Hi everyone. I'm in my late 20s and in hindsight have had AA for about 10 years. When I was younger, it just used to be a small coin sized patch whenever there were exams, then they'd grow back as quickly as they fell out. 2 years ago, life was particularly stressful, more and more patches developed and joined together, and regrowth just didn't happen. I started wearing a wig in January this year. It was more confronting than I expected going in the shop and trying one on. I cried for the 1st time for the loss of my hair. I had never really thought it affected me but obviously it did. My family, friends and boyfriend have all been ultra supportive, and I made the decision on that first trip to the wig shop that I was not going to hide it from anyone. Still, it has been a journey I've been on largely alone. I didn't know anyone else with AA and I felt like I didn't deserve to be upset about the loss of my hair because I wasn't sick like people who lose theirs through chemo. Last night, I couldn't sleep, and stumbled upon this website, I spent literally hours reading through all the discussions and looking at the photos, and eventually, the sun came up for a new day. I am incredibly sleep deprived, but amazingly, I feel different. I feel like I've found a new family and a new group of friends. Even though I haven't met any of you, and probably never will, you have made a difference in my life, and I just wanted to say thank you. =)