Late last month, Theresa Eternity took a selfie. It wasn't out of the ordinary for the 22 year-old from Victoria, Canada, who frequently catalogues her many hair colors (pink, blue, green) on Instagram. But this photo was different: sporting a houndstooth blazer, crimson red lipstick, and fully bald head, Eternity announced to the world that she has alopecia.
"It's pretty vulnerable when you can't hide behind your hair, you're there for the world to see," Eternity wrote in an accompanying caption. "Sometimes I open my front camera and I look just like a thumb... but that's okay, because I'm learning and changing what femininity means to me."
Eternity punctuated her 150-word disclosure with 13 hashtags, including #alopecia, #alopeciaareata, and #bigbadbaldie. She joined over 750,000 people (and probably more than a few bots) who have used #alopecia to classify a confessional post. These communities of patients inspired Eternity to share her own story.
After visiting multiple doctors who ran tests for everything from thyroid disease to iron deficiency, Eternity was diagnosed with alopecia areata. In medical circles, the chronic condition—which causes hair to fall out in patches—is considered more of a cosmetic nuisance than a health crisis.
"They were lax in sympathy and empathy," Eternity told The Daily Beast. Her physician unceremoniously ended the appointment by suggesting she see a dermatologist. Not satisfied, Eternity turned to Instagram support groups where she found a community that understood her pain.
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https://www.thedailybeast.com/herpes-crohns-and-depression-meet-the-people-making-their-chronic-illnesses-instagram-friendly?
