terri, please understand that the worse YOU feel about the condition, the worse your daughter is going to think of it. also, understand that your child is healthy! my mother will stop at nothing to find out if there is something else wrong with me! she cried over my hairloss. i didn't. seeing her cry about it made me want to cry because i didn't like seeing her so upset over something i had no control of.
there is no reason to cry or be upset. hair is not a big deal! its "just" hair! if thats the attitude you portray, thats the attitude she'll follow.
i'm sure you are supportive of your daughter and want to protect her from anyone who will make her feel uncomfortable, but you have to understand that sheltering her and wanting to home school her will not solve any issues either. instead, tell her how amazing she is. tell her she hasn't changed as a person. also, tell her that "god created a few perfect people on this earth... the rest he covered with hair." ...that should make her smile if she is down.
Thank you for the kind words. I know how your daughter feels as I myself dealt with Alopecia as a teenager. Just know that it will get better and she will be much stronger for it. Each lesson we learn tells something new.
my daughter is eleven, it has been hard on me, more than her and I am glad it is me more than her. She stays really happy and we keep as much normacy in her life as possible, swimming, amusement parks, sleepovers,etc. She was diagnosed in December 2007, so we go to the dermatologist monthly, however tend to get somewhat discourgaged, we actually are skipping the appt. for this month, because she has school activities and I dont want to disappoint her and forfeit them for the doctor appointment, especailly since I have not seen much progress. Do you know of many or any successfull regrowth situations.
thanks terri for your comments. yeah alot of the hormones have already started kicking in, put that is normal so we seem to handle it well so far, Does your daughter wear any hair piece or does she go without?
hey terri!
thanks for the comment. I have a few different wigs that I love. two of them i got from a place called godiva's secret, and the one i actually wear right now is just from a beauty supply store. also, some of the pictures on my page are when i had hair, so the ones that look really really really real...probably are. haha! i actually just ordered my first vaccum wig, and i don't know if you have hear anything about them, but they are great! expensive, but worth it. maybe when your daughter gets a little older you might want to look into one.
how is your daughter coping with all of this? i know it can be so hard but especially as a teenager, its so important that she realizes how beautiful she is and that hair does not in any way make who you are as a person. if she ever needs anyone to talk to, i am here because if have gone through the worst of times, and still trying to work myself back up. there are so many resources and people, and great things that can help in her road to self acceptance if she hasn't reached it yet. =)
I do still have my brows and lashes, but think i am (semi) ready to handle it if they come out, which they may. like i said, there are so many great things out there, and if i need to wear fake ones for a while, i will.
welcome to alopecia world (sorry i wrote you an essay), and i know you will find great information and great people here who are so helpful!
HI TERRI, MY NAME IS MARIA AND I HAVE A 6YR OLD DAUGHTER WITH AU, HER NAME IS SAVANNA AND HS HAD AU FOR 3.5 YRS NO. SHE HAS DEALT WITH FAIRLY GOOD FOR MOST OF TIME SINCE SHE HAS GOTTEN OLDER SHE HAS MORE ISSUES WITH IT. WE HAVE TRIED SO MANY DIFFRENT WIGS AND NOTHING HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL, SHE JUST RECENTLY GOT A WIG FROM THE KIDS CLUB WITH THE HAIR CLUB FOR MEN, AND HAS ACTUALLY REALLY LOVED IT, SHE HAS WORE IT TO SCHOOL AND OUT IN PUBLIC, SHE USUALLY JUST WEARS LIL GIRL BALL CAPS BUT HAS REALLY ENJOYED THIS NEW WIG...iF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FEEL FREE TO ASK...GOOD LUCK WITH YOU AND YOUR DAUGHTER...BY THE WAY WHAT IS YOUR DAUGHTERS NAME??? mARIA
hi terri,
it's actually my daughter paige that has alopecia areata. she's 5 and just started kindergarten. she's pretty ok with what is going on--i guess that's normal for most 5 yr olds. this is the 2nd time she's losing her hair. she wears a baseball cap to school, ballet, soccer and everything else! she wants to swim this winter, but i just don't know how to handle that one. we're currently treating her with olux-e, rogaine, and will start something called targetin next week. how is your daughter doing?
Hi terri! sorry it took me so long to get back to you. at New hair technology they will cut and style your piece in new york for no extra charge. i go up there and do that sometimes, but a few other times i have just had them send it to me and i've gone to a local place for the styling. i have found someone i really trust to cut/style/color my hair in my hometown (see my blog), so i often use them and just pay the extra money. sol at new hair technology does a great job with stylying as well though!! it just depends on what my schedule will allow, really.
please let me know if you have any more questions.
