Marcy Gallant is a London, Ont.-based content creator and Alopecia advocate. “Alopecia is an autoimmune condition that can develop at any age,” said Gallant. “You are born with a gene and can go your whole life without that gene being activated but it’s an environmental factor.” Gallant has ‘Alopecia universalis,’ the most severe and rare form of Alopecia. “It affects my entire body,” said Gallant. “There are different lengths and severities of Alopecia.” Gallant started “The Art of Alopecia,” a social media page dedicated to showcasing the ‘positive light’ of Alopecia. “Representation in communities is something that was lacking when I was a kid,” said Gallant. “I didn’t really see anyone who looked like me other than people who were portrayed as potentially sick or an alien.” Gallant is using social media platforms to highlight unique experiences people with autoimmune conditions may face, like finding the perfect wig. “The incentive behind talking about wigs and educating people on wigs is so that they can basically prevent making the same mistakes that I did,” said Gallant. “Wigs actually are for everyone and I just want to normalize the process.” Gallant said she is grateful for the community she was able to build through social media. “Now I just want to live my best bald life,” said Gallant.
