Parenting has difficult moments. When a child is diagnosed with alopecia, the whole family is swept up into a whirlwind of change. There are doctor appointments, questions, treatments, and you are just looking to assure your child will live a happy life in a world that can be very cruel. Through honest conversations, we are given a chance to provide guidance through our experiences and the lessons learned.

1. At what age did you begin to see my hair falling out. 

   I don't remember what age, but you were in the 3rd grade.

   
   
   
   

2. How did you feel finding out your son had alopecia?

   Well, at first, I didn't know that you had alopecia. The teachers thought you had ringworm. So, after ruling out ringworm, and I believe, another testing, one pediatrician told me, that your hair wouldn't grow back, I remember feeling upset. I didn't believe the doctor, I felt like, "let's just see about that!" Also, I remember wondering if the different meds you were taking, for asthma, was causing your hair loss.

   
   
   
   

3. When your son began to lose his hair did you see a change between his relationship with him and his other siblings?

   I saw no change in your relationship with your siblings. I felt that if your siblings started losing their hair, we all wondered if they were developing alopecia.

   
   
   
   

4. Did you notice a change in behavior/ signs of moodiness with alopecia?

   I didn't notice any changes in behavior due to alopecia. I remember having to get a doctor's note for you to be allowed to wear a hat in school.

   
   
   
   

5. Did you discuss with the children how to address talking about alopecia to people they came in contact with? 

   I didn't discuss how to talk about alopecia with others, we were living it out, we talked to people who would ask.

   
   
   

   Some people would ask you to remove your hat, if you were going into a church service, you removed your hat, out of respect. They noticed your hair and allowed you to put your hat on your head.

   
   
   
   

6. How did you address telling friends and family about alopecia?

   I told our family/friends what the doctor called what you had, alopecia, and explained that it's in our family's genes.

   
   
   
   

7. Where you aware of any bullying or other problems alopecia had that affected my social life? 

   I was not aware of any bullying, but I remember an incident, at the public library, where a young man and his mother were leaving, as we were entering the library. The young man turned around pointing, and laughing at you, his mother smacked him on the back of his head, and asked him, "what's the matter with you laughing at him that way?" She had a noticeable physical issue also, she asked him, "how would you feel if someone laughed at me?" He was silent.

   
   
   
   

8. Are there any vivid memories you have through your son's experience with alopecia?

   Another vivid memory of your experience with alopecia is going to the dermatologist and she made a suggestion, that shaving your head like Michael Jordan, was a good option.

   
   
   
   

9. At the time of my diagnosis did you do any personal research about alopecia? Google? Books? Conversations with other people?

   Actually, I don't recall doing a lot of research about alopecia. I believe, if I did it was from books, through our local public library. I do remember a conversation with a librarian, who noticed your hair, and asked me if you had alopecia. She is the person who told me about the alopecia conference. 

   
   
   
   

10. At the time did you know anyone else who had been diagnosed with alopecia that could be a resource?

    At the time, I didn't know anyone who had been diagnosed with alopecia, but several years after you were diagnosed, a cousin's son was diagnosed with alopecia.
    
    
    
    

11. What treatment did you try for your son's alopecia?

    The treatment that was given to you, through the many dermatologists, first started with different creams, that you would apply to your scalp, then you agreed to have the injections. You were given several injections, the injections gave you the best results for hair growth.

    
    

12. Any additional advice for other parents?

    My advice would be to talk to the doctors, as well as your child, to see what steps towards hair growth,they are ready to have done. I did not agree to the injections until you were ready to have the injections. Each parent has to decide what their child is ready to handle.

In the comments below add more questions you would liked answered for part 2!

Follow me on Instagram @beanie_OG!