I have had alopecia since I was about 8 yrs old. Not knowing what was happening and always being a very shy kid in the first place i remember being devastated. My mom and doctors just kept saying it was stress. And in order to help my mom got me my first and only wig. And in my memories it just seemed to speed up the hair loss because for i knew it I was completely bald. Going to school was awful. Everyone knew, ( how could they not noticed.....thin balding hair to full hair) plus my little brother told the whole school. I remember all the kids trying to pull it off or yelling such things as "wiggy" or "I can see the tags". Not helpful for a shy girl. One time in the middle of the hall full of kids, one kid got close enough to actually flip the wig off. On to the floor where I had to pick it up while all the kids laughed. Thankfully summer wasnt far off and during that time slowly my hair grew back and coincidentally we moved. Im 35 now and have had many bald spots since, and recently (the last few years) I have lost alot of hair. Prolly alot had to due with the many changes and stresses that has happened. (death of a close friend/rental property changed ownership 3 times) LOL. I have been doing injections now for about 8/9 years. My doctor is wonderful. Many times I have asked him if I should continue the injections, his response each time has been a pat on the hand and "its up to you, if you want to continue I will continue" Never once have I made to feel that I should keep coming back to the doctors office. Not by him or the nurses. I find some comfort in that.
Since finding this site this past week I have felt alot more comfort and I think it allowed me to feel brave enough at work just yesterday to actually take off my bandanna and show my close friends there. Which was a first. Even tho I have mentioned alopecia many times. People at work were always curious why I wore a bandanna.
As a side note I have put on a wig and went out in public in the recent year but still feel anxious but figure I will try to push thru that.