On occasion while I am at work, commuting, or just outside I will cross paths with someone else who has alopecia.  Usually they don't really notice me but when they do notice, I sometimes feel their curiosity.  I can sense that they are curious to see if I also have alopecia areata or something else or perhaps I have male pattern baldness and I look young for my age.  When I was a little bit younger, strangers with alopecia would see me and silently acknowledge me with their eyes like, "cool…

Every time I'm in a new environment, like a new job, a new apartment, or starting my masters program, I inevitably get asked, "hey so why do you cut/shave your hair like that?" or "so when are you going to start letting your hair grow out again?" Admittedly, when I was younger and I first shaved my head, I told most of my friends that I shaved it off for some reason or another, I forget. I was still very afraid and almost ashamed to come clean with my friends and say "Hey what you thought…