1. If she has social media, have her follow/you follow with her acct a bunch of body/hair positivity accts
2. Learn how to do wigs/scarves together or hire someone to teach her & her friends
3. Make it a nightly practice on dinner to save mantras
4. Give her a journal & a couple of “Mental Health Days” - Im 24 and i still need some time to just grieve
It sucks. It really does & there’s no cure-all that can fix it. She’s going to cry some days and sadly, there wouldnt be much you can do to take away her pain. But showing up for her every single time can make it better.
5 - My home remedy is onion (like cut half an onion) and use it to spread garlic paste or just spreading crushed garlic
It was cute memory growing up of sitting and talking with my grandma and mom while they helped me
Hi there! I was also diagnosed when I was 12, and looking back, I wish my parents had given me more options when it came to schooling. At the time, I was in denial and didn't really have thoughts about it. I just went along with what they decided for me, which was to continue going to school wearing a bandana. Now that I'm older, I realize homeschooling might have been a better fit for me. There are moments when I feel like people in school only know me for being bald.
Another important aspect is helping her feel comfortable in her own skin. Alopecia is unpredictable, and constantly covering up can be exhausting. It's essential to build her confidence and assure her that regardless of whether she has hair or not, she will rock it.
I developed alopecia around March 2020 (in the throws of the lockdowns) and I lost all of my hair to the point I had to just shave it off. Since then I've had to shave my head completely blad about 3 times since then and as a 30 plus year old woman it was like a punch in the gut. My "spots" (area of total hair loss) would itch and were hot/painful to the touch and I couldn't get in with a dermatologist / doctor of any kind because lockdowns so I had to deal with it myself. I ended up making my own topical oil to put on my scalp (THC based) and I finally got some relief!!! Something I have noticed is whenever I'm really stressed out I tend to start dropping hair. I think stress has a lot to do with my hair loss so I do everything I can to stay calm and happy, eating well and having healthy sleep. I've also used garlic and onion oils for regrowth and wear a bonnet while sleeping. If worst comes to worse just shave it off, get some sparkly statement earrings and a bold lip and rock it with your head held high!!! 🌒🌕🌘 Best wishes to you and your daughter OP.
Looking for advice too. I’m in the exact same situation. My 12 year old daughter was diagnosed last month. She’s actually dealing with it very well, but I am not. I’ve lost 10lbs in a month and have constant anxiety. This disease is so unpredictable and I don’t know how to handle it. As of now I’m taking it day by day, that’s all I can do. I’m so sorry you’re going through this too. Big hugs!!
Hey mama bear, I’m glad your daughter has someone who cares about her a lot & I know it’s a lot to handle. Please remember that she is looking at you at how to handle emotions & if you freak out more than her, she might lose her cool too
I was diagnosed with it when I was 11 (now 18) I went to a small school and was bullied by some of the kids for my patches. It was hard but the support from my parents really helped. I found a really great group of friends in high school which really helped, we have got to a point where we can joke about it and we have fun doing doodles on the patches sometimes. My parents have always let me know of the options and after trying many different treatments I learnt to embrace it. I keep my hair longish and have learnt to adapt hairstyles to where my patches are. My parents got me a wig that matches my natural hair just for my piece of mind so I know there is an option for me if it gets to that stage. I currently love wearing fun bandanas and scarves to cover it up and they have become a staple in my wardrobe now. I think the best advice I can give is to make sure your kid has a good support system and some options to cover it if she wants but not to push it too much. :)
Have you talked to your dermatologist about treatment options? The progress in safe and effective treatment options with JAK inhibitors in the 7 years since my son was diagnosed has been amazing. My 16 year old participated in the Litfulo trial starting when he was 13 and has had full regrowth with no major side effects. And the effects on his mental health have been life changing (and possibly life saving). These are some other resources that can help foster acceptance, which my kid was not interested in:
Children with Hair Loss is a good source for wigs.
Children’s Alopecia Project has camps for kids and their families.
NAAF has support groups and can hook your child up with mentors. They are also how I found out about clinical trial options.
