Alopecia

One good thing that might come from Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Academy Awards ceremony is the attention it brings to alopecia areata, the loss of hair in certain spots, and alopecia universalis, the loss of hair over one's entire body. The slapping incident, by the way, was preceded by a joke about Jada Smith's shaven head. Maybe once more people educate themselves about this autoimmune disease, that awareness will generate greater understanding and acceptance.

I have written two poems about alopecia, one of which will be published later this spring. There could be other poems worth writing if I choose to explore that part of my life.

I was five when I started losing the hair on my head. I remember it starting one night when my family was getting ready to eat. I rubbed my head and discovered that my hair covered my plate. Within a year, I was totally bald. I remained bald and had no hair anywhere else on my body for a couple of years. Although the hair on my head eventually grew back, it was never thick and didn't grow very fast. My arms and legs remained hairless.

I started losing the hair on my head again when I was 20 or 21. The process that time took longer because I wasn't totally bald until my thirties or forties. I had facial hair while earning my PhD, but the stress and sleep deprivation that accompanied earning a degree and caring for a baby eventually caused me to lose my mustache and part of my beard.

According to the Internet, one out of four thousand people has alopecia universalis. Alopecia areata is more common among females, I've discovered.

I wouldn't wish alopecia universalis on any kid. I'm happy that my condition wasn't passed on through my genes.