New Lambton alopecia sufferer Georgie Long describes meeting the challenge of hair loss as a teenager

A teenager opens up about the challenge of dealing with losing her hair.

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS: Alopecia sufferer Georgie Long, centre, with her No 1 support crew, from left, Ellie Duric, Claire Marler, Grace Rinkin, Amelia Carpenter, and Lauren Duric. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

IT is tough being a teenage girl in the image-conscious age of selfies and Instagram. For New Lambton schoolgirl Georgie Long, navigating that precarious path has been made all the more difficult by the loss of her hair.

The 13-year-old noticed a bald patch when she was in year five. Several more appeared before a dermatologist diagnosed alopecia areata, an incurable autoimmune disease that causes some or all of the hair to fall out, sometimes permanently.

The bald patches became more obvious towards the end of primary school. Facing the daunting prospect of starting at a new school in an unfamiliar peer group, Georgie decided to begin wearing a wig. 

"I was worried I was going to be bullied; I didn't want to be different," she said.

Understandably self-conscious abut her appearance, Georgie kept her condition secret from all but family and close friends and avoided situations such as school camps, where her hair loss might become obvious.

Recently, however, she made a defining decision to 'out' herself as an alopecia sufferer by allowing a composition she wrote for a school competition under the title 'What Matters' to be reprinted in the Lambton High newsletter.

In it, she wrote with raw honesty about the emotional impact of the disease.

"Personally, it makes me feel like I am ugly and different. As a 13 year old girl with hormones raging through my body, it doesn't make me feel any better," she wrote. 

LIVING LIFE LARGE: Georgie and her friends before a performance in Star Struck on Friday.

But overwhelmingly, Georgie's composition was a positive portrayal of her journey of acceptance and a testimony of remarkable inner strength.

"Life delivers stuff, but it is up to the individual how they deal with it," she wrote.

"This is a touchy topic for me as I wish I never had it … I also consider myself lucky as it's made me stronger mentally which makes me tough.

"What matters to me is being tough. Alopecia has given me that."

Georgie's mother, Angela Smith, said she felt immensely proud of and relieved for her daughter after the article appeared.

 "I could see her vulnerability, but there are so few opportunities to tell your story in your own words," Ms Smith said.

Georgie's empowered outlook extends to her management of the disease. She and her mother have decided against harsh treatments such as corticosteriods and immuno-suppressants to focus on maintaining good mental and physical health.

A soft fuzz is returning to her scalp and Georgie's doctor is optimistic about the prospects of regrowth.

Meanwhile, Georgie is intent on leading a normal teenage life – selfies included.

"I do take a lot of pictures on social media," she confessed with a laugh.

Text of Georgie Long's composition 'What Matters'

What matters to me?

Well this is a question I often don't ask myself.

Well I do know one thing that matters most to me is having Alopecia, which means living most of my life with no hair. The full name for it is Alopecia areata. The definition for it is a type of hair loss that occurs when the immune system attacks your hair follicles mistakenly.

It all started only a couple of years ago when I was in year 5.

Emotionally the disease doesn't seem to affect you, but it does in a profound way. Personally it makes me feel like I am ugly and different. As a 13 year old girl with hormones raging through my body it doesn't make me feel any better. Being in high school I often cop a few stares. In most movies you watch with a girl/boy with some issue that leads them to getting bullied and they become depressed. That's the life I don't want to live. So that's why I chose to keep it between close friends, family and myself. Feeling confident about yourself is an emotional strength that everyone needs to have, regardless of how you look to the world. 

Without feeling confident you are never happy. I have experienced it and many others have too.

Physically it changes you as you have little to no hair. If you have alopecia you don't feel any pain. In most cases your hair will fall out in small patches. Then the small patches become bigger and bigger until you have no hair. Some people are lucky and they only lose a small patch, unlike me who was unlucky that I lost all my hair in the space of one year. Hair loss happens in a really fast space of time, but everyone is different. A lot of people choose to wear the head bare, scarfs or wear a wig. I chose to wear a wig as I hate thinking myself as different. In reality, I am different. But that is cool as everyone is different in their own way. Deep down everyone has their own issues to deal with and these attack at our confidence. For me, Alopecia has only strengthened my resolve to live a happy life as a confident person.

When I first got diagnosed, I had all different questions swimming around in my head. One of the questions I had was why and how did I get it? After having this for a few years I've got the answer. Anyone can develop the disease. The chance is higher for people to get it if they are closely related to someone who has it or for relatives with autoimmune disorders such as diabetes, lupus or thyroid disease. My Mum has thyroid issues and my Gran has had alopecia, so there are clear links to my family.

There are things that I have to be careful of such as when I play sport, swimming and sprinting really fast. That means I have to take it easy near the pool, not running quite as fast even though I haven't reached my highest speed and also taking it easy on the court or field.

Life delivers stuff, but it is up to the individual how they deal with it. This is a touchy topic for me as I wish I never had it. Even though I say this to myself I also consider myself lucky as it's made me stronger mentally which makes me tough. What matters to me is being tough. Alopecia has given me that.

Source: New Lambton alopecia sufferer Georgie Long describes meeting the challenge of hair loss as a teenager