I am an 18 year old guy with Alopecia Universalis (no hair anywhere on my body) and have had no hair since I was 9, AMA

How does it feel to be Lex Luther?

Kinda bummed I didn't get picked up for Man of Steel

Yeah, you really could have understood his point of view.

If you could have any type of hair what would you choose?

Also, you look good bald my friend. I'm losing my hair and have considered shaving my head, but I figure that I'd look goofy with bumps and knots and the sort.

A buzz cut, those look pretty cool in my opinion. Definitely not long hair.

Thanks man, good luck with the going bald. As long as when you are losing your hair, you don't try and keep it going way too long like Tony Kornheiser, you're fine. With regards to looking goofy, that's luck of the draw. I luckily have a pretty round head, I know plenty of people though that have a bumpy head.

Never having to shave your pubes has to be pretty nice. What is it like having smooth as eggs balls? Also, do you get BO (body odor) cause I feel like a lack of hair would help with that? SO CURIOUS

ಠ_ಠ...Fucking awesome. And yes, I do get BO

No question, just wanted to tell you that you're incredibly handsome and your eyes are amazing.

Haha, thanks

A buddy of mine had to shave his legs for highschool swimming. Anyways he just said fuck it and used nair and did his legs, his genitals and ass all at the same time. He said it was great! Then the next day explained that anyone who removes the hair in their ass crack is stupid because if you work out or sweat its like two soaking wet smelly hams smacking against each other non stop until the hair grows back.

TLDR: Does your ass feel like two sweaty smelly hams rubbing together with no hair in the crack?

Confirmed

How often do people drop Arrested Development references on you?

Not enough.

Does not having eyelashes affect you at all? I know I'd probably get a lot more dust/other things in my eyes without them and since you had hair when you were young, you might be able to compare.

Oh yes for sure. This is easily my biggest gripe. I CONSTANTLY have red eyes, which is quite itchy and doesn't look very good.

That sounds pretty terrible. Basically the rest of the hair on humans doesn't help us now that we use clothing but eyebrows (to block sweat) and eyelashes were the two parts I thought might be an issue. Is there anything you can do to combat the red eyes or are you just stuck dealing with it?

Stuck with it. However, I haven't really looked into fixing it, I'm sure if I looked hard enough I'd find a solution to it. My eyes are itchy all the time though.

I mean cosmetically there are fake eyelashes. I don't see why they wouldn't be somewhat helpful in replacing the real thing.

I really don't like doing cosmetic things like that. Hence why I also haven't penciled in my eye brows or get a wig for that matter. I just live with it, and use basic medicines.

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all of them.

First off, thanks for doing this AMA!

Our 5 year old son lost all of his hair about 15 months ago. We're pretty much settled into the idea that it isn't coming back and we realize there are so many worse things that could happen to a child. While we wait for science to come up with a plan, we feel like we should be prepared to deal with the psychological side of things.

Soooo...my questions are :

• Was there anything your parents/authoritative adult (teacher etc) did that you think made things better or worse for you, regarding the Alopecia?

• Did you 'look up to' any famous bald people?

• If you could tell 8 year old you anything, what would that be?

• At a water park slide, how much faster are you than the general public?

1. Treated me the exact same as everyone else, they key is to make them feel like they fit in.
2. No, my Dad is bald though, which made it a lot less weird
3. see question 1.
4. Of course

If you have any questions, feel free to message me, I'm happy to help you out.

Haha, nice try Agent 47.

Stop trying to blow my cover man.

Do people that you just meet think that you have cancer and act sympathetic towards you? How does that make you feel?

I ask because in high school we had a girl with this same disease and a few teachers would tell us to be nice to her because she has cancer even though we knew she didn't.

One out of 20 or so people just right off the bat ask me if I have cancer. This is usually followed up by the entire group of people I'm with staring at me like they have been all wondering the same question. I don't mid it personally, it's not a ridiculous question.

I used my MSpaint skills to give you eyebrows and eyelashes. :D http://i.imgur.com/D5v66.jpg

I look like a bald Nicholas Cage

You look so smooth... Can... Can I just rub my hands all over you?

Yes.

How do you get Alpoecia Universalis?

It really is a random disease, it is caused by an immune disorder. Basically, my immune system is convinced that hair is trying to kill me, so it reacts by destroying it. As far as what you can do to avoid it; be lucky.

