Ashley’s Story

Alopecia is something that is not often spoken about openly, it’s always covered up and hidden away. It’s something I have been dealing with since I was a young girl.  Losing hair, trying to cover it up, and praying to God it grows back was a constant struggle. I’ve tried every “treatment” from hair care routines, iron supplements, oral medications, topical creams, and oils to diet changes and corticosteroid injections.

I was so worried about being different and the opinion of others. I tried not to let it show, but the truth is, I let it ruin a lot of my days. I’ve always had long hair, but about six years ago, I was at a loss. Literally. Alopecia took over. Losing clumps of hair and all of the hair on my face. I decided to bite the bullet and shave my head. Talk about a huge change. I could not believe this was happening to me. I fought with myself for days. I decided to go wig shopping. It took a lot of getting used to. I was mortified of people noticing that it wasn’t “my” hair. Terrified of my response. I was hoping people wouldn’t notice… or ask. And trust me, they asked.

I think if people were more educated on alopecia, it wouldn’t be as big of a deal. Thankfully, I don’t let it bother me anymore, and that is a huge weight off of my shoulders. I love my hair. I love changing it up whenever I want even more. I want to make wearing a wig fun and enjoyable, not stressful. I can’t explain what a freeing feeling it is to share my secret. I am so proud of the person I am. People are quick to judge. I was slow to be brave. Everyone has something. We shouldn’t be ashamed of it!