At 17, Becky's hair started falling out. She was diagnosed with alopecia areata. Being a teenager is difficult enough — but now, she felt her beauty and femininity slipping away. Every three weeks for nine years, doctors injected cortisone into her scalp to lessen the condition.
According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, over 6.6 million people in the United States had or will develop alopecia areata at some point in their lives. It is an autoimmune skin disease resulting in the loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere on the body. It usually starts with one or more small, round, smooth patches on the scalp and can progress to total hair loss. While alopecia areata occurs in males and females of all ages, onset often occurs in childhood.
"Losing my hair from alopecia areata was always unpredictable, but idea of shaving my head was a way to take control," Becky says. Not only is Becky sharing her story with the world, but she's about to shave all her hair off with the support of her loving boyfriend — for all the world to see.
This decision to go public is incredibly brave and powerful, and Becky deserves all the praise and recognition she gets. Please SHARE Becky's story with your friends on Facebook.
What It Felt Like To Lose My Hair From Alopecia by buzzfeedvideo
