WEBVTT - No Hair, No Problem (Alopecia recap) 0:00:00.280 --> 0:00:02.639 Hey, y'all, Hey, what's up? And welcome to Let's Red 0:00:02.680 --> 0:00:06.440 Table that I'm Tracy t Rowe and I am Cala Pressley. 0:00:06.519 --> 0:00:08.440 What's going on in your world? Tracy? How are you 0:00:08.520 --> 0:00:11.240 feeling today? You know what I'm feeling every day? Amazing 0:00:11.320 --> 0:00:14.800 and i know you're feeling successful and I'm glad about it. 0:00:14.840 --> 0:00:16.560 I am so glad about it. Let me tell you 0:00:16.680 --> 0:00:21.480 this episode was This episode was definitely hot. The awareness 0:00:21.600 --> 0:00:27.520 for alopecia, the acceptance for alopecia, and the empowerment for alopecia. 0:00:27.640 --> 0:00:32.440 This episode was pivotal, I think to so many people 0:00:32.520 --> 0:00:36.840 turning the corner on understanding checking themselves in their own 0:00:36.880 --> 0:00:41.360 hair privilege. Hello, there's so many things we take for granted, 0:00:42.280 --> 0:00:44.479 and you think you don't have to worry about waking up, 0:00:44.479 --> 0:00:46.639 getting in the shower and having your hair falling out 0:00:46.640 --> 0:00:50.360 in the shower. People have to experience that. Jada experienced 0:00:50.360 --> 0:00:53.120 that and the trauma that's associated with that. It's sad 0:00:53.159 --> 0:00:56.320 that they're so little acceptance for people that are going 0:00:56.400 --> 0:01:01.480 through issues period, but especially with their hair. People are 0:01:01.640 --> 0:01:06.240 so dangle mean. They are mean and again not realizing 0:01:06.280 --> 0:01:10.160 even what it truly is. Some things are just not controllable. 0:01:10.319 --> 0:01:13.240 It may cause a lot of women people men to say, 0:01:13.440 --> 0:01:17.000 am I the problem? When it maybe their body attacking them? 0:01:17.400 --> 0:01:19.880 And these instances is what I'm really realizing. So it's 0:01:20.400 --> 0:01:24.039 so many things that are untapped, so many different variables 0:01:24.080 --> 0:01:27.160 that can contribute to alopecia, and they covered a good 0:01:27.240 --> 0:01:30.399 number of them on the episode. Let's talk about what 0:01:30.520 --> 0:01:36.400 alopecia is. Listen, Alopecia is an umbrella term for hair loss. 0:01:36.520 --> 0:01:40.600 Right there in that one sentence opens up the narrative 0:01:40.720 --> 0:01:43.320 to change it from just a woman thing or some 0:01:43.440 --> 0:01:47.800 type of shame thing, or it's just an umbrella, overarching 0:01:48.000 --> 0:01:50.600 term for hair loss. It can affect your scalp or 0:01:50.640 --> 0:01:53.200 your entire body. It can be temporary or it can 0:01:53.240 --> 0:01:56.600 be permanent. And there are three main types of alopecia 0:01:56.800 --> 0:01:59.280 with different causes and treatments, and we're going to dive 0:01:59.320 --> 0:02:03.320 into some of those deeper in today's episode. There was 0:02:03.360 --> 0:02:06.640 a super proud moment for me in the episode, and 0:02:06.680 --> 0:02:09.400 there was a super heartbreaking sad moment for me in 0:02:09.440 --> 0:02:14.000 the episode. This super heartbreak of course, real story. We 0:02:14.040 --> 0:02:17.720 gotta talk you story. Yeah, that was hard in general, 0:02:19.360 --> 0:02:21.360 and her mother we got to talk about that. We 0:02:21.400 --> 0:02:24.920 will be remiss if we didn't. And her birthday is 0:02:25.040 --> 0:02:27.360 right around this time, and so we just like to 0:02:27.400 --> 0:02:31.320 say happy heavenly birthday to Rio. Your light is still 0:02:31.320 --> 0:02:35.800 shining brightly, and the beacon that you started for understanding 0:02:35.840 --> 0:02:39.680 awareness and acceptance for alopecia patients lives on. Yes, and 0:02:39.720 --> 0:02:43.200 your story will change lives definitely will. One thing also 0:02:43.240 --> 0:02:45.240 that I know we tapped into it this episode. There 0:02:45.360 --> 0:02:49.080 was no cure for alopecia. There's no real cure for 0:02:49.240 --> 0:02:51.960 But I'm excited about today's guests