I've had alopecia for 8 years now. First, it was come and go areta alopecia. Then it went universalis. The eyelashes were the worst. I would look in the mirror and say, "I look like a lizard." My mom used to say I was as mean as a snake when I was little and got in trouble, so it shouldn't have come as any surprise. The hair loss was hard, but the self-esteem loss was devastating.

The first time I went to buy a wig, I made sure I was the last scheduled appointment. I went alone, in…