Thats rough man. Are you always cold?

I get cold quite a bit, I just have to wear a sweat shirt all the time in the winter, so it's not a big deal. The real issue is the summer. I get mad sunburn on my head, and it hurts so damn much.

do you get goosebumps when you are cold? I know that they are attached to the hair follicles

Yes

the first thing i got reminded of was an observer from fringe. sorry

have there been any advances to cure alopecia? could you explain to me why the disease does what it does?

all the other questions I could come up with have already been ask, so...best of luck and a happy new year.

There are some advances for the cure, last time I checked they had isolated the genetic mutation that caused it. The disease is an autoimmune disease, so basically, my immune system isn't very intelligent. It is convinced that hair is trying to kill me, so it fights back and destroys hair follicles.

Happy new year to you to man.

Have you ever used a wig?

Nah, I got it so young that the concept of hair wasn't a big deal at that point, so I got used to it. As I grew older, I became more comfortable with it, and just never saw a need.

I do however enjoy messing around.

You are an observer. Don't lie.

shhhhhhhh

Can you give me any advice on how to shave my pubes?

1. Get Alopecia
2. Hair Disapears
3. ????
4. PROFIT!!!

Do you ever draw on different styles of eyebrows to see what you'd look like with them?

nope.

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Honestly, I was so young, it didn't really even register. It was just, "oh, I'm bald? Ok, cool." As I grew into my teen years, I honestly did start feeling a little bit weird, but I got over it by the end of middle school and just accepted it.

Did your peers know/understand what was going on at the time? or was it young enough for them to also accept it fairly easily as you did with losing the hair?

All of my friends knew very quickly and had full understanding of what was going on. At the time, I was in a small elementary school with only 40 kids a grade, so I was able to explain it relatively easy and move on with my life. The real challenge was when I moved when I was 13, and joined a giant middle school. I stuck out like a sore thumb and nobody knew who I was. That was a challenge to establish myself there over the first few years.

Do you ever wish you had hair any where? I know me myself would find it a bit odd living without hair, but maybe it's not so bad? Life experiences, like, has it ever caused social problems or anything?

Honestly, yes. I'm totally cool with having no hair on my head and body, but on my face, I wish I had hair. Specifically, eye brows, eye lashes and nose hair. Nose hair because I get the worst runny noses. Eye lashes because they keep your eyes clean, I have a tendency to get red eyes ALL the time. Eye brows, from what I've read, eye brows play a big part in people reading social cues; I don't think it has had that big of an effect on my social life, but it couldn't hurt.

I noticed on your picture that you still see to have the small fuzzy hair that is similar to a baby (excuse my political incorrectness) how come your body hasn't destroyed that?

Also, how does it affect your love life? I know I would kill for an effortless smooth and bump free crotch!

Keep rocking the bald look... Suits you!

Yeah, that's about as much hair as I get. To be honest, I don't know why my body hasn't destroyed it, but that is as much as it grows. I shave it like once every 3 months, just to keep it lower, but it stops growing at the peach fuzz point.

Haha, I don't think it has a significant affect on my love life. On the positive side, it weeds out a lot of shallow girls.

Nope. You're still good looking.

As my bald husband says, "Hair is for people who don't know how good looking they are."

You, Sir, are good looking.

Using that.

What does your insurance cover as far as treatments/wigs/etc? I know you've said you're ok with not having anything but I'm just wondering as someone who's been working in health insurance for a while and has seen a lot of claims denied for people with alopecia.

Insurance does not cover Wigs for people with Alopecia, as a guy, this isn't that big of a deal, but I feel AWFUL for women. Insurance companies do cover wigs for people under going chemo, but there is no law requiring insurance to cover it for Alopecia, which is ridiculous. I have gone to the statehouse in Massachusetts to try and fight for it, but we have yet to been able to get it to a vote.

Pretty ridiculous how pricey the high quality wigs can be. One of my distant relatives has alopecia and she has a few wigs + tattooed eyebrows. Have you considered getting eyebrow tattoos?

I already got shots in my scalp to try to fix the issue, didn't do anything and hurt like hell. I'm not falling for that shit again.

