Welcome to this episode of Alopecia Life. The time for gatherings is here. Holidays, work parties, get-togethers with friends and family that "should" be fun. But...sometimes these gatherings turn into colossal upsets due to well-meaning or misguided family and  friends. Of course, there does tend to be one total ass-hat who likes to take up space too. The early days of being diagnosed can be increasingly difficult with all of these events that we're expected to attend. 

Over the years, I've heard from others living with alopecia that they don't feel supported, and that holiday meals are overtaken with conversation about their hair loss, re-growth, what they are choosing to wear on their heads, and the new treatment options that are available. 

For those who are listening and are looking for ways to support us...here are a few do's and don't's. 

Don't - Touch our head unless you've been given permission. Don't stroke our wig, ask us to be free and take our hat or scarf off, and definitely NEVER lick our heads in a drunken gesture of affection. Yes, that has happened to me. Not cool. 

Do - Ask us how our life is outside of our hair loss. We are so much more than our hair. Smile at us, include us in conversation about food, sports, television shows, and the things that interest us. Don't be weird.

For those of us who are on the receiving end of comments from colleagues, and family members who just don't quite get it yet, establish some boundaries. Not everybody is out to get us, as we know, but sometimes it feels like that. Determine whether it's time to educate, give them the bird, or just walk away and take time to yourself in a safe place or with a safe person. My hope is that you have a safe person who has your back. If you know there's always that auntie who just can't keep her comments to herself, roleplay with your safe person to come up with a response that feels right. Education can be taken on by family or a trusted friend too, and sometimes that may look like them taking that challenging person aside and telling them that google exists for a reason, and go look it up to get educated, point them to some helpful resources, or just tell them to shut the hell up. 

However you choose to spend your holidays, know that your boundaries can be set and expanded on. You are not alone. Take your safe person, have some quick answers, and enjoy the season. I'd love to hear your good and bad holiday stories of things that have been said or done. Let's connect over all of these things over on the FB Alopecia Life group page, on Instagram or through reaching out to me in person. 

If you're looking for resources to point family to, I have a FREE Alopecia 101 course that maps it all out for them. I've put that link here in the show notes. https://www.alopecialife.com/alopecia-areata-online-course/

Support the show

Alopecia Life provides free resources for school and home education, including a growing list of alopecia books, education videos on YouTube, links to support groups within the US, UK, Canada and more. You will also find access to Head-On, Stories of Alopecia, the Alopecia 101 free course, paid Alopecia Roadmap course for parents of children living with alopecia, and personalized coaching. Together, we can make a difference. To find out more, https://www.alopecialife.com/

Thank you for listening to today's podcast. Back in September of this year, I re-interviewed Skye from season 2 of Alopecia Life to get an update on how things had changed for Ohna from when she was 9 until now at 13 with regards to school. Back then, It was 2020, and we were talking about back-to-school at a very strange and uncertain time. Today's interview is with Skye only. Ohna has given us the go-ahead and trust to share about her experience through Skye's own perspective. As we move into the holiday season, I know having a back-to-school podcast is a little off-topic, but the wisdom she shares is always good information to file away for any season.

Please note, there are a couple F-bombs thrown into the interview. 

Support the show

Alopecia Life provides free resources for school and home education, including a growing list of alopecia books, education videos on YouTube, links to support groups within the US, UK, Canada and more. You will also find access to Head-On, Stories of Alopecia, the Alopecia 101 free course, paid Alopecia Roadmap course for parents of children living with alopecia, and personalized coaching. Together, we can make a difference. To find out more, https://www.alopecialife.com/

Welcome to this episode of Alopecia Life. Today's guest is Deanna Beattie of Freedom Wigs. Freedom Wigs has a unique origin story and an even more unique continuation of that story. As I was talking with Deanna, I discovered more about her as a mother, about someone who has a commitment and passion to provide a superior experience with Freedom Wigs, and takes into consideration knowledge, empathy, and respect for what goes into the process of making something so personal when someone is looking for a way to capture who they are with a hair piece. Thank you for sharing your time with us today. Here's our interview.

