August 7 this year is the date when the Alopecia community around the world get together to celebrate International Alopecia Day.
Those with the condition – Alopecia Areata – are encouraged to hold a party in their community to support each other and raise awareness of the condition. At the last event, people from more than 41 countries around the world took part.
Held on the first Saturday of August every year, International Alopecia Day and has been a calendar feature for more than a decade now. It was created back in 2010 by Mary Marshall of San Diego in California.
She encourages those with the condition to hold parties and take photos of the day. She then asks them to send the pictures to her and allow her to compile them into a YouTube video she shares on social media.
@marydrummer says: “I assemble the photos of anyone who wants to be in it into an annual YouTube video that shows the world how beautiful we are, and shows us that we’re not alone.”
Mary’s own story started back in 1999 when she noticed a small bald patch on the back of her head. But it wasn’t until 2008 that her hair fell out completely. It was during the period between her first bald spot and her hair falling out completely that she discovered there were no real support groups set up for those who had the condition.
It would have helped her understand better, for instance, if she had known that the bald spots meant her hair could fall out completely. And that’s why she encourages those with Alopecia areata to show – and celebrate – their baldness, to let others understand the illness more.
“The fact that there were no online support groups full of people’s photos meant that I also didn’t realize that I might someday be bald,” she said. “I assumed I’d just have occasional bald spots that would be hidden by my hair… I lost all my hair in early 2008. It was devastating.”
One woman who certainly doesn’t let the condition stop her from doing what she wants is Dawn Knuff. She will be representing the Alopecia community when she attends the finals of the 2021 Mrs Canada Galaxy Pageant in August this year.
She has lived with Alopecia Universalis for 32 years and speaks out about what she believes ‘true beauty’ really is. She says she believes that women “can still be beautiful with or without hair and be their true self.”
Mary also hosts the Bald Mannequin Project which encourages those with the condition to take a photo of themselves beside a bald mannequin in a shop window. Again, she uses these to compile a fun video.
She said: “If fake bald people are used in shops everywhere, why shouldn’t REAL bald people be seen as fashionable and attractive, as well?”
To feature in the 12th Annual International Alopecia Day, just send the photo of you enjoying yourself at your party or get-together to Mary via her email: internationalalopeciaday@gmail.com
