Starting university

I'd love some advice or stories about starting University with alopecia.

I'm 18, moving away to study and will be living in student accommodation with 8-11 people whom I won't know. At home I haven't talked about it to anyone and kept everything to myself for the last year and a half, so I don't know when and how to tell my flat mates when I go? I'd like to be able to talk about it and let close friends see me without my wig (although I still feel I have a long way to go to get there). Just a bit scared and don't know what to expect when I tell others.

Leanne xx

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Permalink Reply by Debs on May 25, 2014 at 7:19am
Maybe start as you mean to go on. If you want to be able to relax and not wear a wig all the time i suggest wearing a scarf, bandana or a buff when you take your wig off, that way you dont have to face the world in your bare head but you are not restricted to always wearing a wig. When you pop a head covering on you can explain as much as you feel comfortable with. If you do sports at uni you might find it better to wear bandanas or buffs so you feel nice and cool. I dont think you need to go bareheaded if you dont want to and if people at uni see you in head coverings from the very beginning they will just accept it as part if you. Everyone will be missing home and hoping to meet nice friendly people to hang with so their focus will be very much on personality and not on each others hair. I am sure you will meet lots of great new friends. I get Nike bandanas by rhe way they look pretty cool. Good luck and enjoy uni.
Permalink Reply by Rose Marie' on May 25, 2014 at 3:38pm

Hello Leanne

I believe at every age and stage there are challenges with managing alopecia.  What you have been doing while at high school has worked, but now life is changing and you need to change with it.  

Debs suggestions are very good ones as a hat or bandana may be the ticket to break the ice, so you can explain your alopecia to those that you are living with.  Then the choice to wear a wig is just that ...a choice.  

Good luck with everything

Rosy

Permalink Reply by Lyndsey Pitchford on June 26, 2014 at 5:32am

I decided to just turn up at uni with a hat on rather than a wig and it was clear that I was bald but it meant people knew straight away and everything was out in the open. I know that is a difficult decision to make but from my experience people at uni are a lot more mature and understanding and nobody ever said anything hurtful etc, if anything it was a conversation starter with new people. Everyone just got used to that being the way I was so quickly that when I had regrowth in my second year, it was then people started to stare. Whatever you choose to do I hope it goes well but I'm sure it will as like I said, uni is a very different environment. xxx

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