Portions of this article are taken from Pediatric Dermatology, Second Edition, edited by Lawrence A. Schachner (left) and Ronald G. Hansen, 1996

Children suffering from dermatological conditions which result in permanent or long-term hair loss often have a hard time believing that beauty truly is skin deep. First impressions and attraction are often based on superficial appearance. Although adolescents are particularly sensitive about how they appear to others, even younger children associate popularity with an attractive appearance. Data on children disfigured by burns suggest that changes in their appearance later seriously affected relationships with their peers.

Observable skin disorders cause stress for the sufferer, especially during initial meetings with others. In a recent study, children with evident skin disorders were more likely to show significant psychological distress than children whose disorders were not readily observable.

Even more basic than these cultural or interpersonal associations, skin communicates the most primal psychological impact on human development. For the developing infant, skin acts as the first sensory organ through which he experiences the world. It defines boundaries as they discover their independence from their mothers. It signals danger in the form of pain to curious toddlers exploring the world. It is the human armor of 4 and 5-year-olds as they learn to fear their own vulnerability. It is the outer layer that the adolescent recognizes as "me" in the mirror.

The skin is an integral part of every developmental step. It is crucial to self-esteem and identity formation that individuals be comfortable in their skin. At different stages of development, children will react differently when confronted with a dermatological disorder like alopecia areata.

As preschoolers (ages 3 to 5), children have developed a new awareness of their bodies and all their parts. They often express their feelings through imaginative play, and they can charm adults with their unscientific explanations for why things happen and how they work. At this age, children have an extreme sense of self-importance; they believe they are responsible for all the things that happen around them. They do not understand the concept of chance, nor do they understand the difference between wishing something would happen and making it happen.

School-age children develop new skills in all areas, imparting more significance to their peer groups as they compare their achievements to those of their friends. Status within the group becomes important with fighting, teasing and scapegoating as ways of establishing the social hierarchy.

Eugenio Rothe, associate professor of child psychiatry, University of Miami School of Medicine, states, "The most important thing socially from ages 7 to 12 is to be part of a group and not stand out. Somebody with no hair stands out and can be cruelly scapegoated."

The school years represent an important period for building new athletic, artistic and social skills. Teasing and fighting are expected parts of peer group interaction, but may be particularly painful for children suffering with a noticeable disorder like alopecia areata.

As adolescents, self-esteem is dependent upon an individual’s sense of attractiveness. Teenagers are both vain and self-conscious. Most are unhappy with their appearance, and hair loss only amplifies these feelings. Adolescents are particularly sensitive to peer rejection, especially when it involves the opposite sex. In some cases, these feelings lead to social withdrawal and isolation. Many teens use their condition as an excuse to avoid social situations, feeling that their hair loss makes them too unattractive to make it worthwhile to go to a party. At a time when having the "wrong" brand of jeans is treasonous, having no hair is an unforgivable social faux pas.

1999 was a transitional period for Locks of Love. As we grew, our foundation became solid and stable and now supports more than *200 recipients to date. Because the national media embraced us, public awareness has increased. More and more families have contacted us for help. Thanks to thousands of generous monetary and hair donors, no eligible child has been turned away.

Jamie writes poetry in her spare time (which she hopes to one day have published) and is even starting a Writers/Directors Club at her school. She absolutely loves English but History is another subject altogether -- her own history, that is. Jamie has lived the past four years with no hair.

Since Jamie was three years old, she has dealt with bouts of Alopecia Areata.

"It came out in patches when I was three, but it grew back." She said.

"Then I hit thirteen and it all just fell out!"

Jamie began hiding her baldness under scarves. She eventually moved on to several synthetic hairpieces that didn’t provide much relief.

"My first hairpiece was really bad," Jamie explained, "and the next few weren’t any better. I always felt like I had to be careful on windy days or when I rode on the bus with windows down."

Although many of Jamie’s fellow classmates were familiar with her Alopecia, dealing with the younger kids at school was still tough.

"Many of the younger kids who didn’t know me would point and call me names." Jamie explained.

She felt support from her best friend and even a little more from a fellow classmate who was also dealing with the effects of Alopecia.

"He was a popular boy in my class," she said, "so kids were less likely to make fun when he was around."

Jamie’s greatest support system has been her family, namely her mom, Denise.

"My whole family has always been supportive, but my mom’s especially been great!" Jamie said admiringly of her mom. "She has really taught me to stand up for myself and to ignore the kids who didn’t know me for me."

Jamie first heard of Locks of Love in an article she’d read and later on television.

"I remember excitedly calling for my mom as I watched how Locks of Love could help me!" she said. "There was a certain sense of relief knowing that I could get a hairpiece and not have to save money for years."

Since Jamie received her custom-made hair prosthetic from Locks of Love in June of 1999, life is definitely looking up.

"I feel like I have better self-esteem and sense of who I am."

"I still tell people that I wear a hairpiece," Jamie says, " but they all seem really cool about it, especially at work.

The fact that thousands of ponytails and braids have poured in over the past few years strikes quite a chord with Jamie.

"It means that people are becoming more educated and aware. Not only of Locks of Love but of Alopecia Areata."

"I realized they got much more of a kick out of my hair than I did," Jill recalls. "To me it was just hair. Then, after hearing about Locks of Love, I was struck by the idea that my hair could really help a child somewhere who needed it more than me."

But after having 11 inches of her long mane sheared at The Greenroom in Boca Raton, Jill decided donating her hair just wasn’t enough. A successful recording artist with a compact disc for sale, she suddenly realized her music could help children benefit from Locks of Love in a way her hair couldn’t.

That’s when Jill volunteered to donate a percentage of the profits from her popular piano CD, Remember When, to the organization in an effort to raise funds and provide more wigs to more children. McCormick Palmer’s critically acclaimed recording is a collection of original piano solos that have been heard on radio airwaves across the country from Washington, D.C., to Anchorage, Alaska.

"I realized that by making the CD available on the Internet and in local hair salons that support Locks of Love, I could make an ongoing difference," Jill said. "I also thought of all those people who want to help now, but don’t have 10 inches of hair to spare. This is a way for them to make a difference immediately."

Now people can donate to Locks of Love by ordering a CD. Ten dollars will go directly to Locks of Love for every CD sold, a boon to the not-for-profit organization. Visit Jill's website for information on ordering a CD.

This is important because the demand for wigs continues to increase each day, and the hairpieces are very expensive to make. Funds are increasingly needed to manufacture the wigs that are provided free of charge or on a sliding scale to children whose families meet the Locks of Love guidelines.

"We have no shortage of hair, but we do have a shortage of money," Madonna Coffman, Locks of Love’s president and chairwoman told People magazine last fall.

For more information on how you can help, please contact Locks of Love at (561) 963-1677.