You might be thinking to yourself: how is that Henry just wrote about Charlie Villanueva and alopecia areata, and now he's doing it again? Well, I'll tell you: I was fixing to interview Charlie himself for that article I published the other day. But it didn't happen and didn't happen. And finally I thought: you know what? I like this interview with the young man Stephen, so I'm going to roll with that. As these things go, Charlie called a few hours later. Here is an edited version of our conversation:
Charlie, I talked to a young man with alopecia areata the other day. He had just met with you in New York, and I got the feeling he was genuinely touched to have met you, and he loved that you do not care what people think about you. It's very cool that you take the time to talk to people like him.
Thanks. I do what I can. I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason. And the reason I got alopecia areata, I believe, is so that I can help other people who have it.
OK, help me out with this: if I see someone with no hair, no eyebrows, no eyelashes -- what's the proper way to ask about it?
There is no proper way. Just say it, I guess. People ask me all kinds of things: "Do you shave your eyebrows?" Sometimes I'll see them looking and I'll just tell them. I'll explain the situation and afterwards they're usually like "oh, wow." Some people think it's cool. But there's really no proper way, and some people do tend to stare.
How old were you when you were diagnosed?
I was ten. It was awkward. But when I was about 16 I got more comfortable with it. I accepted it as the way I look. Once you accept it, life becomes a little easier.
When you were ten, were you already super tall?
I wasn't nearly as tall then. By my freshman year of high school I had made it to six feet. Then I had one summer when I grew seven inches. That was a huge spurt -- from six feet tall to six-seven.
I guess that made it tough to hide in the background.
Yeah. People stared at me because I was so tall. I tried to hide my alopecia. I wore a hoodie, or pulled my hat down low so you could not see my eyes. But once I accepted it, it got easier, and if they stared, I would just tell them exactly what was going on.
Did you have any people in your life who helped you get through that process?
Not really. I never really had somebody to look up to. I didn't know of any professional athletes or anything. Basketball helped me out, though. The better I played on the court, the less I cared about people staring at my bald head.
How old were you when you became a big deal basketball player?
About 16.
The same age you told me you grew more comfortable with your alopecia areata.
Exaaaaactly. It made me a lot less uncomfortable. It was like a shot of self-confidence. And if I got mad about it, I could just take it out on the court.
Is there any treatment for you?
No. No treatment for me. I mean, there are medications out there. There is no cure. There are
medications that might work. But I refuse to take any of them. I'm real comfortable with the way I look. Everything happens for a reason, and I'm not going to fight this. It does not bother me.
Are you married? Single? Has your lack of hair ever some up in your love life?
Oh sure, it comes up. Of course. My girlfriend now, in the beginning, at first, she didn't even notice. Some people just don't notice. But if ever someone has asked about it, I tell them.
It must feel amazingly good to talk to people with alopecia areata, and know that you are making many of them feel a lot better about themselves.
Yes. It's awesome.
I can relate. I know what they're going through. I know what it feels like. And a lot of them respond. It makes me hungry to do more.
Are there any particular stories that stand out? People you have touched?
I get a lot of emails. Parents thank me for this or that, or say their kids are more comfortable with their appearance.
There was one situation, in Toronto. There was a mother and son, and they both had alopecia. But the mother always wore a wig. The Toronto media were there to interview a lot of people, and right there, in front of the TV cameras, she took her wig off. She said it had been a long time, but now she felt like she had her head back, and she thanked me for that. It was unbelievable.
(Photos: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images, D. Lippitt/Einstein/NBAE/Getty Images)
