This Teen Celebrated Her Alopecia With Stunning Senior Portrait Photos
Seventeen-year-old Madisyn Babcock is like any other high school student, except for one thing: She just won the Internet in a major way. And for all the right reasons. Babcock’s senior photos have not only gone viral (because duh, they’re stunning), but have started a conversation about alopecia and beauty standards.
“I usually wear head covers due to the bald spots, so going entirely bald and exposing my head was new for me,” Babcock said in an interview with Yahoo Lifestyle. The self-described “earth child” first started struggling with alopecia this year when her hair began thinning, which eventually led to it falling out in spots. Alopecia is a condition in which the immune system attacks hair follicles, resulting in hair loss. Babcock says that she’s had hair her entire life, but going through this year of huge change, she says, “I realized that while hair is pretty, hair does not make you pretty…. This became who I am, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Courtesy Chelsea Taylor Photography
Instead of hiding herself, Babcock enlisted her artist mom to draw elaborate flowers onto her head and asked photographer Chelsea Taylorto capture it all. Babcock, who is also student body vice president, a Kansas Honors Scholar, and the drum major for her school’s band, knew that she wanted to make a statement about how society positions and thinks of people who are bald and suffer from hair loss conditions like alopecia. The important part for Babcock was about “embracing and embellishing something a lot of people see as a flaw or something to be embarrassed about.”
Courtesy Chelsea Taylor Photography
The future veterinarian (she plans to study pre–vet science in college and go to veterinary graduate school) was quick to say that her senior photos aren’t about feeling less than adequate in any way. “I did not have my mother paint my head to fill a void or to signify that there is something missing. I want all those who suffer from hair loss to know that I see you, I love you, and you inspire me.” And because she wants to continue the conversation, she also wanted the public to know that they could reach out to her via Twitter (her DMs are open) if they had comments or questions.
Chelsea Taylor Photography
Madisyn for President 2020??
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What Makes This Woman with Alopecia Feel Beautiful:
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