head. Although I am a stranger, there seems to be some kind of unique connection. Maybe the balding trait is why babies love their grandfather's so much.

Family Viewing

The mourning of the death of my uncle brought on a rollercoaster week of family gatherings. We all flew in from different places to be together. My uncle had fought strongly against cancer for several years and it was time to celebrate his life.

Many close family members would see me for the first time without any hair. Although most of them had seen my little bald spots as a child and I did not know how they would react to my new look.

I chose to arrive with my wig and keep it on as much as possible in order not to remind anyone of the trials my uncle faced through chemotherapy treatments. When most people see someone with Alopecia Areata, they think that person is afflicted with cancer.

In private times with different family members, I would show off the beauty of my baldness. My family is so amazingly supportive and their words were so uplifting. In a beautiful way, this week I learned so much about life.

One Mystery Solved

The exact cause of Alopecia Areata is still unknown and most lean toward heredity as a major factor. My family always had one question, "Where did she get Alopecia?" No one else exhibited hair loss and my older relatives could remember no distant figure with the condition.

An unsolved mystery until a casual conversation between my aunt and her cousin. My third cousin had just experienced complete hair loss and was diagnosed for the first time with Alopecia Areata. Unlike myself, who was diagnosed in childhood, my cousin experienced his first loss in his late twenties. His grandmother and my grandfather were siblings, and now for the first time I discovered that my autoimmune disease was truly hereditary.

The fact that my cousin and I are experiencing baldness at the same time is hard to believe. I wonder how my great-great-...relative, whoever he or she maybe, dealt with hair loss centuries ago.

Nice Perspective

Shortly after I lost all my hair, a friend sent me this email forward. The story has been sent to me several times since and is a nice life perspective. Enjoy.



There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and she only had 3 hairs on her head. Well, she said I think I'll braid my hair today. And she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and she saw she had only 2 hairs on her head. Well she said, I think I will part my hair down the middle today, and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and had only 1 hair on her head. Well, she said I think I will wear my hair in a ponytail today, and she had a fun fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed she had NOT one single hair on her head. Yea, she exclaimed.. I don't have to fix my hair today.

Attitude is everything, Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. Live simply, Love generously, Care deeply, and Speak Kindly.. Leave the rest to faith or God..

Wedding Wig

The wig worked very well for the wedding. Noone but close friends knew that I had lost my hair. I found myself very concious of the wigs position. I adjusted its postion often and went to the restroom several times to check on how I looked. This was the first, and one of the few, events I would wear the wig. The disguise kept me away from awkward conversations with people I rarely see, but in every day life I choose to go natural.

Ice Breaker

A lot of my friends and I have moved away from each other since school. With a houndstooth hat covering my smooth head and my wig packed away, I boarded a plane for a friend's wedding. This would be the first time that one of my best friend's would see me since the hair loss. She is always supportive of my crazy adventures, but I do not think she knew exactly what I would look like.

Our meeting at the airport was perfectly normal. Most people that have not seen me in a while do not know quite what to say about my condition. I look the same and yet I am missing my thick head of hair. We drove to her place talking like we had never been apart, and yet there was little discussion about how I looked.

Then, a funny moment broke the ice. She lived in a third floor apartment and on the second flight of stairs we passed a man who gave us a funny look. Here I was, the bald girl, lugging a big piece of luggage while my friend had only a little purse in hand. Once in the apartment, we laughed hysterically wondering what the guy was thinking. ‘Why would that girl make the poor cancer patient carry a heavy bag up three flights of stairs?’

A Boyfriend's Surprise

On a warmer than usual day in January, I decided to go to the river walk with my boyfriend. I was pleasantly surprised to find that he had shaved his head. I never prompted him to follow in my new look. Despite spending a lot of work hours outside, he kept a fresh shave throughout the cold winter. We are no longer together, but the sentiment of him shaving his head perfectly describes his attitude toward my Alopecia. I will always be thankful for having such a great boyfriend during my stages of hair loss.

First Wig

I purchased one nice wig after I lost all my hair. I was going to an out-of-town wedding in a few weeks and I did not want the focus to be on my baldness. The biggest problem with my wig purchase is that I did not have a lot of time before I needed it. So instead of checking out the cancer center and the old wigs shops in town or going on a Chicago shopping trip, I thought buying online would be the easiest.

Shopping online for a wig can be quite intimidating. Finding secure sites, styles, colors, sizes, and price make for a tedious shopping experience. I narrowed down the wigs to a few of my favorites and let my family pick the winner. I had the hardest time determining the color. The online color swatches might not be the actual wig color. A consumer can order a color swatch from the company, but that takes time and I was in a hurry to get the wig shipped. I decided on a Raquel Welch wig at Wigs.com for about $250. This is pricey, but I wanted good quality and I plan to eventually donate the wig.

When the wig arrived, it was nothing like my original hair. The different color and style were a bit refreshing for me, but those close to me did not like the change. Overall the wig turned out to be a good buy for the wedding.

Be cautious if you order your first wig online. Make sure you get the right size and order a color swatch before purchasing. My experience did not provide the greatest satisfaction, but I think part of this perception is from me not liking wigs to begin with.