because we do have 0:02:52.000 --> 0:02:55.720 a story of where her hair came back, so I'm 0:02:55.800 --> 0:02:58.480 interested to hear and have her share exactly what that 0:02:58.560 --> 0:03:00.840 was like and what that experience was like. And we 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:03.920 had the super proud moment in the it wasn't in 0:03:03.960 --> 0:03:07.559 the episode that was an add on with the fantastic 0:03:07.720 --> 0:03:17.440 and beautiful first ever Sports illustrated baldy. Yes, yeah, that 0:03:17.480 --> 0:03:20.040 was beautiful. It's good to just see the evolution of 0:03:20.080 --> 0:03:22.360 these humans on the same planet that I live on. 0:03:23.360 --> 0:03:27.360 These two guests today were the epitome of taking what 0:03:27.440 --> 0:03:30.640 you have and literally making the most of it in 0:03:30.680 --> 0:03:35.720 the face of what could be a life altering, damaging adversity. 0:03:36.400 --> 0:03:38.760 Now you talk about proud, I'm proud of them, and 0:03:39.080 --> 0:03:42.480 that's love the people men and women who have had 0:03:42.520 --> 0:03:47.200 experiences or having experiences with alibisia. Our community is our backbone, 0:03:47.240 --> 0:03:49.800 and we've loved to hear from you. We've asked our 0:03:49.840 --> 0:03:53.560 community what does your hair mean to you? And here 0:03:53.600 --> 0:03:57.120 are some of your answers. One of our viewers said, 0:03:57.320 --> 0:03:59.440 there was a time when my soul called beauty was 0:03:59.560 --> 0:04:02.880 all too pendent on my hair. I know that's that struggle. 0:04:03.040 --> 0:04:05.960 Now at my age, after growth and experience, my hair 0:04:06.000 --> 0:04:09.440 speaks to my individuality and lifestyle. I would hate to 0:04:09.480 --> 0:04:11.840 think that someone is less confident or feels like an 0:04:11.840 --> 0:04:15.720 outcast because of having a condition. That's not the fault 0:04:15.760 --> 0:04:18.480 of theirs. I think we need to reevaluate our standards 0:04:18.480 --> 0:04:21.520 of beauty and redefine it in a more personal and 0:04:21.680 --> 0:04:25.560 organic way. That is from Diane Feeling Cook, and I 0:04:25.640 --> 0:04:29.919 appreciate her perspective because we definitely need to reevaluate standards. 0:04:30.160 --> 0:04:33.599 And I realized in my personal life journey, once someone 0:04:33.680 --> 0:04:36.760 shares what they've been through, people are a lot more empathetic. 0:04:36.800 --> 0:04:39.440 So it's really more about the storytellers. We gotta tell 0:04:39.480 --> 0:04:42.680 us story that's the truth. Our other community member, LaToya 0:04:42.760 --> 0:04:46.440 Ford said, people don't really know what going through alopecia 0:04:46.560 --> 0:04:50.320 is like I have had alopecia since sixteen. It started 0:04:50.320 --> 0:04:53.479 with the spot and by twenty one I was completely bald. 0:04:53.839 --> 0:04:57.080 My alopecia affects my whole body, not just my scalp. 0:04:57.360 --> 0:05:01.240 Took me till forty to embrace it. Why Toya, thank 0:05:01.240 --> 0:05:04.080 you so much for sharing that. Absolutely, thank you for 0:05:04.120 --> 0:05:07.080 those comments from our audience because they were dope. We're 0:05:07.080 --> 0:05:09.080 going to take a quick break, but when we get back, 0:05:09.160 --> 0:05:11.920 we'll be joined by two incredible guests from our Red 0:05:11.920 --> 0:05:20.120 Table Talk community. We're bringing to fellow RTT community members 0:05:20.120 --> 0:05:22.920 to let's red table back. That's right cool. A van 0:05:23.000 --> 0:05:25.680 sil is joining us today to share about her own 0:05:25.760 --> 0:05:28.799 journey with alopecia, which started when she was just fifteen 0:05:28.880 --> 0:05:31.760 years old when she found a small ball spot on 0:05:31.760 --> 0:05:34.760 her head. It grew bigger and bigger, which probably was 0:05:35.120 --> 0:05:37.280 just terrorizing. He don't know what to do with that, right, 0:05:37.320 --> 0:05:41.240 But she masked those spots with carefully planned shaved designs 0:05:41.240 --> 