We always like to start a new year with some reflection here at Love, Alopecia. January the perfect time to look back on the achievements and hard work of the last 12 months, and get reinvigorated for the year to come. To that end, we wanted to share some of the amazing alopecia stories from 2018 which reminded us why we do what we do.

Kids Meet a Person With Alopecia 
“Alopecia is a disease where my body thinks that my hair is bad. So my body fights my hair.”
Is this video the cutest thing that happened in 2018? You tell us. A lot of people certainly loved it – with over sixty thousand views on Facebook!

7 People Describe What It’s Really Like to Have Alopecia
“My beauty tip: Do whatever the hell you want.”
Now that’s beauty advice we can follow. We always love hearing different people’s perspectives on alopecia, and it’s fantastic to see mainstream media sharing multiple stories and acknowledging there is no one way that AA affects our lives.

Lauren’s amazing story – ‘Weeks before my wedding, my hair began falling out in clumps’

“As cliché as it sounds, be comfortable in who you are. This whole experience has given me a confidence I never thought I had in myself,” she says.
“It was when I got my photos back that I could completely say, ‘Yes, I looked beautiful’. My hair was perfect, just like any other normal bride who doesn’t have alopecia.”

Alopecia barbae: what to do if you’re losing your beard
“…there are no benefits to constructing a hierarchy of who feels better about their alopecia. Losing hair when you didn’t expect to can be tough to deal with, for anyone.”
It’s fantastic to see men’s experiences with alopecia being shared in such a major publication as Men’s Health Magazine. For too long, the misconception that men with alopecia “have it easier” has been preventing men from seeking the support they need to deal with impact of this condition.

MAFS star reveals how she copes with alopecia
Gabrielle Bartlett from Married At First Sight and psychologist Camille Gray discuss their experiences with alopecia on the Today show.
This was such an amazing segment. I can’t imagine how it would have felt to see someone with alopecia on the morning news when I was a child, let alone two people – confident, assured, professional women – championing awareness and promoting mental health care.

 
‘I thought it would look cool’: Nine-year-old girl suffering from alopecia shaves off all of her hair to take a brave stand against bullies who cruelly made fun of the bald spots on her head
“Briel Meadows from Wilmington, North Carolina, began developing bald spots in January, and by May she had lost around 55 per cent of her long blonde hair.”
Sharing purely for this little ones smile! She’s so happy! Often shaving hair is seen as a sad thing, but for many people with alopecia, taking control of your fall by clipping off your locks can be very empowering. It’s not for everyone, but we certainly love this little girl’s joy.

Five Women Who’ve Experienced Hair Loss On What ‘Femininity’ Means To Them
‘Femininity to me is about embracing your true self.’

Alopecia affects everyone differently. That’s why I’m so inspired by these amazing articles which show multiple people’s perspectives on a topic like femininity and hair loss. And who isn’t excited to see alopecia featured in the Huffington Post?
Alopecia awareness has come so far and we can’t wait to see what 2019 will bring.

Who else is feeling inspired? Pumped for the year ahead? Do you have an amazing alopecia story from 2018 which we haven’t featured here? Let us know in the comments!