“I was transformed into Eve, whom I do not know.” The story of a girl who went bald after the stress of a summer camp fire

A 19-year-old teenager from Odesa – Eva Yukhnova – calls herself a “bald blonde” on social networks.

She was a blonde with long hair until the age of 15, when she started losing hair all over her body.

In the summer of 2017, in the camp where Eva rested, one of the houses caught fire in the middle of the night – three girls died.

Eva remembers that night in bits and pieces, but the stress she experienced probably changed her life forever. A few months later, the girl was diagnosed alopeciabecause of which not a single hair remained on Eve’s body.

Eva told “UP. Life” about how she had to experiment with hairstyles at school to hide her bald spot, about her first wigs and accepting her new self.

“Globetrotting”

Over the past two years, 19-year-old Eva Yukhnova with her family – mother and sister – managed to live in the USA, Poland, and Romania instead of her native Odessa.

Currently in a Romanian city Cluj-Napoca Eva is getting a higher education.

The girl from Odesa is studying at the Faculty of Journalism. He says that it was difficult to get used to the new environment, because the thought once again struck me that later I would have to say goodbye. This was the case first in Odessa, then – in Poland and the USA.

“At the beginning of the semester, it seemed to me that the level of my socialization fell to 0, because I was as closed and distrustful as possible“says the girl.

Eva felt a similar feeling a few years ago while studying at school – when she started balding in the 10th grade.

“We were woken up by shouts: “we are on fire!”

Eva’s hair loss problems began almost a year after the fire in the Odessa camp “Viktoria”, where she rested in 2017.

Then as a result of the tragedy three children died.

At that time, 12-year-old Eva was resting in “Victoria” for the second time. She remembers how she formed her own opinion about summer camps and at first did not want to come there “Every day is a holiday, and children are always required to be active“.

However, it was one of these holidays that made Eva fall in love with camps. After him, the nickname stuck to the girl “blonde aunt“because Eva had long blond hair.

“There was a Miss Victoria contest, in which I won. I was awarded a certificate, and I liked everything from then on.”says the girl.

The tragedy happened at the end of the summer season in September, when most of the children had returned home.

“I wanted to stay until the end to see the bonfire and dance ensemble that performed at the closing.”says Eva.

It was the last day of the shift in the camp.

“At night, I woke up from a scream – someone was banging on our door, urging us to wake up because “we are on fire”. At first I thought it was a joke or a dream. There were three of us in the room.

I took my phone from the shelf and ran outside in my pajamas. We were asked to calm down. It was said that there was an alleged small fire in the camp. The house that was across from ours, completely engulfed in fire”says Eva.

She saw children running out of houses and jumping out of windows.

When they were taken away from the burning room, Eva called her parents.

“We were taken to the main entrance of the camp – some of the children were crying, some were screaming. I called my dad and told him everything. When he arrived, the fire had engulfed another building. When I came to collect my things, we (the house where Eva lived and two more girls – ed.) were as close as possible to the flame”says the girl.

“Fire phobia appeared”

In the morning, the girl woke up at home and wondered if she had dreamed of a fire in the camp. The state was alarming, but it was overshadowed by incomprehension, says Eva.

“It seemed that something might catch fire at home and I would start burning – thoughts about this kept me awake for a long time, it was difficult to fall asleep. I can see a field from my window, where from time to time they burned dry matter – I developed a phobia of bonfires”says the girl.

A psychotherapist tried to help Eva cope with annoying thoughts. The mother enrolled her daughter with him when she found out that the girl was given a nickname at school “carbon”.

“It wasn’t funny at all, but it was difficult for me to talk about what happened that night. The psychotherapist, in my opinion, did not help. Over time, I began to meditate more, to be silent – this had a positive effect.” – says Eva.

After the tragedy in the camp, the girl and her mother went to the cemetery more than once to see the girls who died that night.

“Nothing worked to stop the hair loss”

In the new academic year, Eva returned to school, – classes, friends, hobbies in the form of dancing – in a word, the usual life was gaining momentum, and the mundane overshadowed the memories of the last day in the camp.

One December morning, the girl was being taken to school by her grandmother.

“She was making fun of me and noticed that my hair seemed to have decreased. A few days later, my grandfather noticed the same thing, he was struck by the baldness. My mother, to my surprise, at first said that it had always been like that.” – laughs the girl.