At 10:08am on September 5, 2008, Stacie Duda said…
terri i'm so glad that i could help your daughter. if there is ever a time where she starts to feel the anxiety again or just needs someone to talk to i am MORE than willing to be around for support.
oh...haha, no problem. i love answering questions, it's better than getting angry at people for assuming. actually, i am no longer homebound, i've decided to go back and face everyone because i'm sick of hiding and i've embraced my baldness. i went back this year with a wig the first two days and figured screw it, so i've gone bald since. it's great, i get the expected "is that a girl or a guy, oh my god!, eww, why would she shave her head, omg, does she have cancer, did you hear about kaity, she's dying, i heard it's from drugs," and all that other crap that i wonder how people come up with, but once you learn to get past that, it's great to be able to feel free everywhere you go. i feel like i can be me when i'm not hiding my head.
last year, i chose to go on homebound half way through the school year because i had never heard of alopecia when i was diagnosed and didn't know anything about wigs or hats or bandannas. kids criticized me to the point where i contemplated suicide because i couldn't take it and nothing seemed fair. i went from a straight a student to almost failing many classes because i was paranoid at the kids that pulled on my bandannas and made jokes. i missed many days due to appointments where they tested me for cancer because i was also going through what they thought was an ovarian tumor. they had no idea what was going on with me and it required a lot of tests.
most of my friends stopped talking to me and i was very lonely and stressed out, and as you know, alopecia is typically caused by stress. the more patches, the more stress, the more stress, the more patches, domino effect. i just stopped going, and then the school recomended i meet my teachers at the library so i could pass, so i took the opportunity. i ended up passing every class with 94 and above, i got counseling for a few months, and things got better.
now, i love being bald, and although it's really tough at points and i cry and hate my life and such, i'm thankful for the things i do have. i don't want to hide anymore and i care about what people think about me obviously, i'm a teenage girl, but my life doesn't revolve around it. hiding doesn't solve anything, and i learned that.
i hope that answered your question, hahaha.
i would love to stay in touch with you and possibly talk to you daughter sometime. we all live and learn everyday and it gets easier each and every single day. i hope all is well with you and your daughter. thank you for asking.
I'm in west columbia, sc. i was shocked to see a member so close to home! welcome to alopecia world. I have to say that this is the most informative place on the web for AA/at/au. I've read basically every medical website out there however they fail in comparison to reading real stories and experiences from people that are going through or has gone through hairloss. I can only attempt to understand what it would be like if my daughter were in my shoes. I'm sure i'd feel even more helpless than i do now.because this condition is auto-immune and can possibly be genetic i've wondered many times how I would help my children cope if it were to happen to one of them. it's made me pay close attention to my reactions about my own hairloss because i know they're paying attention as well. our reactions as parents have such an impact on how our children view and handle situations such as this.
There is only one thing that i've learned for certain in all of my reading and its that there seems to be nothing typical about this condition. I wish the best for your daughter. I hope that with time and the support and love of family she can embrace this condition and make it as positive of an experience as possible.
Hi Terri,
I have alopecia universalis, too. I've had it for about 30 years. I wrote a book that might help both you and your daughter, called "If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing!" It's received wonderful response, and I think you both will like it. Check it out on my page, and if you want to purchase it, just click on the link or go to Amazon.com or the NAAF.org marketplace. I wrote it because I really wanted to help.
LeslieAnn
Hi Terri, I wanted to welcome you to Alopecia World. I can honestly say that we are a great community here and I hope you enjoy the time you spend with us and we look forward to your input. Cheryl, co-founder
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there is no reason to cry or be upset. hair is not a big deal! its "just" hair! if thats the attitude you portray, thats the attitude she'll follow.
i'm sure you are supportive of your daughter and want to protect her from anyone who will make her feel uncomfortable, but you have to understand that sheltering her and wanting to home school her will not solve any issues either. instead, tell her how amazing she is. tell her she hasn't changed as a person. also, tell her that "god created a few perfect people on this earth... the rest he covered with hair." ...that should make her smile if she is down.
Thank you for the kind words. I know how your daughter feels as I myself dealt with Alopecia as a teenager. Just know that it will get better and she will be much stronger for it. Each lesson we learn tells something new.
