Building Confidence in the Classroom:
Tips for Feeling Your Best
By Laura Schober
It’s that time of year again – back-to-school season! For many children and teens living with alopecia areata, going back to school can be an exciting time, but it can also bring up feelings of anxiety or uneasiness. With new teachers and new classmates, the inevitable questions about hair loss can be difficult and unpredictable to navigate. The good news is that there are confidence-boosting strategies that can help kids and teens feel more confident and empowered in the classroom. CANAAF spoke to two members of the alopecia areata community, Maeve Sooley (age 8) and Norah Dimitroff (age 12), and their mothers, about their experiences going back to school and their top tips for building confidence when returning to class.
Norah Dimitroff Maeve Sooley
1. Talk to your school in advance
To increase acceptance and understanding of alopecia areata at school, educating others about the condition is important. While everyone approaches their diagnosis differently, some people like to share their alopecia areata diagnosis with teachers, staff members, or school administration in advance or at the beginning of the school year. For children or teens who feel more comfortable wearing hats or scarves indoors, it’s also a good idea to tell staff members and teachers so they are aware. Proper awareness and education about alopecia areata is key: This will prevent staff members from asking someone to remove their head covering indoors, preventing a potentially uncomfortable or embarrassing situation.
2. Educate others about your condition
At her school, Maeve — a grade 3 student living with alopecia areata in Amherstburg, Ontario — and her mother, Melissa, have shared presentations about alopecia areata to different classes over the years. With alopecia areata, the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles, which causes inflammation that leads to hair loss. To make this easier for children to understand, Melissa and Maeve start their presentation by asking if anybody has an allergy. “Someone always raises their hand, whether it’s a bee sting or peanuts or raspberries, or whatever the case may be,” said Melissa. “We try explaining it the same way – some people’s bodies don’t like certain foods or certain things. Maeve’s body just happens to not like her hair.” Another way to educate classmates is to read a book about alopecia areata to the class, such as Where’s Your Hair, Hannah?. Because not everyone knows what alopecia areata is, a lack of education may lead some classmates to mistakenly think it’s contagious or a disease that can temporarily cause hair loss, such as cancer, rather than an autoimmune disease. Taking the time to educate classmates can help reduce the chances of bullying, isolation, or name-calling.
3. Be aware of your school’s policies on makeup
Some schools have strict policies on makeup, but for people with alopecia areata, makeup can be an important accessory to support their emotional well-being and self-confidence. As some pre-teens and teens may want to experiment with makeup to help fill in lost eyebrows or eyelashes, it’s important to discuss makeup policies with the school in advance if you’re unsure about whether the use of cosmetics is allowed.
4. Rehearse what you’ll say in advance
There may be situations where classmates may ask unwanted or uncomfortable questions, such as asking someone with alopecia areata why they have no hair. But building selfconfidence can help kids and teens take control of uncomfortable situations. To build confidence and assertiveness, practice what you’ll tell others about your condition in advance. If you’re not comfortable doing or saying something, then don’t do it.
Some examples of helpful responses could include:
● “My body’s immune system is being extra curious with my hair, but I am still the same person with or without hair.”
● “My immune system is acting like it’s defending me, but it got a bit confused.”
“Be confident,” said Norah, a grade 8 student living with alopecia areata in Stoney Creek, Ontario. “If anybody asks, you can give them an honest answer and explain to them what it is.” For children who are newly diagnosed with alopecia areata and returning to school for the first time, Maeve also has some helpful words of advice. “Make sure you make lots of friends,” said Maeve. “You are confident enough to go to school with no hair and no wigs. Just be strong.”
5. Follow your child’s lead
It’s important to follow your child’s lead and be supportive of their comfort level when it comes to when they want (and how they want) to reveal their diagnosis to others. “My husband and I have always let Norah lead,” said Vanessa of her daughter’s approach to speaking about her condition. “Whatever she wanted to do – like if she wanted to tell teachers or her friends about her alopecia – that guided her and helped her understand that once she does tell someone, she’s not in control of who that person will tell. We encourage her to follow her gut.”
6. Surround yourself with others in the alopecia areata community
It can be tough to navigate the classroom while living with alopecia areata, but there is support if you need it. Consider joining a support group at CANAAF or partnering with a mentor through CANAAF’s mentorship program to chat with others about their experiences and get advice from others living with the same condition. Remember, you’re not in this alone!
7. Have fun!
Most importantly, embrace the uniqueness of your alopecia areata and have fun with it. Whether you like to wear wigs, scarves, hats, or prefer to go bald, there are lots of options to express your individuality and personality while living with alopecia areata. For more classroom resources, visit www.canaaf.org/resources-for-children/
