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Born and raised in the DC Metropolitan Area, I am the 4th of 5 girls in my family. I lost my hair when I was 11-- between my 6th and 7th grade years. I ended 6th grade with a full head of hair and by the time I started 7th grade, had only a few hairs remaining. I never shaved my head, proudly kept each hair until there were none. I chose not to wear wigs or head coverings at the time, and although it was hard to adjust, it was nice to have people ask questions about why I was bald. Since I was 11, I have been completely bald with alopecia universalis (yes, that also includes no eyebrows and no eyelashes-- which people tend to not even notice most of the time!), and I've officially been bald significantly longer than I had hair (11 years with, 16 years without)! When I was 17, I went to college at BYU in Utah where I later joined my first NAAF support group. I've helped host a few events for kids and teens with alopecia, as well as working alongside others with alopecia to create an environment of inclusion and support. I got married in 2016 and after moving across the country twice-- 1st from Utah to Virginia, 2nd from Virginia to Tennessee-- I now reside with my husband and our new baby boy in Columbia, TN. I love to cook, write music and perform, spend time outdoors, do arts and crafts, and spent my free time being as silly and ridiculous as possible (I'd like to think I'm pretty funny)! Although at times I like to dress up and wear different wigs, I have learned over time to be comfortable and confident in who I am and in being bald :) Super excited to have some good times with new friends and I'm looking forward to trying some new things too!

Hello, I’m Hannah! I am 26 and a proud Houston transplant who moved to Texas after graduating from Oklahoma State with a degree in Natural Resources. I love spending as much time as I can outdoors- all while having my pup, Bentley, by my side. I was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata at the age of twelve, but when I was 22 my diagnosis quickly progressed to Alopecia Universalis. I had a difficult time with the process of losing all of my hair, which led to struggles with my mental health. I’m fortunate to have the most incredibly supportive friends and family, but wish I had had someone who could relate first-hand to what I was going through, and by joining the youth mentor program I hope to be there for someone who needs it. I am proud to have Alopecia and feel empowered by my confidence in being a bald woman. I’m happy to chat about anything having to do with Alopecia and beyond!

Salutations! My name is Candy and I am thankful for my alopecia. Don't get me wrong, the 6 years old Candy did not embrace her new hairdo right away and societal impacts made the self love journey difficult. But looking back, I realized that everything I went through shaped me into the courageous, intelligent, and beautiful person I am today. Strangers and even loved ones have looked at me with wonder and pity because of my condition. This made me believe that having alopecia is a negative thing. For more than half of my life, I underwent many different and sometimes god-awfully painful medications on and off in hopes of restoring my former "beauty." This made it hard to feel beautiful because if I wasn't broken, why spend all that effort trying to "fix" me? This is the question that held me down for years and it explained my lack of worth. Ironically enough, this is the same question that raised me from that cold, dark hole of self-pity. Along the way, other people's opinions began to mean less and less to me; I started to see this question in a new light. Why "fix" what is not broken? I know I am not perfect but alopecia does not make me imperfect, it makes me different, unique. It makes me ME! As long as I am healthy, then in no world is my body short of amazing. It gets me where I need it to go, allows me to enjoy life through my senses, and it keeps me alive! I choose to accept myself even if no one else would because I will no longer live my life for other people. I am thankful for my alopecia because it helped me see my worth and taught me that as long as I love myself, it doesn't matter how the rest of the world looks at me. Life is too short to care about what others think and if they are going to stare anyways, mind as well give them something to look at!

I am a North California native living the Southern California lifestyle. I received my bachelor’s degree at Chapman University and now work in public relations serving clients ranging in industry from government to nonprofit to national corporations. I don’t remember a time not having alopecia and I believe it has really shaped who I am today from the values I hold to what I look for in others. Alopecia has made me a stronger person and I would love to listen to your story and share my experiences!

One year ago, while sitting in an airport in Quito, Ecuador on my way to the Galapagos Islands, I found my first bald spot. Fast forward a couple countries, bald spots, and months later, I shaved my head. What a liberating experience! I have been gloriously bald ever since! I’ve channeled the loss of my hair into finding myself: eating healthy, staying active and learning more about health and wellness. Throughout the experience, I have challenged my own and other people’s perception of “normalcy” on a mission to discover what self-acceptance and love truly is. It has been a sometimes tragic/comical/happy and overall wonderful journey of understanding the WHY behind decisions made and perceptions held by myself and others! After graduating college last May, I now work at a University where I strive to empower student thoughts into action. This empowerment and genuine belief in the power of young people is integral to all that I am. Aside from this, I love to stay active by working out, playing soccer and tennis, and dancing. I really enjoy spending time with my family and dog on Lake Ontario (or anywhere there’s some fresh water, boats and trails to hike). Let’s chat about the wild things people say to you when first diagnosed and beyond, intersectional social justice, Reese’s, how to keep your bald head silky smooth, your next travel spot, the complicated process of self-love, orcas or anything in between!

