“And one day she discovered that she was fierce, and strong, and full of fire, and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.” – Mark Anthony
This girl. The force behind Jamie Romaezi Photography. I am so lucky to know her and even more to call her my friend.
Though she rocks the look something fierce, Jamie is bald because she has Alopecia Areata, a common autoimmune skin disease, causing hair loss on the scalp, face and sometimes on other areas of the body. In fact, it affects as many as 6.8 million people in the U.S. People of all ages, both sexes and all ethnic groups can develop Alopecia Areata.
“I first had alopecia areata when I was 5. My hair quickly grew back. My alopecia returned when my first child was 20 months old. My hair fell out and grew again. Eventually I had more loss than growth and this past fall, shaved a large portion of my head since it was mostly bald anyway.
Why don’t you wear a wig? I can. I have one. I just prefer not to. I do wear hats in the winter to keep warm.
Will it grow back? Maybe, maybe not. There is no way to know.
Do you know why you have this? No, I have a few autoimmune disorders, including this one. I have recently learned that I also have Celiacs Disease which has caused malnourishment. As I heal my gut and regain the ability to absorb nutrients, it may be easier for my hair to grow again. The cause for alopecia is largely unknown.
I’m ever so grateful for my dear friend Blaire for taking this photo of me and always encouraging me to share my true self and true appearance.”
Jamie has shared her story on her blog, and you can read more about it here. In the meantime, here are some of the gorgeous photos we took of her (with a few cameos of her extraordinarily photogenic family!)
