Why Am I Starting This Blog?
Many reasons come to mind, but the main one is to create a place that offers more than just facts and information. I wanted somewhere with a human touch; somewhere that truly understands not only what a child goes through, but also the emotional journey of the parent, guardian or carer walking alongside them.
There were tears, confusion and fear, but if I’m honest, most of those emotions belonged to me. It’s true when they say children are adaptable and resilient because my daughter showed nothing but unwavering strength at a time where most adults would have crumbled under societal pressure. She has taught me so much over the last 18 months about who she is as a person, inner beauty, the importance of health and about the importance of affirming words.
I noticed the first bald spot on my daughter’s scalp on 12th October 2024. Within ten weeks, she had lost around 90% of the hair on her scalp. We were first told the bald patches were caused by a type of fungal infection, which was a huge relief at the time, as I initially feared it looked like alopecia.
The Diagnosis
Week after week, she was losing ten times more hair than usual on wash day. When I washed it, her whole head would become matted, and it took me around 30–40 minutes to detangle each time. I managed to book a private dermatology appointment for 30th November, and that’s when I was told she had Alopecia Areata.
I had to stop myself from bursting into tears in front of my little girl. She was colouring quietly, not paying much attention, or so I thought. Needless to say, I was devastated, and as soon as I got home, I broke down while telling her dad.
Jaime had thick 4B/C hair, gorgeous and healthy, how could this be happening? I used the best products, deep conditioned, and always did protective styles. It’s very hard not to blame yourself at first.
We both jumped online to look for information, but instead of answers, it felt like we were hit with even more devastating news: it could get worse and develop into Alopecia Totalis or Universalis. There’s currently no cure, and doctors don’t fully understand what causes it.
My Biggest Fear
My main fear was, how will my baby deal with this?
She has two sisters (one older and one younger) and myself, all of us with hair. I worried this would make things even harder for her. Not only that, but how would she be received at school?
At that point, I could still hide her patches, but I became increasingly anxious about doing her hair because of the shedding. From the start, we were honest with Jaime about what was happening. She even asked to see pictures, and I felt she deserved to. I wanted her to understand her body and process everything safely at home, surrounded by love.
🩷 Finding Confidence
I went from hiding the patches with specific hairstyles, to buying thick headbands, which was surprisingly hard to find for a child her age. Finding suitable headbands was much harder than I expected. Most of the ones we found were designed for adults, so they didn’t fit Jaime particularly well. We used them for a while because they were the best option we could find at the time, but I was never completely happy with them. Once the headbands no longer concealed the patches, she started wearing head wraps/bonnets. The ones I found were very good, there weren’t many styles but they worked well. They were advertised for adults but they fit quite well. I will link these below just incase they help you too. She didn’t mind wearing them, especially because I would plait a small section of hair at the front that sat outside the bonnet. I think that made her feel more secure, and we hoped children wouldn’t ask too many questions if they could still see “a little bit of hair.”
Over the Christmas period, Jaime made the brave decision to cut her hair. I gave her the scissors and put the power in her hands so she felt in control. In the months that followed, it became a journey of acceptance, finding new ways to support and uplift her, and helping her embrace her new normal.
From the moment we first heard the diagnosis right up to today, we’ve looked into every type of support available — from natural medicines and supplements to seeking a second opinion.
This journey has changed us all, and while it hasn’t been easy, it’s taught us strength, honesty and compassion in ways I never imagined. I hope that by sharing our story, another family facing those same fears today feels a little less alone. 💛
Products & Accessories We Used
- Satin Bonnet — helpful for protecting her scalp overnight.
- Soft Headbands — comfortable for days when she wanted a little extra coverage when she still had a fair amount of hair.
- Turban Knot Headwrap — Even though these bonnets were for women they fit Jaime very well and gave her confidence when leaving the house.
- Turban Head Scarf Hat –
A quick note: The products mentioned above are items we personally used during our daughter’s journey. These are not sponsored or affiliate links, I’m simply sharing what we used in case it helps another family.