I am a 26 year old female and felt like the world was mine, and then this happened and now I would rather hide, so I understand about feeling like a freak. But I think we all have to remember that we have nothing to be ashamed of This disease is more widespread than we think and people are more understanding than we give them credit for. We can all still live long and happy, if a little self consciously. Since getting AU, I have heard of so many people who have friends or family with this disease - there are a lot of us, and we are still lovable, attractive, successful and admired. We may look different but if we can overcome the self-imposed stigma of it, I think it will just serve to make us stronger.
Speaking as a woman, let’s give our daughters, sisters and mothers a good example for self-respect, and show them how to be fearless, how to overcome obstacles and show them that women are more than long shiny hair and a media approved image.
I know I am young and have not yet suffered with this disease as long as any of you, so it is likely easier for me to say these things. I just hope to remain this optimistic and not let it get the better of me. We are all more than our hair. And if being bald and shapely or hairy and fat is the choice, I choose to keep my body healthy on the inside instead of just looking it on the outside.
Thanks to all of you, I wish you all the best and just remember, you are more than your hair and do not accept feeling like a freak! Remember the people that love you when you are at home and hairless for all to see, what they see in you is what you truly are, not the you that has to wear a wig so people don’t stare or the one who has come to hate the wind.
A:
I like your attitude. Treatment of Alopecia Universalis (AU) could be difficult or impossible in some cases. You have to come to my office and talk to some of my patients who think the world has come to an end because they are losing their hair.
This is what I always say to my patients: It is important to try to look your best. If you have the option to change your appearance for the better, do it as much as possible, but for the part that you cannot change, accept it. Learn to use it to your advantage and learn to love it.
We just had a hair transplant surgery for a child with Congenital Temporal Triangular Alopecia (CTTA) yesterday. He had a patch of baldness since birth and it started to bother him at school recently to the degree that he could not even wait until winter break – the time his parents originally planned to get it restored. The procedure went well and we densely packed 470 follicular unit grafts onto the bald patch of his temple area. He is happy and looking forward to the final growth of the grafts in a few months.
