Welcome to Season 2 Episode 8 of Alopecia Life. Today's guest is Suhani Parikh, and we are talking about her debut book, Shreya's Very Own Style. We discuss south Asian culture, food, alopecia, and how to instill confidence in our children while keeping those traditions that shape us and resonate with us, alive. 

Growing up, Suhani always felt divided. Raised in a home where Indian traditions were taught just as much as American customs were followed, she was part of two distinct worlds. What took her time to figure out, was how to integrate these two worlds she belonged to. On this road to self-discovery, writing was where she found solace and created her own story free from the stereotypes and stigmas surrounding her and her journey with alopecia areata. Through stories like Shreya’s and more on the way, Suhani is determined to better prepare her daughters and other children to see differences as beautiful opportunities to learn about one another, all while loving themselves for who they are.

For many, this is the gift-giving season. My thoughts about gifts that double as resources for change and healing around alopecia is that they are awesome. Growing up, there were absolutely no resources available. That is not an exaggeration. There were no books, magazines, or movies that showed hair loss as a positive, as something to be embraced and perceived as another way of being normal. When I get the opportunity to talk to new authors writing books that will help our children, whether they have alopecia or not, raising awareness, and being change-makers in the world, I jump at the chance.

Thank you for listening to today's episode. As you think about ways to help your child to accept, understand, and embrace their alopecia - consider Shreya's Very Own Style, or any of the fantastic books from authors I've interviewed here on Alopecia Life, that convey a message for change. Your child will thank you. 

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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/