How AAAF Began – 10 Years On

By Chel, AAAF Founder and President

I am often asked why I wanted to create AAAF ten years ago.

It wasn’t that I wanted to create AAAF; it was more that I saw a need to have a unified body that supported everyone who had some form of Alopecia Areata.  The support group that I had been a member of didn’t align with my ideals of how to get Alopecia Areata known in the wider community. I had the hope that one day there would be unconditional acceptance on someone’s appearance.

My son’s appearance changed dramatically by the time he was two.  Try and think back twenty-one years ago, the comb-over for males was the fashion. So having a toddler with patchy hair did bring on the stares and, yes, the questions.

Shea on Alopecia Treatments

“It has taken me a really long time to be okay with alopecia being a part of my life. But I still have days when I hate it. When my wig doesn’t go on properly or my eyebrows don’t go on properly or I just want to be like everybody else, to be able to just chuck my hair into a ponytail.”

Shea is one of AAAF’s Support Ambassadors. Here she shares her experiences with treatments for Alopecia Areata and her own personal journey with this condition.

 

*Keep in mind that this video contains some non-graphic discussion of medical procedures. Viewer discretion is advised.

 

Bald Girl in the Dating World

A reflection of my journey, a bald girl in the dating world.

I am Bianca and I’m 41 and single.
Some time ago I shaved my head and started living my life as a bald woman with Alopecia. The grieving that followed that was indescribable.

Over here in my bubble I assumed I was no longer feminine, I felt ugly.

I looked in the mirror and was mortified at what was looking back at me, I no longer knew who I was. The image I had known as “me” for as long as I can remember was gone and something very different, something very confronting stared back at me. When I went out to bars and clubs, men and women stared at me, in fact whenever I left the house people stared at me.

Why GST on Wigs Matters To You

If you’ve been paying attention, you may have noticed that AAAF’s social media accounts have been busy with information about GST and wigs, petitions and demonstration rallies. It’s easy to think that taxation on wigs is a tiny issue, only affecting a tiny portion of people, and only having a very small impact on those people. If you don’t wear wigs, you might find yourself thinking why on earth does this matter, and why on earth would it matter to you.

For people with alopecia, the question of Goods and Services Tax on wigs can be, quite literally, a matter of life and death.

Taking the Plunge: Telling people about your Alopecia

There was a time in my life where I would’ve preferred to run 10 km in spandex through Melbourne CBD than tell any of my friends about having Alopecia. Luckily, as I got older, I realised that people probably wouldn’t act like I’d committed a mortal sin for having the audacity to get a chronic illness. It was a process. That being said, I’ve had some amazing experiences and some not as good experiences when telling friends about this condition. Whether you want to tell your whole school, someone at work, or a new friend or partner about your alopecia, it can feel pretty scary. But with the right preparation and the proper tools, it doesn’t have to be. Learn from my mistakes Young Padawan and stock up your arsenal of awareness weapons. 

AAAF’s New Year Resolutions

Happy New Year! We hope you all had enjoyable and safe holiday season and are feeling refreshed and excited for the year ahead.

Before we took our holiday break, we were talking here on Love, Alopecia about all the things AAAF has achieved over the last 12 months. This week it’s all about where we want to go next. That’s right, it’s time for AAAF’s New Year Resolutions. These goals are our commitment to our community that we will never stop striving to do better, be better and help others to have a positive journey with Alopecia Areata. So what’s in store for 2017?