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Monday, March 05, 2012 By Jasmine Palacios
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Growing up I was just like any other kid out there with just one minor exception: I had no hair. At the age of four I was diagnosed with a medical condition known as Alopecia Areata, a condition in which hair is lost in some or all areas of the body, specifically the scalp.
I remember it like it was just yesterday, I was six years old about to start first grade and by then my Alopecia had become severe, I had more bald spots then actual hair. My mom decided to take a leap of faith and shave all my hair off in hopes that my hair would all grow back normally. Unfortunately that never happened, and I spent the next seven years with a bandana on my head, trying any treatment possible to get my hair back.
From that point on there was not a day where there was not a hurtful comment or stare directed towards me. Countless times I came home crying because I could not understand why this was happening to me, why God had allowed this to happen. Every night I would pray, and every night I would awake to the same problem.
The thing is I was being selfish; God had given me so much more, a beautiful family who was there for me every step of the way. One day my mom looked at me and told me, “You have no idea how much it hurts me to see you cry but every day I thank God for giving me a healthy child.” That was when I realized I could have it so much worst, yet here I was, with no hair sure, but healthy nonetheless.
I had to learn to accept myself for who I was and realize that hair was nothing but just that hair. And I could either mourn every single day or recognize that hair did not define who I was, I did.
And maybe that was all I needed because at the start of eighth grade year my hair finally began to grow back. Ironically enough it was unusual being able to walk out of my house without a scarf on my head. I cannot deny that I am happy with my hair today, but I know that at any moment my Alopecia can return. The only difference between now and then is that now I know I can live with it and not compromise who I am, because I am so much more than my hair.
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