Sheridan’s Story

When I was young my hair was my pride and joy. I received so many compliments on it… I was known as the girl with the long plait.

Then one day, I felt the hairdressers cold fingers against my scalp. It felt barer and more exposed than normal. She quickly ran to my mum and I knew something was wrong. I had a bald patch about the size of a 50-cent piece. One patch at a time, the emotional roller coaster of treatments began and I grew up very quickly. I was confused, unsure, scared, I felt different and my lack of confidence penetrated many aspects of my life. I hid my hair loss with bandanas and wigs.

I began treatment, but it didn’t work.

I fell into depression, resistance and avoidance. I lost my identity, but I was unaware, insisting, everything was fine, when I knew deep down, it was not.

Overtime, my alopecia areata progressed to totalis, and most recently universalis. 

Shortly after the last hairs in my head fell out, I began to challenge myself by practising yoga. I would feel slightly nervous the entire practice until we got to the challenging pose, then I would breathe through it and feel AMAZING after. This inspired me to begin studying yoga therapy, mindset work, subconscious programming, embodiment, Jungian psychology and mindfulness techniques. 

It turns out, my self doubt and fears related to what I looked like, had little to do with the strands of hair that were (or were not) on my body, but much to do with the level of self trust and self acceptance I had inside. 

Once I could grieve the appearance I no longer had and develop self love, the confidence began to radiate through me, and I felt grounded in my feminine, powerful yet humble, ‘I-can-do-anything -and-so-can-you’ attitude. 

Now I’m so grateful to AAAF for supporting me in my meditation practice through this sponsorship.