Margaret Miller

Special Event Brings Focus to Alopecia

BY MARGARET MILLER

Local resident Felicia Flores has something in common with such celebrities as actresses Jada Pickett Smith and Viola Smith, as well as models Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell: alopecia or baldness.

To create awareness and support, Flores has created an event called BALDIE CON. She’s hoping it will shed light on alopecia, which is hair loss from part of the head or body (https://bit. ly/3QxFjsI). Among the known causes of alopecia are lupus, cancer treatments or even baldness by choice. It affects women, men and people of various races.

Flores began to experience alopecia following the birth of her daughter. “First, I noticed a spot or two on my scalp a year after I had my daughter,” she said. “It was about 2006 when I went through a traumatic experience that my hair just started coming out in clumps. At that point, I had to cut it off. It never grew back.”

She consulted dermatologists and tried various treatments with no results. “So, I gave up on any additional medical treatment and accepted that this was my fate,” Flores said.

The airline flight attendant wore short wigs for seven to eight years. Neither family nor friends knew she was bald until 2015, when she revealed to everyone that she had alopecia.

“It was a scary time for me, but I also felt relief that I didn’t have to hide anymore,” she said.

When asked if she had been discriminated against or harassed because of her baldness, she replied: “I wasn’t really teased because of it, more so treated differently in the dating world. Most guys want a woman with hair, so in that aspect I felt discrimination. I didn’t fit the status quo of beauty because of my bald head.”

She received the opposite response from her employer. Flores explained that American Airlines has been very supportive of her appearance since she revealed her baldness.

As an advocate for those who have alopecia, the mother of two introduced BALDIE CON with a soft launch last month in Atlanta. She describes it as a conference and a community of supporters. The goal of the event is to show all “baldies” how important they are and how inspirational they are to those around them. It encourages others to fight hair-based discrimination and promote acceptance of bald people everywhere. Additional information is available at www.baldandfree.org and @baldiecon on Instagram and Facebook.

Felicia Flores promotes inclusion by embracing alopecia.

Margaret Miller has been a resident of Cherokee County for the past decade. Her writing hobby led her to become a columnist for community and daily newspapers.

STRETCH YOUR BODY AND YOUR MIND

Fight Aging and Extend Range of Motion with Stretching

Michael Lamb, assistant general manager, stretches Kathi O’Brien.

IN THE PINK FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

Supporting local charities is important to Stretch Zone owner Susan Black. She’s on the board of directors for Gathering of Friends, a nonprofit that raises money for Loving Arms Cancer Outreach and the American Cancer Society. Each October, the group holds a golf tournament and silent auction; last year, they raised $52,000. This year’s goal is $60,000.

The silent auction, open to the public, is 6-8 p.m. Oct. 14 at The Tavern at Towne Lake, 1003 Towne Lake Hills E., Woodstock. The golf tournament is the next day, Oct. 15, at the Towne Lake Hills Golf Course. Sign up in the pro shop or email gatheringoffriendsga@ gmail.com to participate. After working as a cardiac professional at Kennestone Hospital, a job that had her standing for hours, Susan Black decided to switch careers. She’s still helping people get healthier, but through a method that she says is the key to defying aging: stretching.

It’s the one void in health care that hasn’t been addressed, according to Susan, who owns several franchises of Stretch Zone, including the most recent one she’s opened in Peachtree City.

“Stretching is something we all know to do, but we don’t do it enough or properly,” she said. “It’s the best anti-aging routine you can do for yourself.”

Susan discovered the benefits of stretching after a year and a half of treating a frozen shoulder through more traditional methods. Her healing caused her to look further into the science behind stretching, and that’s when she discovered Stretch Zone.

“Now, more than ever, people realize the importance of staying healthy and moving,” she said. “You don’t have to live with stiffness. It’s not a normal aging process and can be reversed. Through proper stretching, you prevent injury, recover quicker from an injury and are able to keep your body in motion, relieve stress, correct posture issues and pain, and, most of all, stay young!”

In fact, her oldest client is 102 years old; her youngest is 14.

STRETCH MIND AND BODY

At Stretch Zone, practitioners gradually increase the range of motion by manipulating muscles with neuromuscular behavior. The stretch reflex is adjusted, so the clients feel lighter and younger, experience enhanced athletic performance, get relief from stiffness and soreness, and fight the aging process.

The neuromuscular science behind stretching involves retraining the brain to allow the muscles to move past their comfort level. With an injury, the brain sends signals to guard the affected area. With coaxing, improvements will come, as the person learns to push past the discomfort, in a guided and supervised way, to promote healing through stretching.