Hairless Awareness: Conquering Alopecia Sasha Yama

Being a teenager is hard enough. Just imagine what that process would be like if you woke up with no hair. An already confusing and emotional phase of life can be made worse by a very obvious and sometimes embarrassing condition. Like adults, teens may grieve the loss of their hair but how they do it may be very different. Their peers, their coping abilities, their digital resources, the influence of social media , their growing insecurities, their changing body, and a desire to fit in can significantly impact how teenagers grieve and overcome this trauma. In episode 10 we talk to the strong and inspiring Lili Graham who was diagnosed with alopecia areata at the age of 14. She dealt with alopecia for most of her high school career. One day she decided to shave it all off and live life as a bald teen. She started a youtube channel and an instagram page to help spread awareness about alopecia. Her goal is to spread awareness and provide a relatable and friendly resource to other alopecians!

Many of us are forced to reexamine our lives after being diagnosed with a chronic illness. Often times we ask ourselves "why me?". Have you ever considered asking instead, "What is this Alopecia experience here to teach me?". If we saw every experience in our life as an opportunity to expand and find greater purpose, we may consider the possibility that Alopecia is here to help us. Will you accept this calling for change? With the help of fellow Alopecian, Jess Morgan a professional content creator, mindfulness advocate, and mindfulness maker from LadyandLionco.com we will uncover the spiritual lessons behind alopecia. Plus some comforting and empowering tools to use to help overcome the daily obstacles of living with this disease.

We hear it all the time. Just be grateful for what you still have! Its undeniably harder to have feelings of gratitude when you are suffering. How do we think positively when we feel horribly? It was in the depth of my depression that I decided to make a change in how I thought about my life. After discovering the research behind gratitude and healing I adopted my own gratitude practice. Join me in episode 8 to learn what gratitude is, the research behind its healing powers, how to cultivate it, and the limitations of being grateful.

With Alopecia its easy to feel out of control, like life is happening to us instead of for us. Often times we feel victim to our disease. This mindset is part of being human and has value but its important that we do not get stuck in this mood. Inspired by Sarah Kohlmann's work on victim mindset, we dive into what it means to be in a victim mindset vs an empowered mindset. Join me in learning how to transition from a helpless to survivor.

When my Alopecia began I spent an embarrassing amount of money on wigs. Money I did not have. I had no idea what I was buying, what i needed, or what to search for online. I would make my purchase decision solely based on the online pictures not knowing what was inside the wig. I didn't know there were so many different things to consider. From the type of hair, to the kind of lace, and then the construction, how do you know what wig to buy?! Let's not forget that our hair loss is so unpredictable that our wig needs are always changing. With the help of Heather Scott, an alopecian of 30 years and creator of prettywigstoyou.com you'll learn how to navigate the world of wigs and get the piece(s) for your ever changing needs.

The other side of alopecia. Today I ask my boyfriend to join me in talking about my Alopecia journey. What has this journey been like for him? How does it make him feel? What has he learned during this process? What works and does not work for our relationship? How has alopecia impacted our love life? Listen in for a candid conversation between Sasha & Hersh on Love & Alopecia.