Kids & teens: Never let alopecia hold you back

I've had alopecia totalis for my whole life. I wore a wig for the first 18 years because my parents wanted me to, and I didn't know any different.

Yes, I was picked on by bullies, and I hated that. My way of dealing with that was to do my best to excel at academics and sports. My sport was running...yours can be anything!

I went into the Corps of Cadets and Texas A&M and got rid of the wig FOREVER! Just retired from a 20 year career in the military and loved it.

Teens: don't think that alopecia has to hold you back from anything...it won't. Alopecia is a nuisance and won't stand in your way of fulfilling any of your dreams.

I have a 25 year old son who just graduated from college, and 12 and 13 year old boys in 6th and 7th grades. I remember how hard those years, in particular, were and with alopecia, sometimes I wonder how I kept my sanity!

Currently, I am a professional historian working at an Air Force base in Florida and love it! If I've hit a topic that parents or anyone is interested in, I'm happy to talk.

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Permalink Reply by Linda on December 19, 2013 at 6:22am

Thank you very much for sharing your story Ted. I have full respect for making the move to get rid of that wig. No matter after how many years. You just DID it. After losing my hear at age five and wearing a scarf mostly I had a wig period from age seven to eight then back to a scarf. Now being thirtythree I still work on my dream on going bald. Your story pushes me further on getting close to that aim If not today or the next day, it`s mostly about mentally working out to get FORWARD.

Permalink Reply by Ted Roberts on December 19, 2013 at 7:56am

Linda, I'm always a very frank person. You know what you want, but I think you are held back by what other people will think. Get past that. People will accept you as you are, especially if you carry yourself confidently. Don't worry about them! Will people state?  Some will. Kids don't know better, and some adults don't either. When I was younger, ANYONE going around bald would have been an oddity. In the mid 80s that changed, and many, many men just shaved it all off. Not so much with women. So, YOU be one of the first and give confidence to the young girls with alopecia who will follow you. :D  Ted

Permalink Reply by Linda on December 19, 2013 at 9:13am

Ted, you encourage me. Once the weather becomes warmer again I might start first steps WITHOUT.

Permalink Reply by Wind on December 19, 2013 at 8:23am

Thank you very mcuh Ted for sharing your positive story.  I think the hardest thing is to overcome oneself, reading positive stories certainly encourages.  I wish you and your family all the best!

 

 

Permalink Reply by Ted Roberts on December 19, 2013 at 9:47am

I promise you that I faced all the same fears and challenges that all alopecia folks face. Having worn a wig my entire childhood, it was no easy decision to just take it off and go out to face the world. Seriously, I might as well have got out butt naked. You know, that lasted about 3 days. It wasn't a problem for anyone else--just me, emotionally, and I got over it quickly. God was looking out for me though, because he allowed me to have hair in the "necessary" regions while I was in school and college. It was only when I was about 25 that he decided to take that away too. My boys would have a fit if I told them I was going to start wearing a wig. "We wouldn't even recognize you!"

Permalink Reply by Rose Marie' on December 19, 2013 at 12:43pm

Hi

Thanks for being here and contributing.  It sounds like you are someone that many teenagers will learn from.  It is so very difficult having alopecia and growing up with it.  I'll very much look forward to your posts.

Rosy

Permalink Reply by Lilac on December 30, 2013 at 4:29pm

Hello, thank you for sharing your story. I'm not a teenager as my age is 19, but during my teenage years, it was very difficult to cope with alopecia (AGA) alone. I was diagnosed with alopecia at age 16, and it was honestly one of the most challenging years in my life. I even questioned myself at some points along this journey: "how am I going to maintain my sanity?" There were moments where I seriously thought I was going insane but somehow maintained my composure and moved on. 


To this day, it's still difficult to deal with it - I'm already past the "acceptance" stage of alopecia, and now I only need support to get rid of the ******* ugly hair I have on my scalp. I mentioned that I have androgenetic alopecia, so my hair is really thin and very diffuse. Nobody will understand me, they will often tell me that it's just stress-related. It's not. I know it. It's my head and body, so I know what I'm talking about. 

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