I got my hair from www.freedomhair.com
It was about $3600
thanks for the comment. I have a few different wigs that I love. two of them i got from a place called godiva's secret, and the one i actually wear right now is just from a beauty supply store. also, some of the pictures on my page are when i had hair, so the ones that look really really really real...probably are. haha! i actually just ordered my first vaccum wig, and i don't know if you have hear anything about them, but they are great! expensive, but worth it. maybe when your daughter gets a little older you might want to look into one.
how is your daughter coping with all of this? i know it can be so hard but especially as a teenager, its so important that she realizes how beautiful she is and that hair does not in any way make who you are as a person. if she ever needs anyone to talk to, i am here because if have gone through the worst of times, and still trying to work myself back up. there are so many resources and people, and great things that can help in her road to self acceptance if she hasn't reached it yet. =)
I do still have my brows and lashes, but think i am (semi) ready to handle it if they come out, which they may. like i said, there are so many great things out there, and if i need to wear fake ones for a while, i will.
welcome to alopecia world (sorry i wrote you an essay), and i know you will find great information and great people here who are so helpful!
it's actually my daughter paige that has alopecia areata. she's 5 and just started kindergarten. she's pretty ok with what is going on--i guess that's normal for most 5 yr olds. this is the 2nd time she's losing her hair. she wears a baseball cap to school, ballet, soccer and everything else! she wants to swim this winter, but i just don't know how to handle that one. we're currently treating her with olux-e, rogaine, and will start something called targetin next week. how is your daughter doing?
please let me know if you have any more questions.
last year, i chose to go on homebound half way through the school year because i had never heard of alopecia when i was diagnosed and didn't know anything about wigs or hats or bandannas. kids criticized me to the point where i contemplated suicide because i couldn't take it and nothing seemed fair. i went from a straight a student to almost failing many classes because i was paranoid at the kids that pulled on my bandannas and made jokes. i missed many days due to appointments where they tested me for cancer because i was also going through what they thought was an ovarian tumor. they had no idea what was going on with me and it required a lot of tests.
most of my friends stopped talking to me and i was very lonely and stressed out, and as you know, alopecia is typically caused by stress. the more patches, the more stress, the more stress, the more patches, domino effect. i just stopped going, and then the school recomended i meet my teachers at the library so i could pass, so i took the opportunity. i ended up passing every class with 94 and above, i got counseling for a few months, and things got better.
now, i love being bald, and although it's really tough at points and i cry and hate my life and such, i'm thankful for the things i do have. i don't want to hide anymore and i care about what people think about me obviously, i'm a teenage girl, but my life doesn't revolve around it. hiding doesn't solve anything, and i learned that.
i hope that answered your question, hahaha.
i would love to stay in touch with you and possibly talk to you daughter sometime. we all live and learn everyday and it gets easier each and every single day. i hope all is well with you and your daughter. thank you for asking.
kaity<3<3<3
I'm in west columbia, sc. i was shocked to see a member so close to home! welcome to alopecia world. I have to say that this is the most informative place on the web for AA/at/au. I've read basically every medical website out there however they fail in comparison to reading real stories and experiences from people that are going through or has gone through hairloss. I can only attempt to understand what it would be like if my daughter were in my shoes. I'm sure i'd feel even more helpless than i do now.because this condition is auto-immune and can possibly be genetic i've wondered many times how I would help my children cope if it were to happen to one of them. it's made me pay close attention to my reactions about my own hairloss because i know they're paying attention as well. our reactions as parents have such an impact on how our children view and handle situations such as this.
There is only one thing that i've learned for certain in all of my reading and its that there seems to be nothing typical about this condition. I wish the best for your daughter. I hope that with time and the support and love of family she can embrace this condition and make it as positive of an experience as possible.
Take care!
Deidre
I hope you are getting support here. There are so mant wonderful people on this site.
Jeff
Hugs!
I have alopecia universalis, too. I've had it for about 30 years. I wrote a book that might help both you and your daughter, called "If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing!" It's received wonderful response, and I think you both will like it. Check it out on my page, and if you want to purchase it, just click on the link or go to Amazon.com or the NAAF.org marketplace. I wrote it because I really wanted to help.
LeslieAnn
Jeff
Roger.
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Any mention of products and services on Alopecia World is for informational purposes only; it does not imply a recommendation or endorsement by Alopecia World. Nor should any statement or representation on this site be construed as professional, medical or expert advice, or as pre-screened or endorsed by Alopecia World. Alopecia World is not responsible or liable for any of the views, opinions or conduct, online or offline, of any user or member of Alopecia World.