Hi.  I am new to 'friend', so I hope this works.  Anyway, she was 4 years old when she developed one patch and then when i looked i noticed that she also had it along the nape of the neck.  It regrew completely after about 6 months or so.  She also lost her arm and leg hair.  It started 2 days after I was transitioning her to her own bed (a 'stressful' event).  She had another brief episode a few years later that she could hide by creative hair design.  And this current episode has lasted about 4 months so far and is extensive, especially when you look through her hair.  She cannot hide the spots this time as there are 2 large spots right on the top of her head (the large spots along the hairline she can 'hide').  She also lost part of her eyebrow (she used an eyebrow pencil herself without even asking and it was hardly noticeable), and lost all her arms and leg hair, but all seem to be regrowing again. There is no rhyme or reason, but this latest episode started after a bad cold.  I have found alopeciaworld to be incredibly informative, and it gives me a lot of strength.  The courage and strength of its members is truly empowering!

Hi MomLynne-my daughter is 8 and also in denial.  She is in her 3rd and longest bout with alopecia, having lost about 75+% of her hair over the past 4 months or so. She still does not want to talk about it, nor does she want to go to activities with other children with alopecia, and she does not tell her friends.  She is stylish and wears scarves or broad headbands or hats to 'hide' her spots. She just had a sleepover and wore a scarf to bed 'because she wanted to'.  She had a pool party and wore a special swim cap and told her friends that she liked it and that is why she wore it.  I just got her hatswithhair.com which she loves.  I am taking my cue from her.  She does not cover her head when she is home.  I would love for her to be open about it in public and just say wtf, but she copes with it by denying it to others and just lives her life. I guess she is in the first stage of 'loss', the denial stage.  I am sure it will be a journey, but this is where we are now.  Maybe she will be in this stage for a short time, and maybe a long time. Who knows.  Check out hatswithhair.com.  I learned of it through this site and it has been a blessing.  She loves how real the hair looks, it stays on with tumbling, swimming etc.  It is not cheap (~ 250), but for us a good investment.  Good luck to you and your daughter.

We live in Bloomsburg, Pa but have relatives in Ashburn , Va.  How far is Sterling from that?