September is Alopecia Awareness Month and I was lucky enough to ask some questions to someone who has been impacted by Alopecia first hand. It is so important to raise awareness for Alopecia, few people understand the impact that it can have. Here is my interview with someone who was recently diagnosed, Emily White.
How can you best explain Alopecia?
"Alopecia is the partial or complete absence of hair from areas of the body where it normally grows; baldness."
When did you first find out that you had Alopecia? What were your first thoughts/feelings?
"I first found out that I had Alopecia June 2015. My first thoughts when I found out that I had Alopecia was upset. I was so upset, like what 18-year-old girl starts losing her hair? I couldn't look at my mirror for the longest time or even take a picture I was so embarrassed to go out and do anything. I was upset that this happened to me, 2 out of 100 people have Alopecia. How could I be one of the two that get it?"
What types of treatments are available (if any)?
"There is no treatment for Alopecia. There are different things that work for different people but I haven't found anything that works for me."
Other than physical, has Alopecia affected social life at all?
"When I first found out that I had Alopecia my social life was definitely affected. I didn't want to go out and see my friends or even explain what was happening to me. I lost touch with all of my friends from high school. It was really hard to go out of my house the summer of 2015. I became very shy and not outgoing at all I became a totally different person."
Did you/do you wear wigs? Was it hard for you to not wear a wig?
"I did wear wigs for about a half a year. I have two completely different wigs. One's short and red and my other one is long blond with bangs. I decided I wanted a wig because I decided to shave my head completely because it was getting to hard to cover up all my bald spots on my head. I would cover up all my bald spots with baseball hats and wide headbands. When I got my first wig I cried. It was such an emotional experience that I can't even begin to describe what it felt like. The women that helped me pick out my first wig were amazing and I will never forget their kindness. My wig made me feel pretty and confident. One thing that I didn't know about wigs until after I got it was how much work they were!!! I would have to style them, brush them, and wash them just like real hair. They were also very hot to wear and I would always be messing with it because I wasn't used to having hair in my face. So I switched to wearing scarfs all the time and I would occasionally wear my wigs when I went out. I would never go out in public without something on my head."
How has Alopecia changed you for the better?
"Alopecia has completely changed me and the way I look at the world. I've become a more positive person and more outgoing once I realized that I didn't need hair to be happy. I want people to ask me about my hair because I get to inform them about Alopecia. I've realized that everyone is going through something and I don't want them to feel alone the way I felt when I first was diagnosed with Alopecia."
What have you learned about yourself through your experience?
"I've learned that I am confident. Bald but beautiful."
What is one of the hardest things you have dealt with or experienced?
"That hardest thing I have dealt with is deciding to not wear anything on my head. I was afraid what people would say about me. At my school, I was the bald girl but now I'm just Emily. It also hard to go into public and have people stare at me."
What is a lesson you have learned throughout your experience so far?
"A lesson that I have learned is, be yourself and don't let anyone bring you down because everyone has flaws. Love yourself!!"
How do you define beauty? Has your definition of beauty changed since your experience with Alopecia?
"I define beauty as your personality. My definition of beauty has definitely changed ever since I've had Alopecia. Before Alopecia I always thought of beauty as hair makeup. Every day I would do my hair and makeup and make sure they were perfect because that is what everyone sees and that is your beauty. I defined beauty as a thing...that doesn't even matter. Having Alopecia made me realize there's a lot more to a person than just hair and makeup. Beauty is what's inside you. It's the thing that makes a person smile, the twinkle in someone's eye, when a person's cheeks get red when they start talking, someone's laugh, the way someone is talking about something they love. These are just a few of the things that I define beauty as"
What is something you wish people would better understand about Alopecia?
"I wish people would understand that I don't have cancer and that I'm okay and I'm healthy I just don't have hair.
One thing I took for granted when I had hair was letting it fly around in the car with the windows down. I would always have the windows rolled up because I didn't want to mess up my hair. If I could go back that's one thing I would change. I would give anything to let my hair blow all in my face with the windows down one last time."
It was such an honor to talk to Emily about her experiences. It's important to remember that you never know what someone could be going through. Everyone is fighting their own battles, so be courteous and kind, and it's always smart to educate yourself on things like this. Thanks again Emily!
