More Than My Hair
How a girl with Alopecia freed herself from the reigns of her wig
Brianna Compras, a 20 year old student at Montclair State University, shares her story of her life long battle with alopecia areata. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease, where hair on the scalp falls out in round patches. Brianna was diagnosed when she was three years old, and has dealt with it ever since.
Coming from a very supportive family, they always let her choose what she wanted to do with her hair. At first, they tried putting it up in a ponytail and then wearing sewn-in weaves, but nothing looked quite right. Eventually, she asked her mom and aunt if she could wear wigs, and they were 100 percent for it. She wore wigs through the latter part of middle school, and then high school. Her teen years loomed with the thought of someone ripping her wig off in front of everyone.
“I walked the halls of my high school everyday, wondering if today would be the day that someone pulled off my wig.” — Brianna Compas
Just when she thought wigs would be the lasting solution to her condition, she talked with a friend who also struggled with alopecia. Her friend, Shariny, had started getting hair treatments that would prove to be painful and grueling to her body. Brianna knew this was not a realistic option for her. When Shariny showed her a picture of herself bald, Brianna wondered what she would look like if she were bald too.
Finally, Brianna decided to free herself from the reigns of her wig. She shaved her head, and now rocks it bare. She channels her strength from her mother, who supported her until her passing. She now relies on her family and friends to be her source of confidence and support system.
