Teen Suffering from Alopecia Gets Natural Wig from Donated Hair
Teen Suffering from Alopecia Gets Natural Wig from Donated Hair
Monday, December 13, 2010 11:02 AM
Just in time for her 15th birthday, Monica received the gift of confidence with a beautiful, natural wig.
Alopecia is a skin condition which causes hair loss on the scalp and from other areas of the body. According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, the condition affects around 2% of the population, about 4.7 million people in the US. Those who suffer from alopecia do have treatment options, but not all medicines work in all cases. Many turn to a wig to hide the baldness, but for some, a costly wig is out of reach.
Monica before she received her wig
and after in her Quinceanera photo
Fifteen year old Monica was being teased in school for her hair loss. She didn't want to go back and began to retreat from friends and family. She had started losing her hair at 7 and though steroid treatment in her early teens helped, Monica didn't have enough hair regrowth to cover her head. The family couldn't afford the $3000-$5000 price of a natural looking wig made with real hair and a fake looking wig would just result in more teasing.
Monica's mother turned to Maria Ruiz who works for the Beverly Hills Institute (BHI), a cosmetic surgery office in Beverly Hills, California. "When I first met Monica I was shocked to see how depressed she had become about her hair loss," said BHI employee Maria Ruiz. "I instantly wanted to find a way to help her." Maria went to her job the following Monday and told the physicians she works with, Dr. Richard Fleming and Dr. Toby Mayer, about Monica's situation. Drs. Fleming and Mayer are world-renowned hair restoration surgeons and another staff member, Veronica Horta, revealed she had a background in hair extensions and making wigs for the stars in a previous job and now occasionally makes wigs for charity. Veronica noted that Maria's hair was long enough to use as a wig for Monica. She explained that the base cost for a wig made from human hair is around $2000, but if Maria donated her hair, Veronica could make the wig and it would not cost the family any money at all. Although Maria had never cut her hair (only trimmng it), she offered to cut it immediately so that Veronica could get to work on the wig in time for Monica's 15th birthday.
Just last month Monica celebrated her Quinceanera looking beautiful with the natural looking wig made with Maria's hair. It looks so natural that nobody knew she was wearing one. Monica is back in school and is doing very well. Her confidence level has soared. She is hanging out with friends, chatting on Facebook and acting like any other fifteen year old girl.
The doctors offered their support to raise money in their practice to help with the purchase of a second wig so Monica can alternate between the two wigs. Those wishing to donate towards this cause can do so by sending a check payable to Monica Hinojoza, c/o Maria Ruiz at BHI, 416 N. Bedford Drive, Suite 200, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.
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