Similar to another question - Are you unable to silence your farts? I heard without hair down there, you can't fart silent.

no :(

Oh hai. I have Alopecia too! I Had Universalis when i was in highschool, then one day. ZAP! I had eyebrows! Albeit, shitty 45% loaded eyebrows. However i then noticed that my eyelashes started to grow. Now im 23, i have almost a whole eybrow, can grow an awesome mo' (a shitty beard) still dont have pubes, but i have one hairy arm pit. Also hairy, patchy, but hairy legs... Areata is weird.

Fucking Areata. From what I've heard, that thing is bipolar.

Are you aware of the monumental amount of time that you will save by never, ever having to shave or get a haircut ever?

Yes, I fucking love it.

What names do you/did you get called? Charlie Brown and Professor Xavier came to mind first.

Lord Voldemort is the top one.

do you have a girl friend?

I have a friend who has the same conditionz as you.

Had one before college, now I'm in college and single. She didn't see it as a big deal.

Have you ever read the Ian Fleming novel (not to be confused with the Roger Moore movie)? That was the first time I had heard of Alopecia Universalis.

edit: forgot to type the title of the novel The Spy Who Loved Me

I haven't, what's it called? I might look into it.

Do you tend to feel colder more often?

I think I do, but I can't be sure. When I first got it, I was living in California, so really, the cold is not that big of a deal and I didn't notice a difference in how I felt before/after. Then I moved to the North East and noticed I felt cold during the winter. A lot of people up here feel cold right now though.

How does allopecia affect you with the opposite sex. Do you have a girlfriend? Is it hard getting girls?

I've had a girlfriend, so I don't think it's a massive deterrent. With regards to is it hard getting girls, I don't have much to compare to since I lost it when I was 8. I don't have a real answer for you, sorry

My best friend has the same condition. It's obviously going to have an effect re: women, but it's not that bad. He does fine. Certainly better than any number of things that could be a problem.

Also, since I see you have a sense of humor about it (which you absolutely should), I highly suggest you have someone sharpie a face on the back of your head some time for comedic effect. Bonus if you wear backwards sunglasses.

You literally just stole my plan for next Halloween. Fuck you.

Mr. Clean? What exactly makes magic erasers magic?

YOU'LL NEVER GET THE SECRET RECIPE!

One of my teachers sophomore year in high school had Alopecia...you couldn't really tell though. Just looked like an old bald guy. He was one of my favorite teachers ever.

I actually had a teacher my senior year of highschool with the exact same thing I had, it was weirdly cool.

Thats pretty cool... Do you know how rare of a disease it is? I guess I wouldn't really realize how many people i've met/seen who have alopecia. I probably just think of them as just bald.

1 in 125,000 people have it. Easiest way to tell is whether or not they have eye brows

I am quite hairy, yet bald. The idea of having no hair at all sounds quite appealing to me, to be honest.

Any drawbacks, aside from not getting to change hair styles?

Only issue has been with eye brows, eye lashes and nose hair.

(from previous response)

Nose hair because I get the worst runny noses. Eye lashes because they keep your eyes clean, I have a tendency to get red eyes ALL the time. Eye brows, from what I've read, eye brows play a big part in people reading social cues; I don't think it has had that big of an effect on my social life, but it couldn't hurt.

Stupid new kid that worked with me had the audacity and decided to ask another coworker who was a friend of mine with your same condition why he liked to look like some skinhead white supremacist and asked if he hated black people. That kid became the job site verbal/practical punching bag after that.

This has happened to me before, fucking dumbasses.

wait! in your proof picture i see one eyebrow. am i imagining it?

Nah, you aren't imagining it. I have an eyebrow, but the other one isn't growing haha, it's weird.

Do you know anyone else personally that has Alopecia? Anyone in your family have it? Is it genetic at all?

I have a few friends who have Alopecia, we all met though because we have Alopecia. And no, no one in my family had it.

Does having no hair affect the way you see girls? (Do you find girls with body hair unappealing, or the opposite etc)

Nah, it's only led me to become more accepting of different traits of people.

Question.

Would you be a faster skydiver than a hairy person?

Absolutely.

Not gonna lie, curious to see what your balls look like. Genuine scientific curiosity.

Please be a girl.^{PleasePleasePleasePlease}

Nope. Just a scientist.

fuck.