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View Full Version : Large Bald Spots... in High School?



AlliKamikaze
December 1st, 2008, 04:32 PM
A while back, I met a girl from my high school who has/had some kind of hair issue that has caused large bald spots on the top of her head. She's two years younger than me (so probably 15 or 16 years old) and very nice but generally very quiet/reserved. Her hair still grows at her hairline, around the sides, and in most of the back. Her hair is very dark but her skin is somewhat pale, so her bald spots are extremely obvious. (Actually, the bald spots aren't truly bald... but they have only a tiny bit of hair that reveals a lot of her scalp. I haven't been able to tell the length of those hairs or whether or not they are growing. But because I saw her last year, I don't think they've changed much lately).

To be honest, I'm not totally sure why it bothers me so much. But I feel a lot of sympathy for her, and I really wonder about it a lot. like... Why her hair became that way? Will her hair ever grow back? Does she feel really sad because of it?
I've always been afraid to bring it up and ask why ... but there's this part of me that really wants to help her somehow.

I can hardly imagine losing my hair already ... I keep trying to think of words for what comes to mind, but I can't pin my emotions down. I feel ... so much ... compassion? towards her that it almost hurts me.

I'd like to hear comments from people here.

Am I being too sensitive?
Does anyone have any idea what might be happening?

I think I'd feel better if I could discuss this with someone.

MsBubbles
December 1st, 2008, 05:16 PM
Not sure how to counsel you on feeling so much empathy towards this girl, other than "I know how you feel", which kind of sounds lame.

I have a friend I've known for 9 years who recently told me what I thought was her hair this whole time has been wigs. She told me she has suffered from 'male-pattern baldness', which meant she lost her hair on top of her head (or it thinned really badly). This started happening to her in high school. I was floored and felt really bad that I had complained to her about my hair!! I did, however, always compliment her on the fact that she kept her hair long (not knowing it was wigs the whole time). She always did, and still does, look great anyway. She has tried many things and spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to find remedies she can live with, because nothing works for good.

When I found this out earlier this year, I was shocked and flummoxed for about a month. It sounds silly but I was totally preoccupied thinking about how I never knew, and how much embarrassment and sadness she must have been going through most of her adult life (we're in our 40s now). It also changed my own perception of my own hair and appearance, as in, I tend go easy on myself now instead of hating my straggly ends or flat hair.

I think I was in shock, though, for a while.

I'm sure the girl in your school probably has had her fair share of weird looks, whispers and even name-calling, so any way you can be nice to her at all would probably help. And yes, it does help to talk about it. I didn't post about my friend on here, but I'm glad now that I have the opportunity to get it out. So thanks!

Darkhorse1
December 1st, 2008, 05:24 PM
It's also quite possible she has that condition in which she pulls out her own hair. I don't remember the name of it, but it's a compulsion that some people cannot control. I knew someone who did that as a kid. They just grab their hair at sections and yank it out. I guess the same way I pick at my SD, those with this condition pull/yank.

Being someone's friend is the best thing that can help someone with any condition in which they have balding on their head. :) You are very sweet to care.

Delila
December 1st, 2008, 05:45 PM
A friend of mine had a spot on her head that was thin when she was a teen, but it got that way because she did some sort of repetitive gymnastics move over and over and over. Once she quit doing whatever it was, her hair grew back in.

invisiblebabe
December 1st, 2008, 07:30 PM
She might have alopecia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alopecia_areata

Get to know her :) I like introverts.

invisiblebabe
December 1st, 2008, 07:31 PM
A friend of mine had a spot on her head that was thin when she was a teen, but it got that way because she did some sort of repetitive gymnastics move over and over and over. Once she quit doing whatever it was, her hair grew back in.

Now that's bizarre! Do you happen to know what move it was? I used to be a gymnast, but I can't think of anything that would do that....

Anje
December 1st, 2008, 07:48 PM
Sounds like Ludwig pattern baldness to me. I'm not sure if anything can be done about it, but I know someone with a case of it, too.

dearladydisdain
December 1st, 2008, 09:31 PM
It's also quite possible she has that condition in which she pulls out her own hair. I don't remember the name of it, but it's a compulsion that some people cannot control. I knew someone who did that as a kid. They just grab their hair at sections and yank it out.
It's called trichotillomania. I believe it's a form of OCD.

invisiblebabe
December 1st, 2008, 10:18 PM
It's called trichotillomania. I believe it's a form of OCD.

It usually involves similar regions of the brain as OCD, but it is a separate diagnosis and a separate disorder :)

Katze
December 1st, 2008, 11:36 PM
I had an acquaintance who had patchy hair loss, also relatively young (28 years old I believe) and she also had serious health issues - very overweight, chronic bronchitis, skin issues. She said that all the women in her family had it too. :confused:

Apart from the fact that she was a smoker and ate very poorly, I couldn't see what was wrong with her apart from some serious hormonal/thyroid problems. If this person is your friend, you might want to see if you can (GENTLY!) talk to her about it and see if she's seeing a doctor. It might be she's already dealing with the issue and is fully aware of it, but maybe you expressing concern would be helpful.

ktani
December 2nd, 2008, 08:45 AM
A while back, I met a girl from my high school who has/had some kind of hair issue that has caused large bald spots on the top of her head. She's two years younger than me (so probably 15 or 16 years old) and very nice but generally very quiet/reserved. Her hair still grows at her hairline, around the sides, and in most of the back. Her hair is very dark but her skin is somewhat pale, so her bald spots are extremely obvious. (Actually, the bald spots aren't truly bald... but they have only a tiny bit of hair that reveals a lot of her scalp. I haven't been able to tell the length of those hairs or whether or not they are growing. But because I saw her last year, I don't think they've changed much lately).

To be honest, I'm not totally sure why it bothers me so much. But I feel a lot of sympathy for her, and I really wonder about it a lot. like... Why her hair became that way? Will her hair ever grow back? Does she feel really sad because of it?
I've always been afraid to bring it up and ask why ... but there's this part of me that really wants to help her somehow.

I can hardly imagine losing my hair already ... I keep trying to think of words for what comes to mind, but I can't pin my emotions down. I feel ... so much ... compassion? towards her that it almost hurts me.

I'd like to hear comments from people here.

Am I being too sensitive?
Does anyone have any idea what might be happening?

I think I'd feel better if I could discuss this with someone.

It can be any number of things from hormones to thyroid problems and alopecia.

I understand your empathy and I do not hink that you are being too sensitive. I can only hope that she is seeking/has sought medical intervention which may help her.