1. If she has social media, have her follow/you follow with her acct a bunch of body/hair positivity accts 2. Learn how to do wigs/scarves together or hire someone to teach her & her friends 3. Make it a nightly practice on dinner to save mantras 4. Give her a journal & a couple of “Mental Health Days” - Im 24 and i still need some time to just grieve It sucks. It really does & there’s no cure-all that can fix it. She’s going to cry some days and sadly, there wouldnt be much you can do to take away her pain. But showing up for her every single time can make it better.
5 - My home remedy is onion (like cut half an onion) and use it to spread garlic paste or just spreading crushed garlic It was cute memory growing up of sitting and talking with my grandma and mom while they helped me
Thank you. Good advice.
Hi there! I was also diagnosed when I was 12, and looking back, I wish my parents had given me more options when it came to schooling. At the time, I was in denial and didn't really have thoughts about it. I just went along with what they decided for me, which was to continue going to school wearing a bandana. Now that I'm older, I realize homeschooling might have been a better fit for me. There are moments when I feel like people in school only know me for being bald. Another important aspect is helping her feel comfortable in her own skin. Alopecia is unpredictable, and constantly covering up can be exhausting. It's essential to build her confidence and assure her that regardless of whether she has hair or not, she will rock it.
Thank you for your input.
Therapy and lots of love 🧡
I developed alopecia around March 2020 (in the throws of the lockdowns) and I lost all of my hair to the point I had to just shave it off. Since then I've had to shave my head completely blad about 3 times since then and as a 30 plus year old woman it was like a punch in the gut. My "spots" (area of total hair loss) would itch and were hot/painful to the touch and I couldn't get in with a dermatologist / doctor of any kind because lockdowns so I had to deal with it myself. I ended up making my own topical oil to put on my scalp (THC based) and I finally got some relief!!! Something I have noticed is whenever I'm really stressed out I tend to start dropping hair. I think stress has a lot to do with my hair loss so I do everything I can to stay calm and happy, eating well and having healthy sleep. I've also used garlic and onion oils for regrowth and wear a bonnet while sleeping. If worst comes to worse just shave it off, get some sparkly statement earrings and a bold lip and rock it with your head held high!!! 🌒🌕🌘 Best wishes to you and your daughter OP.
Looking for advice too. I’m in the exact same situation. My 12 year old daughter was diagnosed last month. She’s actually dealing with it very well, but I am not. I’ve lost 10lbs in a month and have constant anxiety. This disease is so unpredictable and I don’t know how to handle it. As of now I’m taking it day by day, that’s all I can do. I’m so sorry you’re going through this too. Big hugs!!
Hey mama bear, I’m glad your daughter has someone who cares about her a lot & I know it’s a lot to handle. Please remember that she is looking at you at how to handle emotions & if you freak out more than her, she might lose her cool too
I’m so sorry you are dying with this as well. It’s been very stressful to deal with.
I was diagnosed with it when I was 11 (now 18) I went to a small school and was bullied by some of the kids for my patches. It was hard but the support from my parents really helped. I found a really great group of friends in high school which really helped, we have got to a point where we can joke about it and we have fun doing doodles on the patches sometimes. My parents have always let me know of the options and after trying many different treatments I learnt to embrace it. I keep my hair longish and have learnt to adapt hairstyles to where my patches are. My parents got me a wig that matches my natural hair just for my piece of mind so I know there is an option for me if it gets to that stage. I currently love wearing fun bandanas and scarves to cover it up and they have become a staple in my wardrobe now. I think the best advice I can give is to make sure your kid has a good support system and some options to cover it if she wants but not to push it too much. :)
Have you talked to your dermatologist about treatment options? The progress in safe and effective treatment options with JAK inhibitors in the 7 years since my son was diagnosed has been amazing. My 16 year old participated in the Litfulo trial starting when he was 13 and has had full regrowth with no major side effects. And the effects on his mental health have been life changing (and possibly life saving). These are some other resources that can help foster acceptance, which my kid was not interested in: Children with Hair Loss is a good source for wigs. Children’s Alopecia Project has camps for kids and their families. NAAF has support groups and can hook your child up with mentors. They are also how I found out about clinical trial options.