Thank you for listening to Alopecia Life today. I enjoyed learning more about Freedom Wigs, and I hope you did too. We would love to hear your feedback in the comments in the Alopecia Life FB group or over on Instagram. Those links that Deanna and I spoke of throughout the episode are available in the show notes. 

https://freedomwigs.com/

USA website for Freedom Independent Agents in the USA

https://freedomhairagentsusa.com/

 New Zealand website

https://freedomwigs.com/contact/independent-agents

For Har Donations in the US - Elouise will pack up the hair and send it to Australia to the Variety Foundation. Freedom Wigs is working on their connections with the Variety Foundation in the USA, but it is still a work in progress. Please reach out to Elouise to get the Hair from You to Me PDF to know the best method to cut and send your ponytail.

Top Knotch Hair Solutions

Attn: Elouise Johnson

31785 Byers Rd.

Menifee, CA 92584

(951) 805-1333

Support the show

Alopecia Life provides free resources for school and home education, including a growing list of alopecia books, education videos on YouTube, links to support groups within the US, UK, Canada and more. You will also find access to Head-On, Stories of Alopecia, the Alopecia 101 free course, paid Alopecia Roadmap course for parents of children living with alopecia, and personalized coaching. Together, we can make a difference. To find out more, https://www.alopecialife.com/

Welcome to this episode of Alopecia Life. Four years ago, Skylar Weaver set off on his mission to raise alopecia awareness while traveling through central America. As with most adventures and intentions, things come up that cause us to change direction, take a new route, and that's just what happened 7 months into the trip. It was great catching up with Skylar to see what the trip accomplished, not only for his own wellbeing, but also for the families and groups he met throughout the trip. Let's welcome Skylar back to Alopecia Life.

Thanks for spending your time with Skylar and me today. To find out more about Adventures for Alopecia and to follow Skylar on social media, those links are here in the show notes.

https://www.projectafa.org/

https://www.instagram.com/sky_earth_water/

https://www.facebook.com/AdventuresForAlopecia/

https://www.facebook.com/weaverskylar

I've also added the Argentina group that Skylar spoke about during the interview for you to take a look at. https://www.instagram.com/vivirconalopecia.argentina/

Support the show

Alopecia Life provides free resources for school and home education, including a growing list of alopecia books, education videos on YouTube, links to support groups within the US, UK, Canada and more. You will also find access to Head-On, Stories of Alopecia, the Alopecia 101 free course, paid Alopecia Roadmap course for parents of children living with alopecia, and personalized coaching. Together, we can make a difference. To find out more, https://www.alopecialife.com/

Welcome to this episode of Alopecia Life. It's the month of September, and as many of you know - it's Alopecia Awareness Month. Today's guest is Eryn Barclay. She is a wife and mother, and works full-time for the Walt Disney Company in the entertainment department as a cosmetologist. Eryn shares with us about the origin of Lou & Doe. How it started and the significance of what it has grown into in the last year. Sometimes, we wonder what we can do during alopecia awareness month, and this is a great example of an idea that took shape and has morphed into something that extends beyond the month of September. Let's welcome Eryn to Alopecia Life.

