Jovita finds it difficult that baldness is so quickly associated with cancer. In reality, she has an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. “I’m glad I can wear Rosette la Vedette hats and scarves, but I also try to show myself to the world without head coverings from time to time.”

A patch here and there

Since she was about eighteen, Jovita (32) from Melle has had bald patches in her hair. “It was alopecia areata, but the doctors never found a real cause for the autoimmune disease. Stress, maybe? The treatment was cortisone injections at the dermatologist. Back then it didn’t really bother me. It was just a patch here and there, and because I had thick hair, I could hide it by styling it strategically.”

In 2014, while Jovita was pregnant with her first child, the problem even seemed to disappear. “I had all my hair back, just as full as before. Two or three months after giving birth, I started losing hair again, but I was told that was typical postpartum hair loss.” Still, it felt like a lot.

From alopecia areata to alopecia universalis

When she was later hospitalized with a severe lung infection, she lost almost all her hair. “My body was very weak at the time, maybe due to reduced immunity? Again, no clear answer.” The condition had evolved from alopecia areata — patchy hair loss — to alopecia universalis, total hair loss on the scalp and other parts of the body.

Jovita quickly decided to wear Rosette la Vedette hats. “When I first went bald, I visited a shop with hats and wigs. The shop assistant asked if I wanted to try a wig. But I’d always had thick, beautiful hair, and no wig could compare. I was also afraid a wig might fall off. So I chose hats instead. They’re soft, have no elastic bands, don’t pinch, and let me move freely.”

"No, it's not cancer!"

Jovita is realistic. “My hair may never come back. There’s no effective treatment yet. Cortisone doesn’t help much and has so many side effects that it’s actually discouraged.

For years, only my parents knew about my condition. Now I can’t hide it anymore. That’s why I try to be open about it. I’m a teacher, and at the start of each school year I explain to my students, aged fourteen to sixteen, why I wear a hat.

I add that I know some will immediately assume it’s cancer when they see a hat. That’s one of the hardest parts: people often fill in the story themselves. Recently, while I was at the hospital for a blood test, someone bluntly asked how many chemo sessions I’d already had.”

“That bald lady”

Jovita hasn’t fully come to terms with living without hair. “It’s a process. I’m often ‘that bald lady.’ That hits hard. Nobody wants to be reduced to one physical trait, right? But I know now I don’t need to hide. With a hat I can look beautiful too, and in summer I sometimes don’t wear one at all.

About three years ago, during a workshop, I was challenged to share something nobody knew about me. The facilitator suggested it might feel liberating to take off my hat. I did, and I cried my heart out. Showing yourself so vulnerably is very emotional. But it’s who I am.” For Jovita, it was also a case of practicing what she preaches: “I tell my students they should be themselves too.”

Raising awareness about alopecia

When we posted about our restyling campaign for World Cancer Day on Instagram, Jovita reacted that not only cancer patients are our customers. “I felt a bit left out. The story sometimes gets narrowed down to one type of client. Without dismissing other experiences: I’ve lived without hair for four years. I think there should be more attention for alopecia patients.” That’s why we contacted Jovita and asked her to share her story here on our blog — to help raise awareness about alopecia. We’re glad she immediately said yes!

“I’m stronger than I think”

Jovita hopes baldness will one day be seen as normal in everyday life. “Maybe there will come a time when people — including cancer patients — feel confident enough to show themselves as they are.”

And Jovita herself has learned to cherish her body. “Because of my reduced immunity, I’m very prone to infections. But I gave birth to two perfectly healthy children. So my body can’t be that weak, right? I’m stronger than I think.”

Curious for more inspiring stories like Jovita’s? Discover them all in our Personal Stories section >>

(family photos: copyright Maxine Stevens)