0:05:43.680 because she just cool like that, and also wigs for 0:05:43.800 --> 0:05:47.360 many years until cool at alopecia actually went away. So 0:05:47.400 --> 0:05:49.200 I love that part of her story and just how 0:05:49.520 --> 0:05:51.359 you know she transition. She loved it first and so 0:05:51.400 --> 0:05:53.080 I can't wait to hear more about how you were 0:05:53.120 --> 0:05:55.400 able to get your hair back and just hear about 0:05:55.440 --> 0:05:59.520 your whole experience altogether. Thank you for coming on Let's 0:05:59.520 --> 0:06:02.560 Red Table with that to share cool. Yes, thank you 0:06:02.600 --> 0:06:06.200 for the invite. I am super excited to people cool. 0:06:06.560 --> 0:06:09.480 We can't wait to hear about your journey and Jericho Jackson, 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:13.000 Miss Jackson, if you're nasty, it's joining Let's Red Table 0:06:13.080 --> 0:06:17.120 that from Virginia Beach to share about her own alopecia journey. 0:06:17.240 --> 0:06:19.800 It started for her fifteen years ago when she discovered 0:06:19.800 --> 0:06:23.359 her first alopecia ariata spot. Since then, she's been on 0:06:23.400 --> 0:06:26.000 a path that started with avoidance of her hair loss, 0:06:26.240 --> 0:06:29.479 but has moved into acceptance and a newfound passion of 0:06:29.560 --> 0:06:32.960 wig styling and even creation. We are excited for you 0:06:33.000 --> 0:06:35.080 to be here with us today. We can't wait to 0:06:35.080 --> 0:06:38.039 hear about your journey and your weird creation. Come on here, Jericho, 0:06:38.360 --> 0:06:40.919 right hey, jack thank you, thank you, thank you for 0:06:40.960 --> 0:06:43.719 having me. I appreciate the opportunity to come share my 0:06:43.800 --> 0:06:53.440 experience and this journey. So we're gonna jump into it. 0:06:53.880 --> 0:06:57.360 This is our wait What segment. Okay, let's say it 0:06:57.400 --> 0:07:00.320 again part of the show. This is Wait What where 0:07:00.320 --> 0:07:04.480 we reveal which moments made us pause, rewind, and listen 0:07:04.800 --> 0:07:07.479 all over again. So one of the first moments, let's 0:07:07.480 --> 0:07:10.480 just jump into it, was Rio's mom saying that she 0:07:10.640 --> 0:07:14.480 was torn over reading her daughter's final letter because once 0:07:14.520 --> 0:07:17.440 she sees it, there will be nothing left to say. 0:07:17.680 --> 0:07:20.040 You know, I haven't seen the first one, and I'm 0:07:20.080 --> 0:07:25.200 really torn on that because no answer is going to 0:07:25.320 --> 0:07:30.679 be good enough. But also that's literally all she wrote. 0:07:30.840 --> 0:07:33.760 It was a very heavy part of the episode. Would 0:07:33.760 --> 0:07:36.600 you all wanna wait to Arena find a letter from 0:07:36.600 --> 0:07:38.480 a loved one? How did you feel? Watching that? Kind 0:07:38.480 --> 0:07:41.040 of leaves your speechless? I mean, I can definitely understand 0:07:41.040 --> 0:07:43.840 where she's coming from, being a parent and just knowing 0:07:44.040 --> 0:07:46.720 that his final, their final thoughts, their final everything. So 0:07:46.760 --> 0:07:50.120 I can't imagine how she feels, but I definitely understand 0:07:50.200 --> 0:07:52.480 probably just gives her something to hold on to. You know, 0:07:52.480 --> 0:07:54.640 I shared the story several times. I've lost my brother. 0:07:54.760 --> 0:07:57.520 I find myself still going back through the box of 0:07:57.560 --> 0:08:00.720 like his final things that I have know exactly what's 0:08:00.760 --> 0:08:02.720 in there. But the other day I realized he had 0:08:02.800 --> 0:08:04.680 signed his name on a piece of paper, so it 0:08:04.760 --> 0:08:08.280 was just like another, Oh, look that's him signing some right. 