This month is National Alopecia Areata Awareness Month.
Like nearly 7 million Americans, I am living with alopecia — an autoimmune disease that attacks the hair follicles.
There are several forms; I am living with alopecia universalis. In late 2019, in the span of 5 weeks, I went from small spots of baldness, to an official diagnosis, to total baldness, including loss of my eyebrows and lashes.
On January 16, 2020, in a video in collaboration with The Root, I revealed my diagnosis and my bald crown to the world. It wasn’t easy — vulnerability rarely is — but it was necessary.
When first diagnosed with alopecia universalis, I mourned the loss of my hair and struggled to accept this new version of myself.
Choosing to walk this path without a wig certainly disrupts societal norms of what is professional or beautiful.
However, I could never have imagined just how much I stood to gain, including a new community of people living with alopecia (and other forms of traumatic hair loss due to cancer or other autoimmune diseases) for whom my bald representation in Congress has proven empowering.
My alopecia journey has reinforced to me that we each deserve to show up in the world, to occupy space as our full and authentic selves, and we each have a responsibility to create space for others to do the same.
Now I know and believe, bald is beautiful!
Grateful to and for the support of my family, the A-Team, alopecia community, and all of you.
With love and gratitude,
Ayanna
If you or someone you know is living with alopecia and in need of resources, or wants to learn more, please click here: https://www.naaf.org/find-support
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