My Life Without Hair

In many ways, 12-year-old Ariah Deming is like any other fifth-grader. She likes to play with her dogs. She shows a mouthful of braces when she smiles. But there is one thing that makes Ariah [uh-RYE-uh] stand out: She doesn’t have any hair.

Ariah has alopecia areata. This disease prevents her hair from growing properly. About 6.8 million Americans have alopecia [al-oh-PEE-shuh]. Scientists aren’t sure what causes the condition. It can be treated in different ways. But there is no cure.

Ariah has had alopecia since she was a baby. Living with the disease hasn’t been easy. Some kids would whisper behind Ariah’s back. Others would make mean comments. Ariah tried to ignore the bullying, but it was hard.

In many ways, 12-year-old Ariah Deming is like any other fifth-grader. She likes to play with her dogs. She shows a row of braces when she smiles. But there is one thing that makes Ariah [uh-RYE-uh] stand out: She doesn’t have any hair.

Ariah has alopecia areata [al-oh-PEE-shuh ah-ree-AH-tah]. That is a disease that stops hair from growing properly. About 7 million Americans have alopecia. Scientists aren’t sure what causes it. There are different ways to treat it. But there is no cure.

Ariah has had alopecia since she was a baby. Living with the disease hasn’t been easy. Some kids whispered behind Ariah’s back. Others made mean comments. Ariah tried to ignore the bullying, but it was hard.

About four years ago, Ariah and her family learned about a group called Locks of Love. They make carefully crafted wigs for kids who have lost their hair from illness or injury.

Ariah requested a strawberry-blond hairpiece. After five months, it was ready. When she tried it on, Ariah was filled with joy—and relief. “I didn’t even have words,” she says. “I was so excited.”

About four years ago, Ariah and her family learned about a group called Locks of Love. They make special wigs for kids who have lost their hair.

Ariah asked for a strawberry-blond hairpiece. After five months, it was ready. Ariah tried it on. She was filled with joy and relief. “I didn’t even have words,” she says. “I was so excited.”

After getting her hairpiece, Ariah started going to a new school. She made close friends. “I just felt more confident,” she says. And so she stopped wearing the hairpiece to school every day.

Today, Ariah saves her hairpiece for special occasions or days when she feels like blending in. Having the option to look like other kids helped Ariah realize something important. “It’s good to be different from everyone else in the crowd,” she says.

Then Ariah started going to a new school. She made close friends. “I just felt more confident,” she says. She even stopped wearing the hairpiece to school every day.

Today, Ariah wears her wig when she wants to blend in. She also wears it for special occasions.

Having the option to look like other kids helped Ariah realize something important. “It’s good to be different from everyone else in the crowd,” she says.