Being diagnosed with Alopecia Areata at the age of two has really shaped me into the beautiful woman I am today. It is a love-hate relationship for sure but in hindsight, I wouldn't trade my condition for anything. Alopecia is a roller coaster of highs and lows. It's not an easy ride for anyone, but with the help of my amazing support group of family and friends I have not let Alopecia get the best of me. For their support over the years, I am eternally grateful. Overcoming Alopecia wasn't easy and it is still something I struggle with today. Alopecia is and always will be an intrinsic part of who I am and who I hope to be.

Woah, rewind. Let's talk about growing up really fast. Growing up is hard, for anyone. But for me, it was an experience that I want to forget and treasure forever at the same time. You never know who may impact your life at any age, but those impactful moments never fade from the lives you touch. Being diagnosed at 2, I had no hair until about kindergarten. I will never forget my mom handing me a packet of "Alopecia" pamphlets to give out to anyone who asked if I was sick. She always said the way to overcome ignorance is to educate and she continues to live by that today. I had a full head of hair from the time I was 6 until about 12; I was finally, for the first time in my life... "normal." Then one day came where I started to form a huge bald spot at the start of my hairline. Thankfully, I was able to cover it up with my bangs! That was until my bangs started to fall out too.

You see, Alopecia has this sneaky way of letting you think everything's going okay in the hair department and then one day, something triggers it to fall out. It can seem like overnight in many cases, and for mine, that is what it felt like. One day I'm just like everyone else and in a single weekend, my hair was practically gone and I'd turned right back into "the bald girl." Bullying is an understatement; I was tortured with words, stares and comments which came from people of all ages. At midnight, in the middle of December, my mom and I stood in the bathroom where the tormenting was going to come to an end. I made the decision to overcome Alopecia with my mom's steady hand and an electric razor. Tears streamed down my face as I could taste the salt on my lips, but all I could tell myself was, "it's just hair, it doesn't matter... right?"

At the age of 12, with a sea of hair around my ankles, I completely took a hold of my life for the better. I used to hate that I had Alopecia; I tried to hide it at every chance I could get. I didn't want to be seen as "different." But do you know what? All the best kind of people are. My family struggled to cope with it as much as I did. The word "bald" wasn't even allowed to be spoken in my house because it was more of a curse word than a descriptive word. I had been teased and tormented by that stupid word for so many years but I AM THAT BALD GIRL and that is perfectly okay.

Unlike Alopecia, this realization didn't hit me overnight. I have struggled internally and so have many others in my life. Now I am 20 and I have been "the bald girl" for 8 years. I have never loved myself more because of it. I have been able to influence young girls' lives through Alopecia by helping them cope with their own hair loss. This is really important to me because when I was younger I didn't really have an adult I could relate to about Alopecia. My parents, who are amazing in every way, no matter how hard they tried, could never relate to me like someone with Alopecia could. They did try their very best to make me feel comfortable and make it as easy for me as possible, but the truth is, it isn't easy. It is not easy to be different, especially in a society where there is so much attention put on exterior features of a person. So I try to help younger people struggling with Alopecia realize that hair doesn't define you.

Through Alopecia, I have met amazing people at different camps and support groups that have influenced me to realize that I am beautiful even if it is not a "norm." Even at 20, I still lose sight of what is defined as beautiful because my judgment gets clouded and murky when there is a bad day that comes along. Bad days still occur of course, but there are more good days than bad and that is what matters. Bald is no longer a dirty word, and I accept Alopecia fully as a part of who I am. Alopecia, thank you for everything that you have taught me and for allowing me to touch people's lives in a way that I could never have fathomed. I am The Bald Girl and I am proud of it!