Alopecia Connection

Episode 51- Talking JAKs, Trials, and Dermatology with Dr. Leila! "Hair patients have always been a hard sync for clinicians because of the fact we don't have treatment, we don't have answers... I felt that these were a group of patients that were quite underserved and I wanted to look after those patients." Tommy & Frank are pleased to welcome Dr. Leila Asfour to Alopecia...

Episode 50- Embracing Alopecia with Emma B! "The difficult times in life are... you go through them for a reason, and they're to teach you and help you learn more about yourself and other people, and realize that life is more than just your hair." For the first 2026 episode of Alopecia Connection, Frank & Tommy welcome Emma B. to share her alopecia story.  Emma was introduced to...

Episode 49- Thank You Paige & Kristen (Those Bald Chicks Podcast)! The Alopecia Connection guys jump on the mics for a quick episode highlighting the amazing work Paige & Kristen have done with the Those Bald Chicks podcast.  Sadly, the podcast will be leaving podcast platforms soon.   Starting in February of 2021, Those Bald Chicks spread alopecia awareness through their incredible podcas...

Episode 48- Alopecia Awareness Month with NFL Quarterback Josh Dobbs! "Being confident in your own skin, and understanding who you are as a person is really the only thing that matters.  It's really cool, as I said, to have the journey that I've had, to be able to go through the things I've gone through, to gain that perspective, and everyone sees that within time." Alopec...

Episode 47- Solving Rubix's cubes while skydiving!?  Meet the incredible Jessa Ponce!  ALOPECIA AWARENESS MONTH 2025! "If I saw little Jessa in front of me, I would tell her 'snap out of it. Hair loss never can and will stop you. Don't give up because no one can tell your story like you can.'" On this episode of Alopecia Connection, Frank & Tommy have the pleasure...

Episode 46- 40th NAAF Conference Panel with Jesse Ponce and Friends! On this episode of Alopecia Connection, Frank & Tommy join a discussion panel at the 40th annual NAAF Conference in Chicago!  While the guys were connecting remotely, Jessa Ponce, Kim Roxie, and Sam Guenzburger were live, along with NAAF Board Member Simon Rubenstein as moderator.  Enjoy the discussion on living with alopecia...

Episode 45- Alopecia Connection Update! On this episode Frank & Tommy check in to let everyone know what's been going on behind the scenes with Alopecia Connection.  Recently Tommy made his annual trip to the US, and was able to meet up with Frank.  While visiting, they were able to connect with Simon Rubenstein of NAAF to record some video interviews.  Frank & Tommy discuss this and...

Episode 44- A New Gut Health Masterclass with Lisa Taylor! * Lisa Taylor is conducting a new masterclass on gut health this February 5th and February 12th, 2025.  This episode is a reposting of a previous interview with Lisa where she discusses the masterclass she offered in 2024.  Register for the upcoming course  today! "We need to learn to become the CEO of our own health, because the trut...

Episode 43- Jennifer Gadosky & The Rocking Your Bald Podcast We have a very special episode to start 2025!  Frank & Tommy are joined by Jenn Gadosky, host of the Rocking Your Bald podcast, to chat about our different perspectives on several alopecia topics.  This conversation will appear on both the Alopecia Connection and Rocking Your Bald platforms, albeit with slightly different edits. ...

Episode 42- Reuben Lane, Norwich United FC Goalkeeper! ALOPECIA AWARENESS MONTH 2024! On this special Alopecia Awareness Month episode Tommy and Frank welcome Reuben Lane, goalkeeper for the Norwich United FC!  Alopecia Connection is also pleased to announce that the show will be sponsoring Reuben for this 24'-25' season at Norwich United FC! Enjoy this interview where Reuben speaks abou...

Episode 41- Tom Spencer, Alopecia UK Ambassador " I feel like having (alopecia) gives you a little bit of grit.  Going through hard times in any situation in life, and you make it through and you're still here talking around, making jokes and stuff like that means you got a bit of grit in you.  You build on that grit the more you carry on.  That's not something you can buy, that&apo...

Episode 40- Sue Schilling, Alopecia UK "It's my privilege to be the CEO of Alopecia UK. And because I have that lived alopecia experience from full hair to patchy through to the complete despair of the hairloss journey and now living very well with my alopecia... I feel, I hope that I am a good advocate and good role model because I can see it from multiple directions." On this epis...

