Support & Advice Children & Young People Advice and Resources for Parents We understand that it can be a difficult and confusing time for both you and your child when they develop alopecia. It can come as a complete shock and trying to put on a brave face can be difficult, especially in the early days as you adjust to your child’s hair loss. You are likely to have lots of questions about your child’s hair loss. Alopecia UK has put together resources for parents and carers which hopefully provide some helpful tips on dealing with your child’s alopecia. Talking to other parents and carers can also be a helpful way of sharing experiences and getting advice on managing your child’s alopecia. You can find more information about our upcoming opportunities to meet other parents here. We also have a very active private Facebook group for parents, to share stories, tips and ask for advice. The group is private which means that only other group members can see what is posted. Follow the link here and request to join. Helping young people understand alopecia This short guide is designed to help you think about how to explain alopecia to your child. We have included some helpful resources which you can use with your child to explain alopecia in an age appropriate way. A guide to helping young people understand alopecia The emotional impact of alopecia and how to support your child Watching your child losing their hair can feel so overwhelming it can be hard to know where to begin to support them. This short guide provides advice and information on supporting your child and managing the impact of alopecia as well as providing some useful strategies you might want to try. We have also included our ‘top tips’ for quick reference. A guide to understanding the emotional impact of alopecia and how to support your child Managing reactions from others One of the worries you might have as a parent is how to manage other people’s reactions to your child’s hair loss. This short guide provides advice on how to manage these worries and tips on how you and your child might respond to any comments or questions. A guide to managing reactions from others Supporting your child with alopecia in school Parents and carers often tell us that the school environment can cause a great deal of anxiety for their child, which in turn causes anxiety for the family. Alopecia UK has put together resources to help you address some of the common issues which your child may experience in school. These include tips on managing communication with school and how to support your child if they feel anxious at school. We have also put together some useful resources including Alopecia UK’s uniform guidance and letter templates which you can use to communicate with school. A guide to supporting a child with alopecia at school Uniform Guidance Sample Letters to School Transition to secondary school We hear from young people with alopecia, and their parents and carers, that starting secondary school can feel like a scary time. This guide aims to provide some practical tips to help your child feel more confident about the transition from primary to secondary school. A guide to transitioning to secondary school Hints and tips for parents/carers on applying for school places We hear from parents and carers that it can be stressful applying for a school place for a child with alopecia. Parents often have worries about how a school will manage questions and comments about alopecia from their child's peers, or concerns about school policies around hairstyles, wig wearing or hats, or how bullying is managed. We have put together a few hints and tips which might be helpful to consider when applying for a school place for your child. Applying for school places hints and tips Managing your own emotions about your child’s alopecia At Alopecia UK, we understand that parents can have a difficult time adjusting to their child’s alopecia. In fact, we often hear that it is parents who struggle the most. Parents often worry about the future more than children. In this short guide we discuss some strategies that can help you to manage your own anxieties so your child can see you manage alopecia in a positive way. A guide to managing your own emotions about your child's alopecia Alopecia UK has developed our guides and top tips in collaboration with parents and young people. We want to say a big thank you to everyone who contributed. If you have any feedback on any of the information above, please contact us at [email protected]