0:08:09.120 --> 0:08:11.200 I don't know, it just does something different, Yeah, it 0:08:11.320 --> 0:08:14.400 does something different. Wait, what number two in our list 0:08:14.720 --> 0:08:17.720 is when Dr Mina said, I have patients who significant 0:08:17.760 --> 0:08:20.280 others and their family members haven't seen their scalps and 0:08:20.400 --> 0:08:22.280 years because they have to hide it even at home. 0:08:23.640 --> 0:08:26.680 I'm not defering and not being able to show things 0:08:27.600 --> 0:08:31.960 what happens when you're in that space. That's definitely me. Okay, 0:08:32.080 --> 0:08:34.120 I don't know why I don't, but I just don't. 0:08:34.240 --> 0:08:36.000 My kids, I don't think they would matter. But I 0:08:36.040 --> 0:08:38.000 just think it's a comfort thing for me. I think 0:08:38.080 --> 0:08:40.280 it's either or, and this is a journey, so it's 0:08:40.320 --> 0:08:43.280 about comfortability. And I do feel like I'm on my 0:08:43.400 --> 0:08:45.679 journey to just go on all bald. I'm not there 0:08:45.760 --> 0:08:48.520 yet and it's just being comfortable, but I feel that 0:08:48.559 --> 0:08:51.079 I can. But that's just not what I'm going to do. 0:08:51.160 --> 0:08:52.720 One of the things that I love, first of all 0:08:52.840 --> 0:08:54.840 is a woman. We get a choice, but that's a 0:08:54.840 --> 0:08:57.600 black woman. You get to rock your hair anyway you choose, 0:08:57.679 --> 0:09:00.400 and I love that you can make a weird looks 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:03.400 like you got a anchio hair, you got come down 0:09:03.480 --> 0:09:06.120 your back, you got curly, you got a straight. You 0:09:06.120 --> 0:09:08.120 can wear it however you want or none at all. 0:09:08.280 --> 0:09:10.360 And so that's the beauty of you being comfortable in 0:09:10.360 --> 0:09:12.720 your own skin. And so I appreciate and affirmed the 0:09:12.720 --> 0:09:14.560 fact that you don't want to share your scalp right 0:09:14.559 --> 0:09:16.720 now with your family members, and you get that choice. 0:09:16.760 --> 0:09:19.760 But it's coming though, It's coming. Oh I see it 0:09:19.800 --> 0:09:23.240 coming to you could tell yes, it's coming. Okay, so 0:09:23.480 --> 0:09:25.920 you're planning to do it or your level of comfort 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:29.040 is increasing, because that's probably the only hairstyle that I 0:09:29.200 --> 0:09:32.319 haven't rocked that you call the hairstyle. Maybe it's a 0:09:32.440 --> 0:09:35.400 cup style, but that's the only thing thing that I 0:09:35.480 --> 0:09:38.680 have not done long, short, different colors, curly. That's still 0:09:38.679 --> 0:09:40.679 part of the journey as well, not saying that I'm 0:09:40.679 --> 0:09:43.080 gonna do it forever, but you're just's gonna be a 0:09:43.080 --> 0:09:45.320 time where I'm gonna go take pictures. It's gonna be 0:09:45.360 --> 0:09:47.000 my big thing that you know what I did it. 0:09:47.280 --> 0:09:49.880 This is completely me. I may change my week three 0:09:49.920 --> 0:09:54.280 times a day four times and she will, Okay, I've 0:09:54.280 --> 0:09:58.880 been like, when your hair down, your back off right, 0:09:59.160 --> 0:10:01.840 you look good. Don't know, it looks so good you forget. 0:10:02.080 --> 0:10:05.680 I find that refreshing because I'm the total opposite. Yeah, 0:10:05.760 --> 0:10:10.680 I don't feel comfortable with wigs. I've only had natural hair, 0:10:10.720 --> 0:10:14.840 and since I was like sixteen, I've never had straight hair. 0:10:15.400 --> 0:10:18.800 So when I do like plays or something and they 0:10:18.800 --> 0:10:20.720 want me to put a wig on, I'm just like, 0:10:21.679 --> 0:10:28.880 it's foreign to me. Another way, what moment for me 0:10:29.080 --> 0:10:32.320 was about men. I was diagnosed with alopecia and two 0:10:32.360 --> 0:10:35.560 thousand and twelve, and just like Jada, I lost all 0:10:35.640 --> 0:10:38.000 my hair in the shower. It felt like hair was 0:10:38.040 --> 0:10:40.800 in my hands, and I looked into the mirror and 0:10:40.840 --> 0:10:44.000 I'm gonna be honest with you. Tears started to roll 0:10:44.120 --> 0:10:47.160 down my cheeks and I started to question my worth, 0:10:47.360 --> 0:10:50.920 my value, my identity. Oftentimes people think of alopecia and 