Alopecia Role Models

 One of the hardest parts of Alopecia is that it is such a visible disease, yet somehow it seems so incredibly difficult to find role models and other people with Alopecia. So without further ado, here are some people who I look up to, and who make Alopecia not feel so isolating. 












Christie Valdiserri 
Model, Professional Dancer

Christie Valdiserri is the first bald model for Sports Illustrated. It is her Instagram bio that I feel really sums up her approach to hair loss pretty well, where she proclaims "From Blonde, To Bald, To Bold." That last bit is crucial, because when you lose your hair, people tend to notice. Confidence (faked or not) is key to pulling off the smooth domed look of being bald, and Valdiserri has that in spades. 












Jeana Turner 
Model

Jeana Turner was one of the models on America's Next Top Model and continues to model now, often doing editorial and other more artistic modeling work. She is also a prime example of embracing not only her baldness, but how it makes her unique, and how standing out, especially in an industry like modeling, is actually a perk. Now that is not to say it makes Alopecia easy, quite the opposite actually, but shifting how you approach this disease really does change your attitude towards it, and by extension, your attitude towards life. 














Viola Davis
Actress

Viola Davis, most known by some of her key roles in How to Get Away With Murder and Fences, has Alopecia Areata. In a few of her interviews she talks about wearing wigs both in her day to day life and on red carpets, and how they helped her feel like her again. Wigs and hair pieces are a fantastic thing that I feel not enough people take advantage of. They are absolutely valid, either as a temporary thing or as a full time one, and I think we should embrace it. Life is too short to hate your hair. 

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