Comment by leah on August 9, 2016 at 5:47pm

Awesome, thanks Cheryl! And gorgeous pictures and beautiful story:)

Comment by Lauren on August 9, 2016 at 6:19pm

This is beautiful :)

Comment by Kimberly on August 9, 2016 at 6:59pm

You are beautiful! Thank you for sharing your story. Stories like this make having Alopecia not suck so bad. I hope one day I can be as brave as you Caroline!

Comment by Dorothy on August 9, 2016 at 7:30pm

My AU started at the birth of my now 43 yr old daughter, all the things said about fearing babies would pull off the wig in public...true so it was easy to teach my own to never touch my hair, not so easy to teach nieces and nephews, so I NEVER held them.  Same with never letting my kids have other kids over night...scared to death my horrid secret would escape, well except slumber parties, to many girls to pay attention to me.  Kept my distance from my kids friends, just did not want to be known as the freak mom.  All my kids are grown and now I pray my kids will never have kids, do not want to be a freak grandma, I do not want to be that grandma who is different.  Sorry, but it is the truth, I may have accepted this is my life, but I don't have to accept that I have to share this with yet another generation.  Bad enough I do not know what the nieces and nephews are new telling their kids about this aunt and their reaction when they finally see me.

Comment by dreamscometrue on August 9, 2016 at 7:47pm

First of all, you're gorgeous! Your makeup looks FABULOUS!! I love this kinda gorgeous because to me it shows real beauty. I first developed AA in high school at 16.  MY sister put a relaxer in my hair and kept it on too long and the whole left side of my hair was chemically burned to the scalp.  Eventually it grew back, but intermittently I started getting patches.  After the birth of my first child at 23, it got worse and eventually at 25 I had AU.  Its been that way ever since.  I'm not 53 and I have some new growth I started to experience about 2 months ago.  My daughter says I have too many hair all over my head to count.  Dark hairs.  A few strands are about 2 inches long now

Comment by ladybug on August 15, 2016 at 4:38pm

Everyone looks so pretty without hair. I am not that fortunate. 

Comment by Caroline on August 17, 2016 at 10:43am

Hi everyone!!!  Thanks so much Cheryl for sharing my story.  I am very grateful and humbled.  

Thanks to those who commented.  I truly believe we alopecians are meant to stand out.  Sometimes you just have to do the very thing that scares you the most, because living in fear is no way to live.  Stop caring what others think of you, it doesn't matter, all that matters is how you feel about yourself.  Hugs to all of you, you are not alone!!!! 

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