0:10:50.920 --> 0:10:53.480 they just think it's women, But what do you think 0:10:53.480 --> 0:10:56.360 about the episode and from their perspective for them being 0:10:56.400 --> 0:10:59.400 able to share their own journeys to my alopecia journey 0:10:59.440 --> 0:11:02.280 caused me to go to barbera school, Wow, and a 0:11:02.280 --> 0:11:06.120 lot of my clientele were older men who we're going 0:11:06.240 --> 0:11:09.480 through alopecia. So when I had to go to Barbara class, 0:11:09.559 --> 0:11:12.760 we learned about the different types of alopecia. And it's 0:11:12.840 --> 0:11:17.000 weird because alopecia is feminized, but when someone says of 0:11:17.120 --> 0:11:21.240 receiving Helline, we automatically think men, and we never equate 0:11:21.320 --> 0:11:25.679 that word alopecia to men. And it's weird because they're 0:11:25.720 --> 0:11:30.360 the most prevalent in the alopecia community. Is that they 0:11:30.400 --> 0:11:33.360 are they really are. That makes sense though, when it's 0:11:33.440 --> 0:11:36.080 get the horseshoe, when they get the thinning, and it 0:11:36.200 --> 0:11:40.760 starts early. Some start alopecia at eighteen. That just deal. 0:11:41.040 --> 0:11:44.320 They don't get the pleasures of trying a new hairstyle 0:11:44.800 --> 0:11:48.200 and trying locks or corn rolls, whatever. They just have 0:11:48.320 --> 0:11:51.199 to cut it off and just rock their baldy for life. 0:11:51.880 --> 0:11:55.480 It's expected of men not to be vain like that. Wow, 0:12:01.920 --> 0:12:04.640 we have so much that we can unpack with this episode, 0:12:04.640 --> 0:12:07.160 and especially since both of you have had your own 0:12:07.160 --> 0:12:09.440 personal journey with this. So what did you think of 0:12:09.480 --> 0:12:11.320 this episode and how did it connect with you. I 0:12:11.360 --> 0:12:14.280 think that it came to my aha moment or the 0:12:14.320 --> 0:12:16.199 moment that I said, it's not out of a jericha. 0:12:16.480 --> 0:12:19.320 People lose hair for all types of reasons. They lose 0:12:19.360 --> 0:12:22.680 it for cancer, burn victims. It just felt like there's 0:12:22.679 --> 0:12:25.040 some people who are not going to get it. But 0:12:25.040 --> 0:12:28.000 there has to be someone who is going through it. 0:12:28.120 --> 0:12:30.280 And you usually need to see someone because if everybody 0:12:30.320 --> 0:12:32.880 is wearing wigs and sometimes you just don't know. I'm 0:12:32.920 --> 0:12:35.840 the person that can take this and have the confidence 0:12:35.880 --> 0:12:37.880 for people who may not have and I will change 0:12:37.880 --> 0:12:40.360 it two or three times a day, change the color 0:12:40.360 --> 0:12:42.480 of the length of style, and for people to look 0:12:42.520 --> 0:12:44.520 and say, did she just change her hair? Yes, I 0:12:44.559 --> 0:12:47.080 did as she did, and it's okay. I want to 0:12:47.120 --> 0:12:49.839 say though, for both of you, you guys took what 0:12:49.880 --> 0:12:51.680 was in front of you and turned it into some 0:12:51.760 --> 0:12:54.960 beautiful Jericho. You decided, Hey, my journey is gonna be 0:12:55.000 --> 0:12:57.280 wigs cooler. You decided to say, I'm going to Barbara 0:12:57.320 --> 0:12:59.679 school cooler. I've known you with for short hair the 0:12:59.840 --> 0:13:02.440 ENTI our time, and in my mind, she just wants 0:13:02.480 --> 0:13:05.840 to rock your hair like she's just I was forced 0:13:05.840 --> 0:13:07.760 to be cool that part, and that's what I was 0:13:07.800 --> 0:13:10.360 gonna say. What made you tap into for both of 0:13:10.360 --> 0:13:12.640 you and find that piece of confidence when I think 0:13:12.679 --> 0:13:16.120 society said you don't have it or you should be 0:13:16.200 --> 0:13:18.800 this way. It was forced to be cool or trend 0:13:18.840 --> 0:13:22.520 setter before I really was ready to be a trendsettor. 