Hello, my name is JC, and I was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata when I was about 7 years old. I was first diagnosed when my parents and I noticed a small quarter size bald spot on the back of my head. Up until I was about 18 years old, bald spots would come and go. Then, towards the end of my freshman year at the University of Kansas, my hair loss became much more aggressive. Within 6 months I had lost all of my hair including my eyebrows and eye lashes. So, for the past 5 years my alopecia has been considered Universalis. My experience with alopecia over the past 5 years, has been quite the journey. We all know that the road in battling alopecia can be tough one, filled with insecurities, self-doubt, and uncertainty. But, I can genuinely say all of my struggles with my experience have made me a better and much stronger person, so I am eager to share my experiences with anyone looking for someone to talk to. At the very least, I look forward to gaining a new friend and mentee that shares the uniqueness of living with alopecia. Some things I do for fun are playing and watching sports, going to the gym, spending time with family and friends, and traveling to as many new places as possible. After graduating college in 2017, I started working for Cerner Corporation as a Pricing/Financial Analyst. Now, I am hoping to add mentoring as one of my hobbies. I look forward to developing relationships with anyone out there looking for a mentor or friend!

My name’s Christiane Helmer, and I’m from Palo Alto, CA. I’m currently a sophomore at UC Berkeley and am majoring in Molecular Cellular Biology and Public Health. I’m hoping to work in the medical field. Some of my interests are music, fitness/nutrition, and environmental sustainability. I’ve also been dancing for about 11+ years and love it. I’m currently 18 and was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata the summer before my junior year when I was 15. Within months, it quickly progressed to Alopecia Universalis. I felt incredibly self-conscious going to school in the fall with my “new look.” I had no hair whatsoever for most of my junior year and wore a cap almost every day. I tried many treatment options: steroid injections, topical sprays, Chinese medicine, and Xeljanz. After a few months of taking Xeljanz, I noticed significant regrowth, so I decided to stick with it. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned from having Alopecia is that you just have to listen to your feelings. I felt a lot of pressure to embrace being bald when people said, “You look great! Just embrace it!” While they had good intentions, the reality was that embracing was sometimes challenging and uncomfortable. I realized that I didn’t have to embrace it when I didn’t feel like it and that doing that was perfectly okay. Everyone has their unique ways of handling their struggles, and I hope I can help my fellow Alopecians through theirs!

Hi, my name is Elizabeth and I was born and raised in Maryland. I’m currently a student at the University of Michigan (go blue!) studying biopsychology, cognition, and neuroscience. In my free time I enjoy figure skating, kayaking, and staying active. I’m also completely invested in skincare and beauty! I was first diagnosed with alopecia when I was 14 years old. Since then, I’ve gone back and forth between having nearly a full head of hair to losing almost all my hair. I’ve been through phases of wearing wigs, getting steroid shots, and taking prescription medicine. However, I realized that during this period of time, my desire to get treatment stemmed from my insecurities, and even with treatment, I never truly accepted myself. My turning point was shaving my head for the first time (funny story: I did this ~6 hours before my flight to Cancun) because I finally fully embraced my alopecia. Since then, I’ve actively encouraged myself to appreciate the strength and experiences alopecia has gifted me with. I’ve also learned how to wear wigs and get treatment while still being confident in my identity. My journey has been a little rough but that is exactly why I’m excited to be a mentor! I want to spread positivity and support, whether it be through chatting about my experiences, talking casually, or doing fun activities together. I love trying new things and I’m constantly looking for ways to grow--maybe I can learn from you too!

Hi! My name is Anisha Jobanputra, I’m 20 years old and I was born and raised right outside Philadelphia, PA. I'm currently a junior pre-med student at Penn State University! I’m part of the Phi Sigma Rho Sorority, a fusion dance team, and a volunteer of the IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon known as THON! I love running, shopping, dancing, traveling, anything Marvel/superheroes, flower arranging and of course, hanging out with friends and family. I’ve had alopecia areata since I was 4 years old, and can relate to any young child or teen going through this time in their life. It can be difficult, especially with society and expectations, and sometimes it really helps to have someone you can turn to and express all your feelings with. While growing up and navigating through life, alopecia has taught me to care less about what others think, and really focus on how you can be the most empowering, positive, and beautiful version of yourself! I wish I could go back in time and tell my younger self that it’s okay to have alopecia, and that you will get through it. Alopecia doesn’t have to be something we hide behind or let dictate how we feel or what we do! I am so excited to get to know you and offer any advice or guidance that I can! I’m open to talking about anything and am really looking forward to offering a helping hand and being someone you can count on!

Hello! My name is Mohana Chakrabarti, I’m 23 years old, and I’m a social worker focused in children’s behavioral health. I graduated from the University of Kansas in 2017 with my bachelor’s in social work and currently reside in the Kansas City area. I have a passion for working with kids, teaching them coping and life skills, and learning and growing with them as they live day to day and work to reach their goals. I developed alopecia areata when I was 8 years old that, over the course of two years, became alopecia universalis. I have tried countless remedies such as wigs, topical treatments (both homeopathic and prescription), hats, and headscarves. Through experimentation I have found that wearing headscarves is what makes me feel most comfortable and confident. I’m genuinely looking forward to connecting with other young people with alopecia and being able to use the knowledge gained from my experience to help kids process and cope with their hair loss. Over the years I have had the incredible support of my friends, family, coworkers, and mentors to guide me along my journey and assist me in recognizing my own worth and potential, and I hope to help other kids with alopecia be able to do the same. Alopecia is a confusing and difficult journey, but I believe the youth mentor program can be a hugely supportive resource for kids who’ve joined our wonderful community. My life experiences have given some insight into subjects such as school life, dating/relationships, meeting new people, and professional life and I’m happy to discuss any of these subjects with mentees. Some of my favorite activities/interests are talking about/listening to music, taking walks and adventuring around my city, spending time with my loved ones, and makeup/beauty, but I love trying new things too!