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SPECIAL REPORT: For the Love of Hair | A journey to loving your crown

A new conversation has emerged that involves men and women who battle with alopecia. It's an autoimmune health condition that causes complete or partial hair loss.

The journey to love your hair can be complicated for some, especially for women with kinky to coily hair textures.

A new conversation has emerged that involves men and women who battle with alopecia. It's an autoimmune health condition that causes complete or partial hair loss. It's non-life-threatening and can affect anyone at any age, but it mainly affects Black women and men.

As medical studies are being conducted to hopefully one day find a cure, an East Texas hairstylist is finding ways to treat clients with alopecia at Hair Glory Studio.

MaQutia Erwin, owner of Hair Glory Studio, says she found the inspiration to open her own hair studio after her Dad died. She wanted to provide a place of peace and confidence for women who suffer with hair loss.

"It just gave me some more inspiration and more peace with opening the salon," said Erwin. "I focus more on healthy scalp, hair growth and healthy hair. I work with women with hair loss, so I created a product that helps with people that deals with alopecia."

Larry Magee was diagnosed with alopecia at just 12-years-old. At that time, he says he didn't understand why he was losing his hair. 

"It came to the point where I would wake up in the morning and there was hair on my pillow," said Magee. "I remember not knowing what was happening, I'm 12 and I'm like 'what's going on here?' I go into the doctor and he says, 'yup, that's alopecia."

"I don't really know when I started to get alopecia," said LaRita Chappel. "I know my hair was thinning, I got the mirror and looked at the back of my head and I saw the pluck. I was simply losing my hair; I took a deep breath, turned on the shower because I didn't want my son to hear me cry. I walked out of the bathroom down the hall into the den and I just stood in the door. What he said was the most powerful thing, he says mama you can rock that! And you're going to empower other people."

Chappel's story inspired Angelia Jackson who also has alopecia.

"I'm glad that I met you, I mean, you really inspired me to be able to embrace myself and my hair," said Jackson. "Because with the journey that I've been through, I'm going to be able to embrace it. I can still wear my wigs but I want to be able to go out and be bald sometimes and still be me."  

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