Local woman living with Alopecia embraces her condition, hoping to empower others

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That day, Styles went home to an emotional conversation with her mom, booked an appointment with the only dermatologist in Prince George where it was a confirmed diagnosis of Alopecia.

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“I lost more and more hair as I was nearing the end of my high school days,” she said. “I think I wrote it in my yearbook at grad that math made me lose my hair.”

Just two weeks ago, the now 28-year-old made the decision to fully embrace her condition, having thought about it for a number of months now.

“I think I was reluctant just because it’s the loss of my hair. You know, it’s saying goodbye. It’s accepting that I may never have that again and definitely finding a way to be okay with that.”

Styles says she’s felt empowered by women who live with the same condition who have shown strength in posting to social media, especially with the posts celebrating Alopecia Awareness Month this September.

“It definitely gave me strength to say ‘you know what, it’s time. it’s time to tell everyone, to show everyone, to say that this is the condition that I deal with and there are lots of other people out there that are just like me who are also hiding what they’re going through and the struggles that they face. I want them to feel empowered and for us to not feel alone.”

Speaking with the Canadian Alopecia Areata Foundation, data shows that approximately 2 per cent of Canadians are affected by Alopecia, which is roughly 740,000 people in Canada alone.

According to Louise Sallai, the Western Canadian Rep from the Canadian Alopecia Areata Foundation, raising awareness for the condition remains important after great strides in research in recent years.

“It’s important for awareness to be raised so that people understand that this is an auto-immune disorder and it is a health condition. Often times Alopecia is seen as a cosmetic issue. It’s so much deeper than a cosmetic issue, it is a health-related issue.”

Sallai admits she didn’t come forward with her condition for many years. She’s been suffering from Alopecia for 20 years.

For more information on Alopecia Areata and support, you can contact the Canadian Alopecia Areata Foundation by accessing their website or connecting with CANAAF on social media.