THE MOTTLED LOOK.

2009

I remember taking this image of myself a few years ago. My hair was falling out/growing back, and it looked 'mottled' (as it normally does) like the pattern of cow spots. When someone with Alopecia loses their hair, it falls out from the roots. Alopecia is an auto-immune disease/disorder. The body essentially considers the hair a foreign body and selectively rids itself of it; eyelashes, eyebrows, leg hair, etc... [For me, it is painless]. Even when a head with full hair growth receives a close shave, you can still see the hair stubble (and the roots). When I shave my head, you can see patterns of growth and loss, like a Rorschach. I find that this can be intimidating and confusing for someone who does not understand HOW Alopecia can look. [If I would not shave this hair I would look like the Crypt-Keeper from Tales From the Crypt, ha]. Not everyone who has Alopecia has the same hair patterns. They are like fingerprints on the scalp, and they constantly change and shift like clouds on a windy afternoon.