Comment by Tonya on October 21, 2013 at 2:47pm

Hi Sarah, I started with alopecia when I was 16 & yes it was very very hard. The world can be cruel so I can only imagine how it is for you being in school it was HELL for me but I was pretty tough so I dealt. I had some creative friends that helped me make my own wigs that fitted me a lot better than store bought wigs I thought & I'm pretty much still experimenting with different things today & I'll b 33 tomorrw. It's a lot of options out there to help you cope so please don't spend thousands like I once did. If you have a creative side or creative friend see if you guys can come up with something. And if you have any questions for ideas you can inbox me I have lots of suggestions. Anyhow I pray your alopecia journey becames as less stressful as possible.

Comment by Tallgirl on October 22, 2013 at 8:41pm

Sarah, I am 61 now, so that means I was in high school 1966-1970...and NO ONE EVEN KNEW that I had alopecia! I wore half-wigs, then full wigs as my baldness increased. Did I have fun? Yessirree: Art Cult, a culture club, NHS, Future Teachers of America (I am a teacher now, and have been an artist), Drama Club, church camp, trips to NY and Washington, and visits all over my state. You can find fun if you want to. There are alopecia support groups and conferences, and you can always mix with musicians, artists and actors. Put on a funky hat and get out there.

Comment by Tallgirl on October 22, 2013 at 8:42pm

P. S. I asked older, kinder guys from other high schools to my formal dances. I met them at camp.

Comment by tantan on October 28, 2013 at 4:46am

Hey sarah! I'm 17! We have something in common, I also lost my hair in the month of May. But it was in 2011! I now Just graduated high school! I lost huge patches of hair in grade 11. I was able to wear my hair up everyday and somewhat hide it ! But people began to notice me having my hair up every single day & they could also see my patches. I got bullied. In math class a guy was posting Facebook status' saying "hahaha nice receading hairline, everyone can see you bald" and girls would make nasty comments about it! He was sittin right across from me & I started crying so hard in class I ran to the guidance counsilor. He had to apologize & had been disciplined but I never accepted his apologize! The boyfriend I had at the time even broke up with me because he thought It was gross that my hair was falling out (I don't know how that is gross but yeah lol) he was very shallow. Some teachers at the school I went to had a "no hat rule" so my mom made a call to the school and let them know what I was going through and they let me wear a hat.

My hair went into remission & grew back after getting treatments of steroid injections from my dermatologist! I recommend trying it! It doesn't work for everyone but it did for me. But this past October I have noticed 2 quarter size spots on my head & it's making me very paranoid! I don't want it to fall out again!

It is very difficult to deal with the judgement. Sometimes it seems impossible. But it will get easier. People will grow old of it & will have used every word in the book and will eventually stop. The best thing to do is just ignore it. Alopecia sucks and as of 2013 there is no cure so we have to deal with it. Either wear a wig, hide it best as possible or rock the bald look. It is very hard to cope with and to this day I'm still trying but i know things will get better!

I know exactly what you're going through girl. Feel free to message me any time !

Comment by Jason on October 29, 2013 at 8:45pm

Hi Sarah-

I'm very sorry that you're going through this, I know exactly how you feel. Alopecia started for me after my 1st semester in college, I was 19 years old. It kept spreading and now I have alopecia totalis. I was very unhealthy at the time but I have totally changed my ways since then. I eat a lot healthier, focus on exercise, and try to do things that make me feel good about myself. Don't get me wrong, this is incredibly hard at any age but its very very difficult at a young age. I know how you feel. My best advice is focus on your future and believe that things will get better for yourself. Work on eating clean and getting in good shape so you can feel good when you wake up everyday. Believe in yourself to get through this. People will always judge but think about how strong you are for going through something like this... if you can get through this, you can get through anything. Best of luck and hang in there. I will be sending kind thoughts and wishes your way. 

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