Struggle With Self Image Or A Bold, Beautiful Life: The Battle And Triumph Of Alopecia

By Sydney Cooper on September 4, 2016

*This article was written in honor of Alopecia Awareness Month*

Imagine going almost two decades of your life with a clean bill of health. One day you go to the salon and your stylist, with a concerned expression, tells you they never noticed a certain bald spot on your head. You feel distraught as they turn your head, move your hair and reveal a patch of skin in the middle of your beautiful locks of hair.

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Immediately you wonder what is going on. What could be wrong? After searching, you find out that you need to visit a dermatologist. The dermatologist takes a look at the spot, asks you a couple of standard questions, then finally comes to a conclusion: the diagnosis of alopecia.

Unfortunately, alopecia is a life-long auto immune disease. Over time, your body will mistakenly attack your hair follicles, causing hair loss. Where does alopecia attack? The disease can take effect on any part of the body, but not in all cases.

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There are three types of alopecia: patchy, totalis and universalis. The most common form of alopecia, patchy, is presented as small, individual patches around the head. Alopecia totalis is total loss of all the scalp hair. Making a rare appearance, alopecia universalis is total loss of all body hair.

What is the cause of alopecia? Unfortunately, the root cause is unknown. However, there are many factors that can determine whether or not someone has alopecia. These things can range from stress, to another health problem or to a certain medication you are taking. Besides medical causes, alopecia can occur depending on how you treat and care for your hair on a daily basis. Genetics could also play a factor in whether or not the disease appears.

Treatments are available for alopecia; however, there is no cure. Different methods of treatment can include three month steroid shots in the arm, three month shots in the affected area (these shots only pierce the skin), and topical medication.

Life with alopecia can make you feel insecure about yourself. People may look at you funny and judge you, or even tease you to your face. Alopecia is hard to live with. You could be showering or just brushing your hair and notice the heavy amount of hair that comes off your head daily.

The emotional toll is difficult to cope with sometimes. You do not feel normal or attractive due to the severe hair loss. Ugly is the word you use to describe yourself; beautiful becomes a faded memory.

Instead of being in a funk, you can begin a various collection of wigs and flaunt them all. Or, if you want to be bold, embrace the baldness and just rock being hairless. Why do this? Losing your hair is not the end of the world, nor is alopecia because, eventually, your natural hair will grow back.

You just have to wait.

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In the meantime, be fierce and bold, embrace the way you are. Being positive about the situation will boost your confidence and help you realize that most people will not care you are missing patches of hair or have lost it all.

More importantly, the more you accept and embrace alopecia, the more you will love and appreciate yourself for who you are. Once you reach that point, you will be unbreakable.

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