Episode 39-  TED Talks with Laura Mathias! (Part 2) "Finding those organizations was one thing, but actually lending my voice straight away to kind of the wider cause, that has become my support.  Meeting those people and giving myself that volunteer role, has also been how I... have healed and come to terms with everything." On this episode of Alopecia Connection, we're excited to...

Episode 38- TED Talks with Laura Mathias! (Part 1) "It is interesting that it took a global pandemic for me to start interrogating those feelings, but also isn't it interesting that while I was locked up in my house  I chose social media to first reveal that photo of my bald head.  I knew that I didn't have to confront anyone at work the next day in person, because I couldn't p...

Episode 37- Dan Newman & BALDILOCKS! "So the story begins with alopecia, but really it's a story that carries right through to people trying to navigate through all sorts of adversities in life.  Adversity can bring a number of qualities.  It can help you develop a certain empathy and compassion for your fellow human being because you know what pain feels like..." On this episod...

36. Look Who's Back!  Coach Nick Returns to Alopecia Connection! " Coaching really pushes me to do that.  I can't tell the athletes that I work with, like you know, to keep working hard, never give up and be confident, if I can't do that." Two years after he appeared on the premier episode of Alopecia Connection, Nick returns to give us an update on what he's been up...

Episode 35- Alopecia Advocacy with NAAF's Gary Sherwood " It's been told to me so many times.  Women will say to me 'oh it's harder for me, men have it easy, because they can just go bald and it's not a big deal.'  And I have to correct them.  I say I've talked to enough men who have this disease, who have a lot of issues,  just as much as (women).  It'...

Episode 34- Teen Talks: Mackenzie and Mom Lisa Embrace Alopecia " When I look back at pictures of me with hair, I use it as an example saying that was me and I was happy with who I was then, and I'm happy with who I am now.  And whether you make a small change or a big change to yourself, I think no matter what the right people around you will be happy about it, and I think that's a...

33. Hitting the Road with Jeff Woytovich & the Children’s Alopecia Project " Maybe you have a little boy that does not want to go to school without his baseball cap on, but he gets to camp and he starts hanging out with these other kids his own age.  They're not wearing a hat, so now he has a decision, do I keep my hat on and keep on playing, or do I take it off because they all have...

32. "Whatever Trevor" with Author Caroline Ward (Part 2) On this episode of Alopecia Connection, Frank and Tommy speak with author Caroline Ward ( @caroline__ward ) about her alopecia journey and how it led to the creation of "Whatever Trevor," a children's book about living with alopecia.  Alopecia Connection has purchased several copies of "Whatever Trevor" and...

Episode 31- "Whatever Trevor" with Author Caroline Ward (Part 1) "Throughout all of lockdown I hadn't had a haircut, and my hair likes to grow really quickly, so I had really long hair.   I saw it one morning and I was like 'what!?' I just saw this thing, and it was a perfect little circle, and because it was a perfect circle, I was like 'that's not just a w...

Alopecia Connection Short: Alopecia UK Social Event On this  Alopecia Connection Short, Tommy discusses attending the Alopecia UK Social held in London on February 3, 2023!  Tommy had the pleasure of meeting Laura Mathias (IG: @relightalopecia ) among other incredible members of the UK alopecia community! Connect with Alopecia UK! Website: www.alopecia.org.uk Facebook: Alopecia UK Instagram: @alop...

Episode 30- Get Ready for a Gut Health Masterclass with Lisa Taylor! "We need to learn to become the CEO of our own health, because the truth is we have way more power and way more agency in the trajectory of our  health than we are being led to believe." Lisa Taylor returns to Alopecia Connection to discuss her new masterclass, all about improving your gut health!  Register for Lisa&apo...

FIRST JAK INHIBITOR SPECIFICALLY FOR ALOPECIA AREATA APPROVED IN THE UK!! Tommy and Frank discuss the breaking news that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has made the decision to recommend the JAK inhibitor medicine ritlecitinib (Litfulo) for routine commissioning from the NHS.  This recommendation is for treatment of severe alopecia areata in patients aged 12 and over....

Episode 29- Unveiling Purpose: Journeying Through Crohn's, Alopecia, and Self-Love with James Morrell *This episode contains significant mental health discussions and topics* "A few people, a few messages from a few guys here and there, everyday, it's been like 'you know what lad, you've made me realize that I can cry in front of my girlfriend.  I can talk, I can reach out...