When I was 13 years old, I started loosing my hair. By 14 I was completely bald, no hair whatsoever, no body hair, no eyebrows, no eye lashes, not a single piece of hair on me. When my hair started falling out I was in sixth grade, and i wasn't very popular to begin with. When my hair fell out, I was made fun of because I had patches of bald spots all over my head. I would wake up to hair on my pillow every morning, and would find hair in the tub after I got out. My parents finally took me to the doctor, and the first doctor said that it was just my nerves from being at a new school. So, he said for me to try and relax and everything would get better. He was wrong to say the least haha. After about a month and more hair loss, we went to a different doctor who knew exactly what was wrong. He drew blood and told us about alopecia. My doctor was kind enough to get me in to see a number of local dermatologist's, and eventually the dermatology department at Duke University.
I ended up going to Duke for about 2 years and trying nearly every combination of medicines available, except for the injections and light therapy. During this time I was still getting picked on on a day to day basis. I would come home from school feeling beaten and rejected. But, I never let my parents or anybody else see the pain I was feeling. For years I dealt with the pain of being teased daily, I got accused of having cancer, AIDs, and everything else that a middle school bully could think of. I used to hate going into public because I always felt like all eyes were on me, and everyone was judging me and making fun of me because I was different. I literally felt like there was no one else in the world that knew what it was like to be like me. I felt that no one else knew what it was like to walk into a crowded room and feel completely alone. But, through my sister, parents, and some of the closest, best friends a person could ask for.
Because, of them I learned to look only on the bright side of things. I never once asked myself or my God "why me?" Instead I turned to my friends and family and learned how to be happy instead of dwelling on what others thought about me. Sure, I still have my times when something someone says gets to me,even at 21, but I turn to my friends and my religion to cheer me up. From the point I got into high school I have always been a happy, cheerful person, who could joke about my condition and not really care.
When I was a junior in High School my hair started growing back on my head. At first it was just here and there, but, then it started coming in in more and more places. Finally it got to the point where I felt good enough about it to let it grow out. By the time I had started my senior in High School I had a full head of long, black, curly hair, when it was straightened out it reached about halfway down my upper arm (though I still didn't have any body hair, eyebrows, or eyelashes). Unfortunately, it didn't last long.
By Christmas of my senior year I was waking up to hair on my pillow, and when I took a bath or shower, it looked like Cousin It was in the tub, haha. And, everything pretty much started over. I got depressed about it, but, I didn't let it control me, or get to me. I overcame the depression and sadness, and I was back to the same happy person I had always been.
Now I just turned 21 and to my surprise on my birthday I was scratching my chin and noticed a hair or two on it. Of course I didn't give it much thought because i figured it was just a random stray hair, but, a week later (a day or two ago) I looked in a mirror and noticed a lot of hair growing on my face and head. It's exciting to think that I may actually be able to have a head of hair again.
I ended up going to Duke for about 2 years and trying nearly every combination of medicines available, except for the injections and light therapy. During this time I was still getting picked on on a day to day basis. I would come home from school feeling beaten and rejected. But, I never let my parents or anybody else see the pain I was feeling. For years I dealt with the pain of being teased daily, I got accused of having cancer, AIDs, and everything else that a middle school bully could think of. I used to hate going into public because I always felt like all eyes were on me, and everyone was judging me and making fun of me because I was different. I literally felt like there was no one else in the world that knew what it was like to be like me. I felt that no one else knew what it was like to walk into a crowded room and feel completely alone. But, through my sister, parents, and some of the closest, best friends a person could ask for.
Because, of them I learned to look only on the bright side of things. I never once asked myself or my God "why me?" Instead I turned to my friends and family and learned how to be happy instead of dwelling on what others thought about me. Sure, I still have my times when something someone says gets to me,even at 21, but I turn to my friends and my religion to cheer me up. From the point I got into high school I have always been a happy, cheerful person, who could joke about my condition and not really care.
When I was a junior in High School my hair started growing back on my head. At first it was just here and there, but, then it started coming in in more and more places. Finally it got to the point where I felt good enough about it to let it grow out. By the time I had started my senior in High School I had a full head of long, black, curly hair, when it was straightened out it reached about halfway down my upper arm (though I still didn't have any body hair, eyebrows, or eyelashes). Unfortunately, it didn't last long.
By Christmas of my senior year I was waking up to hair on my pillow, and when I took a bath or shower, it looked like Cousin It was in the tub, haha. And, everything pretty much started over. I got depressed about it, but, I didn't let it control me, or get to me. I overcame the depression and sadness, and I was back to the same happy person I had always been.
Now I just turned 21 and to my surprise on my birthday I was scratching my chin and noticed a hair or two on it. Of course I didn't give it much thought because i figured it was just a random stray hair, but, a week later (a day or two ago) I looked in a mirror and noticed a lot of hair growing on my face and head. It's exciting to think that I may actually be able to have a head of hair again.