Thank you for sharing your time with us today. To follow Eryn on social media, ask any questions about wigs, or to find more information about Lou & Doe and the body gel on the website, those links have been provided for you here in the show notes. 

http://www.louanddoe.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lou_and_doe/

Facebook:Lou&Doe

TikTok: Sparklespreaders

Support the show

Alopecia Life provides free resources for school and home education, including a growing list of alopecia books, education videos on YouTube, links to support groups within the US, UK, Canada and more. You will also find access to Head-On, Stories of Alopecia, the Alopecia 101 free course, paid Alopecia Roadmap course for parents of children living with alopecia, and personalized coaching. Together, we can make a difference. To find out more, https://www.alopecialife.com/

Welcome to Season 5 of Alopecia Life. In this first episode, our guest is Dr. Sherri Barrow. Each season, around this time of year we talk about back-to-school and how we can make the school experience a good one for our kids. Looking back as a kid who lived with alopecia areata since the age of 7, I know I needed more support in school.  I'm sure many of you would agree based on your own experience - there was very little to no support. Some things have changed since then. There are more resources and ways to thrive in a school environment while living with alopecia, and Sherri is here to talk to us about 504 plans here in the US. She is extremely qualified, and her advice of exactly what to ask for can be the difference between success or a prolonged challenge while figuring out what our kids need.

A little more about Sherri: "Sherri Barrow has more than 20 years of experience in business, training, and education. She attended Purdue University for her Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She holds a master’s degree in School Counseling from IUPUI and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Capella University. In addition, has her LMHC in Indiana. This makes her uniquely qualified to empower scholars to find and develop their talents while being a strong, compassionate servant leader to students, families, and educators she is blessed to serve. She believes that all students can be successful if they are given an opportunity to explore their passion and purpose, which becomes their why.

Sherri is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the School Counseling Master program at Ball State University. She helps future school counselors develop their skills and knowledge to impact youth nationwide and abroad. She previously served in a college and career readiness role as the Future Center Coordinator in Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS). The Future Center is an initiative within each of the 4 IPS reinvented high schools where students and alumni access programming to prepare them for IPS' 3 E’s (Enrollment, Enlistment, Employment). These centers bridge the gap for equitable services for our youth in Indianapolis.

Sherri is also a motivational speaker who shares her message of resiliency and forgiveness with audiences seeking more significant outcomes and successes in their daily lives."

If you have questions about 504's after this episode, please feel free to reach out. There a lot of options, just as Sherri mentioned, and we'd love to help you find solutions.

Support the show

Alopecia Life provides free resources for school and home education, including a growing list of alopecia books, education videos on YouTube, links to support groups within the US, UK, Canada and more. You will also find access to Head-On, Stories of Alopecia, the Alopecia 101 free course, paid Alopecia Roadmap course for parents of children living with alopecia, and personalized coaching. Together, we can make a difference. To find out more, https://www.alopecialife.com/

Next week will be the beginning of Season 5 for Alopecia Life and the beginning of Alopecia Awareness Month. I'm excited to bring you episodes with new and continuing conversations around living with alopecia areata. Thank you so much for listening over the last 4 years. I look forward to another season filled with amazing guests and topics that help us all understand there is a community of support out there who understands.

Support the show

Alopecia Life provides free resources for school and home education, including a growing list of alopecia books, education videos on YouTube, links to support groups within the US, UK, Canada and more. You will also find access to Head-On, Stories of Alopecia, the Alopecia 101 free course, paid Alopecia Roadmap course for parents of children living with alopecia, and personalized coaching. Together, we can make a difference. To find out more, https://www.alopecialife.com/

Welcome to this episode of Alopecia Life. This is one of the last ones for the summer of our Stories from Camp series. It was super cool to tune into the sounds of nature again - kids playing a game, birds chirping, and the hum of dragonfly wings. Today's guest is Baylee, and she is being interviewed by Angelique and Abbee who do a great job of asking questions on the fly. Baylee has the sweetest personality, and provides some very touching insight into what it's like in school, along with a health journey that we didn't know about until our time recording. I love interviews like this, where questions and answers are somewhat surprising. I've always felt that having alopecia can allow for a unique and empathetic perspective on life, and it really came through as I listened to this episode and how each of the girls supported each other. Let's welcome Angelique, Abbee, and Baylee.

