Alopecia World
Annette Duran
Female
Los Angeles
United States
Profile Information:
- Relationship Status:
- Single
- About Me:
- I have had alopecia for about 8 yrs now. It all began my Junior year of high school. My hair line started to rise from the back of my head. I was a cheerleader and we had to wear our hair in super high, super tight ponytails, so I figured that was the problem. But then the bald spot just kept getting bigger. For the rest of that year and the next I wore my hair in a half ponytail to pep rallys and games to conceal the bald spots.
It wasn't until my senior year that I was diagnosed with AA and even then I payed no attention because I thought it would just grow back. Slowly but surely my hair started to thin.
By 2002 I was doing musical theatre and I was getting bald spots in the front part of my scalp. My mother, who is a seamstress would make me gorgeous headbands that I would strategically place to hide the spots.
Then a year later my eyebrows started to thin. I remember I had just done a show where I had to wear these leaf looking eyebrows as part of my costume. Since my eyebrows started to go right after that show I thought maybe it was just the glue that made my brows temporarly fall, but then my eyelashes went too.
I went to the dermatologist for the second time and they said I now had Alopecia Universalis. For my next show I wore my first wig and at the end of that show I just kept the wig on.
I began treatment which included getting steroid shots on my head and eyebrows (PAINFUL), and I can tolerate pain. And at the same time I was doing phototherapy which involved me standing in a suntan booth looking cubicle daily. I had to cover every-part of my body except my head, and it was hot. My Photo-therapist Alice was so sweet and supportive.
That treatment did not work. They began to give me the pill form of steroids. And I actually got results, but the symptoms were horrible.... I was always hungry, grumpy, and I gained lots of weight. The wight was not an issue but I felt so unhealthy. I had trouble breathing and my face was constantly swollen. I was still dancing in college but I was so tired I could't keep up. So I decided to stop the pills.
I never felt weird about having Alopecia, I just hated the stares. They were just too questioning. At that time I also worked with kids and that was hard because I didn't want to have to explain it to them. I didn't know how.I felt as if people either knew it was a wig or they didn't. If they assumed it was my hair I felt as if I was lying to them. I couldn't complain, my other health was fine and the disease is not deadly. I hate having to draw my eyebrows every single morning.
8 years later I am just now starting to be open with myself that I have alopecia. This semester was the first time I said out loud in a big group of people and it felt good!
I am a full time television production student that enjoys doing dance and theatre on the side. My friends and family have always been very supportive, especially my sister. Even though I have comfortably adjusted to life with alopecia, I am just now realizing that it is easier to say it out loud. I am actually working on a PSA project for class on Alopecia because I think people with AA need to know that there are support systems out there. I haven't been to any but that will change real soon. - Do you have alopecia?
- Alopecia universalis
- Are you age 18 or older?
- Yes
- Your Website (Leave blank if you don't have one):
- http://www.lndc.tv
JayB
Oct 3, 2008
Tina
Oct 3, 2008
Alexandra Youmazzo
Thanks,
Cezanne Youmazzo
Jan 4, 2009