A is for Alopecia.
An autoimmune disorder wherein the immune system attacks hair follicles. It's incurable and for all practical purposes untreatable. The damage is not permanent but the reappearance of hair differs from person to person. In E's case, none of the hair he has lost has ever come back.
September 2013 we noticed E's eyebrows getting thin. Over the next few months he lost most of them and also all his arm and leg hair. Then it stopped progressing for a while. But the hair didn't come back. November 2014 we notice some thinning on his scalp. It's about 75% gone now and still it's falling out. He has also lost about half his eyelashes.
We remind ourselves how lucky we are that he's otherwise strong and healthy. And how lucky he is to have good friends and family supporting him.
But, it's upsetting. It's upsetting to watch him be upset. It's upsetting to watch people look and then look again trying to figure out why this kid is so bald. It's upsetting to think it will be the first impression he makes on people for the rest of his life.
An autoimmune disorder wherein the immune system attacks hair follicles. It's incurable and for all practical purposes untreatable. The damage is not permanent but the reappearance of hair differs from person to person. In E's case, none of the hair he has lost has ever come back.
September 2013 we noticed E's eyebrows getting thin. Over the next few months he lost most of them and also all his arm and leg hair. Then it stopped progressing for a while. But the hair didn't come back. November 2014 we notice some thinning on his scalp. It's about 75% gone now and still it's falling out. He has also lost about half his eyelashes.
We remind ourselves how lucky we are that he's otherwise strong and healthy. And how lucky he is to have good friends and family supporting him.
But, it's upsetting. It's upsetting to watch him be upset. It's upsetting to watch people look and then look again trying to figure out why this kid is so bald. It's upsetting to think it will be the first impression he makes on people for the rest of his life.
But it's just hair, right? And it will be his new normal.
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