0:13:22.960 --> 0:13:26.760 So the alopecia happened when I was fifteen. That natural 0:13:26.800 --> 0:13:30.480 hair journey wasn't popping in nineteen six. Hot top fade 0:13:30.520 --> 0:13:34.760 on a girl. That hot top fade on the girl 0:13:35.320 --> 0:13:41.000 with designs in the back was not common ever, so I, oh, 0:13:41.040 --> 0:13:42.680 that's the girl with the fade, or that's the girl 0:13:42.720 --> 0:13:45.880 with the designs. Oh, she cool, she confident, hence the 0:13:46.000 --> 0:13:50.679 name cooler. I've always been told I'm just cool, don't cool. Look, 0:13:50.800 --> 0:13:52.760 let me just make sure I heard one thing right. 0:13:53.400 --> 0:13:57.240 You have become cool love because you are cool? Yeah, 0:13:57.320 --> 0:14:00.680 because she was cool up than you, Yeah, cool, older 0:14:00.679 --> 0:14:04.199 than me. My real name is Andrea. Okay, come on here, 0:14:04.280 --> 0:14:07.120 cool Yeah, So everybody like, yo, you're so cool, you're 0:14:07.120 --> 0:14:10.160 so confident, you're so cool cool. It came about how 0:14:10.200 --> 0:14:15.120 at fifteen. Let's tap into that. Fifteen is such an age, right, Yeah, 0:14:15.200 --> 0:14:17.319 I don't want to know very quickly. If you can share, 0:14:17.360 --> 0:14:19.800 how in fifteen did you find the confidence? How did 0:14:19.840 --> 0:14:22.000 you get to be in that space where you were 0:14:22.040 --> 0:14:24.800 self affirming and so self aware. Okay, so at fifteen 0:14:24.840 --> 0:14:28.440 and had the little salt and pepper asymmetrical cut Jered 0:14:28.480 --> 0:14:31.800 Carroll jan The spot went from dime to like half 0:14:31.840 --> 0:14:34.600 dollar size. And it's weird because you don't see the 0:14:34.680 --> 0:14:38.760 hair thing out or go away. It's just disintegrates. You 0:14:38.800 --> 0:14:42.360 wake up one morning and there is a smooth bald spot. 0:14:42.600 --> 0:14:46.680 It's not fuzzy, it's no stubble. It's like acid. Just 0:14:46.960 --> 0:14:49.160 ate that spot and it's smooth. It is the baby's. 0:14:49.200 --> 0:14:51.840 But so that's one and my mom thought I had 0:14:51.840 --> 0:14:54.560 an anxiety thing going on picking that spot, not it. 0:14:55.240 --> 0:14:58.480 So the doctor found out I was a nemic. Basically, 0:14:58.480 --> 0:15:00.640 my body is saying yeah, yeah, I don't really need 0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:01.920 to go up there. We need to go to the 0:15:01.960 --> 0:15:04.280 eye in your body. So we're not gonna take it there. 0:15:04.720 --> 0:15:08.040 So here's my barber from my brother saying, oh, I 0:15:08.080 --> 0:15:11.960 could hook you up. At fifteen, dark skinned little girl 0:15:12.280 --> 0:15:15.920 in Chester, Virginia. I had to cut all her hair 0:15:16.000 --> 0:15:19.840 off and rock a wig until I had about four 0:15:19.920 --> 0:15:22.800 inch growth. And then that's what my barber hooked me 0:15:22.880 --> 0:15:25.840 up and made the designs out of the spots and 0:15:25.880 --> 0:15:29.680 I was rocking the most precise hot top fade ever. 0:15:30.160 --> 0:15:32.720 And because my barber took his time and made it 0:15:32.760 --> 0:15:36.280 so clean, I had to own it. I cried like 0:15:36.320 --> 0:15:39.560 a teenager would, trying to figure out the confidence. So 0:15:39.640 --> 0:15:42.680 I just ate the natural. And then when hip hop 0:15:42.760 --> 0:15:45.880 started to come out, big Daddy came, Kid didn't play. 0:15:46.560 --> 0:15:50.680 I had something to be line to. That made me 0:15:50.720 --> 0:15:53.680 feel a little bit more confident. And then I started 0:15:53.760 --> 0:15:57.760 my hip hop journey because I looked like those rappers, 0:15:58.200 --> 0:16:02.040 so alan not I think about it in hindsight, was 0:16:02.280 --> 0:16:05.280 a dope saving grace for me and helped me build 0:16:05.320 --> 0:16:08.400 confidence as a teenager. It made me go that route 0:16:08.400 --> 0:16:11.400 a barber school, and it also helped me fit in 0:16:11.560 --> 0:16:15.560 physically with my hip hop journey. So I don't know 0:16:15.560 --> 0:16:18.520 where I would actually be without alopecia. To be honest, 0:16:18.560 --> 0:16:21.280 it's part of your story. It is literally part of 0:16:21.320 --> 