Thank you again for sharing your time with us today. Interviewing for a podcast isn't as easy as one would think. I loved the satisfied sound of high fives at the end of the interview saying it was a job well-done. I'm sure the girls would enjoy hearing from you. Feel free to share any thoughts or questions with them over at the Alopecia Life Facebook group or over in the comments on Instagram. 

Support the show

Alopecia Life provides free resources for school and home education, including a growing list of alopecia books, education videos on YouTube, links to support groups within the US, UK, Canada and more. You will also find access to Head-On, Stories of Alopecia, the Alopecia 101 free course, paid Alopecia Roadmap course for parents of children living with alopecia, and personalized coaching. Together, we can make a difference. To find out more, https://www.alopecialife.com/

Welcome to this next episode of Alopecia Life and the Back-to-School recap #2. This is 2020's episode where I interview Artist and Animator, Lydia Hibbert and Kerry Montgomery, the Psychological Wellbeing lead from Alopecia UK where we chat about the importance of raising awareness in a way that kids can relate to. Through their Talking About Alopecia animation, which features voices of children living with alopecia, alopecia awareness has been able to make a difference in a strong and unique way. Whether it's your first time listening or are here for a second time, I'd love to hear your thoughts on what you feel has made the biggest difference in your child's life, or in your own when you were in school. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s2e23-back-to-school-with-alopecia-uk-young-animators-club/id1479093384?i=1000531058813

This episode is sponsored by the Alopecia Roadmap for families. I developed this course over a year ago as I was working with parents of children living with alopecia. I was listening to similar situations and concerns come up time and time again, and felt an online course would be effective in reaching even more families and fitting into their busy schedules. Feel free to find out more by heading over to https://www.alopecialife.com/alopecia-areata-online-course/ 

If you're looking for more resources for school, you can navigate through the website to find videos, a list of books to take into the classroom, and other ways to continue to help your child, all free of charge. I've linked the Young Animator's Club, Alopecia UK, along with the Talking About Alopecia animation here for your convenience. 

https://younganimatorsclub.com/about-us/

https://www.alopecia.org.uk/

https://www.alopecia.org.uk/news/new-animation-film-talking-about-alopecia?fbclid=IwAR2gdqVxIneycTfMF0dq3JP7-ct_MvpT2eHblLrfO9idC_MWeLoXQXjQ3aA

Support the show

Alopecia Life provides free resources for school and home education, including a growing list of alopecia books, education videos on YouTube, links to support groups within the US, UK, Canada and more. You will also find access to Head-On, Stories of Alopecia, the Alopecia 101 free course, paid Alopecia Roadmap course for parents of children living with alopecia, and personalized coaching. Together, we can make a difference. To find out more, https://www.alopecialife.com/

 It's that time of year again for kids as they head back to school. Going back to school is often one of the biggest pain points for families, especially if their child has been diagnosed during summer break. This is the first recap of 4 of our back-to-school episodes set up to remind us that even though we cannot control our child's hair loss, we do have the capability of making the education experience better for them, no matter how old they are. These episodes are all setting up for the release of our 5th year of Alopecia Life and the first episode being our back-to-school episode that will release on September 7th.Thank you again for Educator, Jennifer George for sharing her wisdom with all of us back in September 2019. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e002-back-to-school-with-jennifer-george/id1479093384?i=1000449494869

This episode is sponsored by the Alopecia Roadmap course that has been designed specifically to navigate alopecia areata for families - whether it be for school, sports, doctor visits, and even things like family dynamics. To find out more, come on over to Alopecia Life to check it out!

https://www.alopecialife.com/alopecia-areata-online-course/  

Support the show

Alopecia Life provides free resources for school and home education, including a growing list of alopecia books, education videos on YouTube, links to support groups within the US, UK, Canada and more. You will also find access to Head-On, Stories of Alopecia, the Alopecia 101 free course, paid Alopecia Roadmap course for parents of children living with alopecia, and personalized coaching. Together, we can make a difference. To find out more, https://www.alopecialife.com/