Mariana showed tremendous courage in reaching out to CANAAF to share her alopecia story. It is her hope that she can inspire others to speak out about their hair loss and embrace their differences. Thank you Mariana for sharing your journey with us!
My name is Mariana Attardo, and I am a 16-year-old student from Toronto, Ontario living with alopecia areata. I was diagnosed with alopecia
when I was only a year old. I have been living with this condition my entire life.
When I was young, my hair was extremely sparse, and I was mostly bald. I wanted to fit in at school, so from the time I was five, I started using hair treatments to assist with growth. Over the years, I have tried many different creams and 
medicines. The hair cream I used that was most effective was greasy and made my hair appear oily. I have always had spots behind my ears and around my head that were more noticeable than others. My left eyebrow has hair missing, and I have little to no body hair. Therefore, I have always been asked lots of questions. At first, I would lie or make excuses; “I cut my hair and it went wrong.”
As I got older, I began to embrace my differences. The treatments I was using were effective, and my hair loss was less noticeable. However, in the last year, my hair has begun to thin out a lot. This has been something I have struggled with recently and has affected my self-image. I am not perfect, and I am still moving slowly throughout my
journey of self-love. Being a teenager is complex, and having bald spots makes it a little harder. Something that helps me is getting in touch with other teenagers struggling with similar issues. Knowing I am not alone has, helped me with my journey.
I have kept my condition a secret for most of my life. Only my family and really close friends knew why I had bald spots around my head. In the last year, I have decided to begin embracing my differences and I am more vocal about my condition. It is not always easy to share vulnerable parts of your life, but it is a big step in fully accepting who I am. Hair is a cosmetic issue, of course, and there are always ways to hide my bald spots. In the coming months and years, I have made a promise to myself to speak out more on my condition and make others going 
through something similar feel they are not alone.
My younger self could never imagine me sharing this part of my life with others, but I am proud of my bravery and courage, and I hope to inspire other children with alopecia to speak out as well and feel beautiful.
Hair doesn’t define who you are, and your appearance doesn’t even begin to display your beauty and courage.