0:16:24.320 my story. Yeah, and it's a cooler story. I like 0:16:24.440 --> 0:16:32.400 it that was a quarter Jericho shoot out because I 0:16:32.400 --> 0:16:35.000 ain't like I need to talk of it a little bit. 0:16:35.080 --> 0:16:39.080 It's the ways for me exactly. I know your alopecia 0:16:39.160 --> 0:16:42.280 areata started when you were about fifteen, what was it 0:16:42.400 --> 0:16:44.960 like navigating high school? It was definitely like Okay, so 0:16:45.040 --> 0:16:48.480 I played basketball, rain track, I did long chop, triple 0:16:48.960 --> 0:16:53.360 shot put, discus, and it was you know, being underneath 0:16:53.680 --> 0:16:58.000 the post and you go for rebounding, somebody catches your 0:16:58.000 --> 0:17:00.840 hand until that being pulled old off. So you gotta 0:17:01.200 --> 0:17:04.680 shift the wig and it takes all your focus off 0:17:04.720 --> 0:17:07.960 the game, off the plane. All of a sudden, you're 0:17:08.000 --> 0:17:11.639 just insecure. You're focused on oh, snap, is the bobby 0:17:11.680 --> 0:17:13.800 pinning right? And so now you're not even focused on 0:17:13.800 --> 0:17:16.159 your plage. Then shot putting you have to like go 0:17:16.200 --> 0:17:19.920 in the circle and throw it. Sometimes that wig wanted 0:17:19.960 --> 0:17:23.600 to go to Okay, wait a minute, don't jump triple 0:17:23.680 --> 0:17:28.040 jump down in that dirt cooler. You were doing all 0:17:28.080 --> 0:17:32.680 of these super physical activities with a wig on. I thought, 0:17:32.680 --> 0:17:34.840 you're just running the full hundreds. No, because I couldn't. 0:17:34.840 --> 0:17:37.199 I can't run, I'm flat footed. But that's when I 0:17:37.280 --> 0:17:40.080 told my mom, I said, I can't do the wig. 0:17:40.200 --> 0:17:43.439 I'm scared. I'd rather deal with the ridiculee or not 0:17:43.520 --> 0:17:47.160 even ridiculee, the roasting of me being natural and having 0:17:47.200 --> 0:17:49.399 a face. I'm quick on my feet with a roast 0:17:49.520 --> 0:17:53.600 what are you getting roasted? Oh my god, come on, Tracy, 0:17:53.920 --> 0:17:58.200 and I don't know. Kids are cruel. Yeah, kids are 0:17:57.800 --> 0:18:00.520 kids in school? No more. You can't pay me go 0:18:00.560 --> 0:18:04.480 back sixteen seventeen. Now I'm trying to be cool, cool 0:18:04.840 --> 0:18:07.960 like sophomore doing you're in high school. It was more 0:18:08.040 --> 0:18:12.320 so of it just embracing what I can't control. That's 0:18:12.359 --> 0:18:14.960 what it was. It was embracing what I can't control. 0:18:15.320 --> 0:18:17.720 It was embarrassing. It was times when I would cry 0:18:18.080 --> 0:18:22.560 and it was no support. Groups won't even a word 0:18:22.640 --> 0:18:25.199 for it. You just literally felt like I was the 0:18:25.240 --> 0:18:28.320 only person that had alopecia until I became an adult, 0:18:28.480 --> 0:18:30.240 and then when I went to barber school I found 0:18:30.240 --> 0:18:32.640 out this was a real skin condition. In middle school, 0:18:32.720 --> 0:18:35.480 high school, I thought I was the only person that 0:18:35.640 --> 0:18:38.520 had this and I just had to own it. But 0:18:38.800 --> 0:18:42.520 playing sports, I couldn't do it. And Jericho, kudos to 0:18:42.640 --> 0:18:45.600 you for being ready on Johnny on the spot. So, honey, 0:18:45.640 --> 0:18:47.600 I couldn't do it. I did track as well, so 0:18:47.680 --> 0:18:49.480 I did shot. I did disc it. So as you 0:18:49.520 --> 0:18:51.639 were saying that, I just remember all the moments of 0:18:51.760 --> 0:18:54.320 that shift. It's like that air, you feel, that wind, 0:18:54.440 --> 0:18:57.080 you just hold up. Not now too much breeze, because 0:18:57.080 --> 0:19:02.679 you're building that centrifical force up. Yes, that dis the 0:19:02.760 --> 0:19:06.680 discs go that way and the we're gonna go that okay, listen. 