Hi! I’m Zoe Yoon, and I’m going to be a sophomore at Stuyvesant High School in New York City. A few months into my first year—right after moving from a tiny private school in New Jersey with the same 35 classmates since pre-K to a huge public school where I didn’t know anyone—my mom noticed a bald spot on my scalp. She freaked out (as moms do) and took me to my pediatrician, who diagnosed me with alopecia. The doctor recommended seeing a dermatologist for treatment options like topical corticosteroids or corticosteroid injections. My mom was going to make an appointment right away, but since I absolutely abhor shots, especially ones that I’d have to take regularly, I begged her to give me a month to try some home remedies the pediatrician had subtly suggested might help.  

 

I went home and did some serious research. I probably tried all the home remedies I could find online (that my parents okayed, of course): vitamin supplements, applying all sorts of oils and other liquids to my scalp (including a serum with peptides and biotin that my mom uses for her eyebrows because of her eczema), eating healthier, and trying to get a little more sleep. But as I read more about alopecia, I started to get more scared. What if more hair fell out and didn’t grow back? I mean, men can pull off bald spots (think The Rock!), but it’s harder for women—and even harder for teenage girls, I think. I decided that the shots might be worth it.  

 

I don’t know if any of the home remedies actually helped, but thankfully, within a month my hair started to grow back—though it came in white. At first, I was embarrassed and tried to hide it. I bought some coloring sticks and powders, but they were such a hassle to apply and didn’t work that well anyway. I didn’t want to dye it because I was scared the chemicals might affect the regrowth. Eventually, I decided to just embrace the streak of white hairs—after all, why not be confident about it, like Rogue or Elsa! :)  

 

I know I’m lucky my alopecia is mild and that my hair grew back. I know many people lose a lot more and don’t see regrowth at all. But going through it made me realize how little people actually know about alopecia, especially when it comes to teens. At my school, people sometimes joke about stress-related hair loss. For someone actually dealing with hair loss, those comments can be hurtful. When I think about my friend, who has alopecia more severely and hasn’t seen regrowth, I cringe at the thought of her hearing those jokes. That’s why I made this website—to share my story, raise awareness, and provide resources for other teens going through this so they don’t feel alone.