We are so thankful to Megan for sharing her story with us for Alopecia Awareness month!
One of the beautiful pictures Rick captured of Megan at 16 years old 
A recent picture of Megan with her awesome purple hair.
Hello, my name is Megan and I have alopecia. It is alopecia awareness month and I would like to share my story. The basic description of alopecia is that hair falls out in patches, or total loss of hair on the scalp or the body. Alopecia is different for everyone, and for me, I went through different stages.
When I was around 10/11 I was diagnosed with alopecia. My hair had fallen out in patches and went through the traditional cortisone shots. However, these were quite painful for me, so I started to go to a dermatologist that began a newer treatment called squaric acid. This truly was painful as well but after a few months, I began to see results. My hair started to grow back, and I had all my hair again. However, it did not last forever. I went through another season of alopecia when I was about 13. Once again when I was 14 going on 15, my hair started to fall out more rapidly than anytime before. I tried doing squaric acid treatments again, but my hair was falling out too rapidly. Honestly, it was a very hard time for me, and I decided to stop treatments, and accept the fact that I was going to be bald. This time my hair was completely gone, no eyebrows, no eyelashes, nothing! As a freshman in high school, I truly felt embarrassed and not myself. I felt the pressure of putting on a strong face, but it was hard. It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to go to a camp for kids with skin conditions that I finally started to gain more confidence.
Camp Discovery is hosted every summer by the American Academy of Dermatology, and they allow children with skin conditions to go to camp completely free of costs. This camp was a true turning point in my confidence, and help me see that there are other people like me. The next major turning point for me was when I attended the “Love the Skin You’re In” event hosted by A Children’s House for the Soul. This event was fantastic, and such an amazing experience. A photographer named Rick Guidotti, who is such an amazing soul, and positive person to be around, made me feel so beautiful and was super affirming when taking photographs of me. These events helped me become more confident, and I began to embrace my baldness, not just accept it. My hair did not make me who I was.
As of late 2017, my hair started to grow back and my hair grew back by my 18th birthday. I will not lie, and say that I was not excited to have my hair back, but I knew that it was possible that I could lose it again. As of September 2019, I am starting to see patches appear, and my hair is slowly falling out in clumps again. However, I am choosing to not let my hair loss prevent my confidence. I am currently a university student at UTSA (Go ‘Runners), and I am microbiology major. I am in my second year and I absolutely love it. I also, recently dyed my hair purple, and it looks very cool.
My experience with alopecia is unique to me and I can not speak for everyone, however I would love to raise more awareness about this disease. If you are diagnosed with alopecia, please do not let the disease control you. You are not your hair, and you are wonderfully you. If your child, or someone you know is diagnosed with alopecia, please help them on their confidence journey, because it is a tough road and an ongoing experience. Be there for them, and listen.
SHARE IT!
Related Posts
THANK YOU, MOM! By Rachael Wrobel
In honor of the upcoming National Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) Awareness week, we wanted to share this great piece from our friend, Rachael Wrobel about how her mama mothered her well, even despite the challenges of EB.
Alopecia Areata – A Mother’s Journey
I am fortunate enough to be Mama to three little girls. Shortly after my eldest daughter’s first birthday (about 4 years ago) I noticed her hair was thinning. I was told by many it was just typical baby hair loss until it just couldn’t be described at “typical” any longer.
Hand-washing causing dry, cracked skin? Here are some tips from our Friend, Dr. Meena!
After the last several months of this pandemic, I think we are all well-versed in how important it is to wash our hands so that we don’t spread germs. But with all this hand washing and sanitizing, dry skin, eczema breakouts, and contact dermatitis have become even more troublesome. What can we do about it?
Back to School? Think Balance. Doctor’s Orders.
Join us for a quick and very insightful video interview with Dr. Alana Kennedy-Nasser as she shares with us how to keep kids safe as they go back to school in-person and how to keep kids developmentally “on track” as they attend school virtually.
Tips From A Teacher: Parents as partners, online enrichment and more!
What questions do you have for back to school content experts? Read on for some brilliant questions and answers from this super smart teacher mama, Lacy Cunningham, M.A.Ed.
Mental Health Matters In Our New Abnormal World – Back To School Boot Camp
Online learning can be a fun experience filled with lots of great experiences; but as humans, we were meant to interact with one another and have companionship. How can we develop ways to ensure kids stay engaged while learning in a different setting?
Preparing families who are returning to in-person learning
This year, the normal first day of school jitters will likely be accompanied by some new concerns that we have not encountered before. Lindsey O’Sullivan, Child Life Specialist, provides guidance on how to navigate these conversations with your child.
How to Talk to Children about COVID-19 and School – Back To School Bootcamp
As we prepare for school to begin, those of us that are sending our kiddos slowly back out into the world may find ourselves explaining what has changed (again) in the last few months. Dr. Chad Brandt, a therapist who specializes in anxiety in children and teens, offers us a few guideposts for talking about the coronavirus with children.
Validation Conversation – Back To School Boot Camp
Validation means to acknowledge and sometimes normalize someone’s feelings or reactions to a specific scenario. Validation continues the conversation, creates trust, and helps children communicate their truest feelings with the adults around them.
Sharing our disappointment with our kids about our tough back to school decisions
We should not shelter our children from our disappointment. While it is natural to have this desire, it is not a good idea to want to keep them from knowing that we, as adults, sometimes have “bad” (i.e. not the most fun) feelings.
Be My Own Valentine Challenge! #iwasmadeamasterpiece
In February we launched a reboot of our #Iwasmadeamasterpiece social media campaign from this summer with a fun valentines themed twist.
Happy Birthday A Children’s House For The Soul!
As part of our birthday surprise, A Children’s House for the Soul announced the launch of our public capital campaign to buy 1972 W. Dallas and renovate the space into the first ever community building dedicated to the social, emotional and spiritual support of children with chronic skin conditions/birthmarks and their families.
2020 Camp Reunion Recap
The 2020 Camp Dermadillo Reunion was a great success! We had more than 60 friends new and “old” come to Speedy’s Fast Track for a great day of go-kart racing, mini golf, laser tag, arcade games and more.
2019 Family Day Recap
Love the Skin You’re In Family Day 2019 is officially in the books! We had a great time and learned a lot and I am so grateful for the wonderful day!
Dear My Perfect, Rashy, Skin
As the month of November is upon us, I know we are all going to begin reflecting on what we are thankful for, and secretly looking towards the new year thinking of things we hope to come. I just wanted to write you a letter to thank you, Skin, for all the ways you’ve been there for me and shaped me as a person. I never really stopped to think about it before, but in a way, you have made all the difference.
Our Journey with Eczema
We are so thankful to Joyce and Leah for both sharing their story about Leah’s eczema.
How to explain Eczema by Age
While eczema can seem common, it takes on a lot of different forms. Also, many people don’t understand how much pain and discomfort can come from eczema. Here are a few ways to explain eczema to different ages.
How to explain Alopecia to children of different ages
Alopecia areata is a common autoimmune disorder that often results in unpredictable hair loss. It affects roughly 6.8 million people in the United States.In the majority of cases, hair falls out in small patches around the size of a quarter. For most people, the hair loss is nothing more than a few patches, though in some cases it can be more extreme.
Our journey with Alopecia Areata
In honor of National Alopecia Awareness Month, one of our Mom’s is sharing her and her daughter’s path over the last 10 years since diagnosis. Thank you Stacy for sharing your family and your faith with us!
Developing a School Coping Plan for your Child
As parents, one of the best things we can do is to work with educators, school counselors and nurses to help to develop a coping plan for how to manage school.