0:19:06.920 --> 0:19:09.239 Gives me so much joy is to hear that you 0:19:09.280 --> 0:19:12.440 can recount this and you can laugh about and find 0:19:12.520 --> 0:19:15.639 something retrospectively that is humorous, because I'm sure at the 0:19:15.680 --> 0:19:19.680 time it was stressful and there were like high anxiety 0:19:19.720 --> 0:19:22.120 moments for you. Let's jump into the next part. Jada 0:19:22.119 --> 0:19:24.840 said in this episode that her reason for dedicating an 0:19:24.840 --> 0:19:28.280 episode of Red Table Talk to the alopecia community is 0:19:28.280 --> 0:19:30.720 that so many people who have it are suffering in 0:19:30.800 --> 0:19:35.280 silence and with the definition breakdown of alopecia just being 0:19:35.359 --> 0:19:37.640 hair loss and then cooler what you've shared with how 0:19:37.680 --> 0:19:40.320 these barbers are really saving lives out here with the 0:19:40.400 --> 0:19:43.840 camouflage of things, the people definitely are suffering more than 0:19:43.840 --> 0:19:46.119 we realized, and it is something that people deal with 0:19:46.160 --> 0:19:49.240 just in silence, while even the outside community doesn't have 0:19:49.240 --> 0:19:51.720 a lot of understanding about it. I'm hoping platforms like 0:19:51.760 --> 0:19:55.720 this bring that awareness to light. What has your experience 0:19:55.800 --> 0:19:59.080 been or have you experienced this feeling of isolation on 0:19:59.119 --> 0:20:01.399 your alopecia journey. I think cooler you tapped into it 0:20:01.440 --> 0:20:03.399 a little bit, feel free to tap in again. But 0:20:03.520 --> 0:20:07.080 Jericho as well, have you experienced that isolation? My suffering 0:20:07.160 --> 0:20:09.159 in silence is just how to fix it. I'm a 0:20:09.240 --> 0:20:12.480 fixed person, fix the situation. So what am I gonna 0:20:12.480 --> 0:20:15.080 do when you're younger? Maybe a little broke? He's just like, 0:20:15.119 --> 0:20:17.560 all right, you wear a ponytail, all right, half up, 0:20:17.560 --> 0:20:20.239 half down. I'm a fixed person. I think because of 0:20:20.320 --> 0:20:23.440 how I process things. It was okay, I can't do that, 0:20:23.800 --> 0:20:27.880 now what? And so that's basically it. I didn't stay 0:20:28.080 --> 0:20:30.240 and it too long. Of course you cry. Of course 0:20:30.280 --> 0:20:33.120 you want to wear braids again. I had people talk about, oh, 0:20:33.240 --> 0:20:35.160 you have horse hair. You know, I had the clap bag. 0:20:35.200 --> 0:20:37.159 It was fine. I'm the one for it, like I 0:20:37.280 --> 0:20:39.880 was the one who was ready for it. I will 0:20:39.920 --> 0:20:42.840 cry at home, and it is in silence because like 0:20:42.960 --> 0:20:45.439 it happens, and you may not actually know what's going on. 0:20:45.640 --> 0:20:47.320 You gotta go to school, you gotta go to work, 0:20:47.359 --> 0:20:49.679 you gotta go see people. You have to live with this. 0:20:49.720 --> 0:20:51.920 So it's really just that moment of okay, this is 0:20:51.960 --> 0:20:53.560 what it is. How do I fix it? And then 0:20:53.600 --> 0:20:56.159 you move on right, Well, it's the solutions for me. 0:20:56.359 --> 0:20:58.760 I can relate to that as well. I love the 0:20:58.800 --> 0:21:01.440 solutions too, and love that you took your braids down 0:21:01.480 --> 0:21:03.080 and you were like, you know what, here's my solution. 0:21:03.119 --> 0:21:05.280 I'm gonna wrap my head. And that's what I'm saying again, 0:21:05.720 --> 0:21:09.359 like women, we can tap into that African heritage and 0:21:09.400 --> 0:21:11.880 have head wraps and rocket with out there even being 0:21:11.920 --> 0:21:15.800 an issue. Just look natural and beautiful because that's who 0:21:15.840 --> 0:21:19.159 we are. Here's the thing that that the two points 0:21:19.160 --> 0:21:20.960 that I loved that each of you made for you. 0:21:21.040 --> 0:21:24.000 Cooler you're like I'm a rocket, and Jericho you're like, 0:21:24.040 --> 0:21:26.120 I got it and I'm gonna find a solution for it. 0:21:26.119 --> 0:21:28.880 It's like you took it and you had to cry 0:21:28.920 --> 0:21:31.000 about it, but then you said, Okay, now I'm white 0:21:31.000 --> 0:21:33.480 my tears and move on. And in the face of 0:21:33.520 --> 0:21:35.919