In light of September 13th, National “Bald is Beautiful” Day, I had the honor to speak with Aneesa Sukwhani, a student here at Doral Academy. Aneesa has an autoimmune condition called alopecia. The National Alopecia Areata Foundation states that “alopecia areata is a skin disease, causing hair loss on the scalp, face and sometimes on other areas of the body.” It is known to affect as many as 6.8 million people in the U.S., but Aneesa’s story stands unique. 

       At two years old, Aneesa lost a small patch of hair in the back of her head; while it seemed trivial, soon enough she was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition. Although at first she was able to cover up her bald spots, it wasn’t until the age of eight that she lost all of her hair; considering her young age, it was not easy to deal with the harsh reality. While she underwent several treatments to grow her hair back, none of them were successful. Afraid of other kids teasing her, she decided to wear a wig for a year. But, after having to choose between living in fear or facing her reality, she chose the latter. “I realized that I didn’t care what other people said and no longer wanted to hide such an important part of myself, so I stopped wearing a wig,” she recalls.

       Alopecia is not an easy struggle to overcome for a child, especially regarding appearance.“It may sound silly, but I used to have really long eyelashes and as a girl that’s something you value. So when I lost them, it was really hard for me,” she remembers. But the most common way this condition has affected her is through the community’s preconceived notions of her health; many of her peers tend to think she has cancer, leading them to pity her. And though it may not be the most common disease, she oftentimes has to explain that her health is in perfect shape. She wishes people would understand that her condition has no effects on her physical health. In fact, she would rather have people focus on who she is more on the inside–rather than outside. She states that those around her seem to only remember her for her baldness, even though she is so much more than that. Nonetheless, she makes it clear that the positives greatly outweigh the negatives. Because of her situation, she’s been able to build her confidence at a young age by living with a visible difference and owning her uniqueness. It has taught her to stop dwelling on others’ opinions and start living for herself. Being bald allows her to always stand out, and she finds power in this. Alopecia to her is more than a condition, as it has taught her to promote positivity and only worry about the things she can control in her life.

       Aneesa wholeheartedly believes that beauty is defined by who you are on the inside–looks are only skin deep. She says, “In today’s society, especially with social media, so many people think that you have to look a certain way to be considered pretty and accepted, and that looking different means you’re not,”. She proceeds, “Alopecia has taught me that looking different doesn’t make you any less beautiful; Embracing your differences, if anything, makes you even more beautiful.”

       Aneesa wants others with alopecia, or any other unique trait, to take back their power–to realize that it doesn’t define them, nor does it make them any less. She exclaims, “The only opinion that matters is your own opinion. It wouldn’t be fair to yourself to hide from others.”