The family doctor found a bald spot on Eva’s head. Dermatologist – suggested that ringworm or alopecia could have caused this.

“When they found out about the fire in the camp and my stress, they advised me to take an analysis – everything was fine with them, in the end.

I was prescribed vitamins, massages, which were supposed to relieve pressure in my back and neck, and a diet, because they thought that improper nutrition could be the cause. All these examinations seemed like madness, because there were so many of them.” – says Eva.

At first, the hair thinned, then it began to fall out on the head and all over the body. That winter, Eva’s immunity level was also affected by a cold and “nothing worked to stop the hair loss.”

“I was transformed into Eve, whom I do not know”

In the 9th grade, Eva still had a long but thin braid, or as she says: “could cover bald spots with hair remnants“.

“When the hair began to fall out after the camp, a bald spot, about 15 cm wide, formed on one side of the head.

Every morning before school I did my hair to hide it. For this, she used hair from the forehead and crown of the head and varnished it so that, God forbid, no one touched it.” – says Eva.

There were several foci of hair loss on the head. First – on the left side, then on the right, then appeared on the top of the head. Over time, each of them increased.

The most hair fell out during washing, the girl continues.

“It fell out, and there was no end to it. When I ran my hand through my hair, there were always hairs on my fingers. I think that if I did this for 10 minutes, there would be nothing left on my head.” – says Eva.

Before alopecia, Eva’s hair had a reddish-white color. The sun gave it extra shine.

Mostly, the hairstyle was always long, since short haircuts were never to Eva’s heart.

“When my hair fell out, I felt as if I was changing, reincarnated into an Eve I don’t know. Every day there were tears, every night – tantrums, and so for almost a year. I didn’t want anything, the only thought I had was why this happened to me ?” – says Eva.

At the beginning of the 11th grade, the girl had a haircut, from the second semester she wore a wig, since there was almost no hair left on her head, and there were hairs on her arms and eyelashes here and there on her body.

Repairs were made in Eva’s room, in particular, the mirrors were removed. At the end of the 10th grade, the girl was shaved.

“At school they didn’t believe my “coming out” at first”

Eva never dared to come to school bald – the girl was found a wig in which Eva wore until the graduation evening.

After shaving, hair grew on the head, but when the length reached 1 cm, it fell out, the girl says.

“Most of my classmates and friends left school after the 9th grade. In my new environment, some of my classmates understood that something was wrong when I came in a wig, some did not. Then I started posting photos of the “new me” without wigs on social networks “, – says Eva.

It was possible to avoid ridicule and mockery from classmates thanks to the fact that the girl liked to make fun of herself on her own, in particular, on social networks.

At first, Eva published bald photos in a private account on the social network, later she posted them publicly.

“My hands were shaking when I posted the first photo of myself bald. Then I made a video of my shadow taking off the wig. When I posted it, no one understood because there were no comments, although I expected people to be shocked. Everyone thought it was some kind of make-up or mask on Instagram.

As “heavy artillery”, I posted the photo already on the open page. Then they started writing me a bunch of nice comments and support, sharing that they have the same problem, etc. I was shocked because I found out that there are still bald people.” – says the girl.

Nothing has changed in communication with the best friends after admitting the illness. Only a few boy friends dropped out, says the girl.

“I can’t say that the attitude towards me at school has radically changed – as before, there were some jokes, sometimes something related to the wig. It was more annoying when people approached me and asked: “Evo, do you have cancer?” or they wrote it on social networks from unknown accounts”, – says Eva.

“You wear a wig like a hat”

Eva’s first wig was purchased in Dnipro – natural hair of a light shade of medium length resembled the girl’s natural hair as much as possible.

Synthetic hair is usually attached to natural hair, but since she doesn’t have her own Eva, wearing a wig is like wearing a hat for her. He says it’s even as warm.

The wig has a rubber base on the inside and small straps at the back of the head to help adjust the size. In order for the wig to stay on the head, Eva treats the scalp with varnish or special glue.

Eva’s natural wig was washed almost every week during her school days, but synthetic wigs cannot be washed, so their service life is much shorter.

At home in Odessa, the girl has 5 wigs left, Eva has been carrying another one with her for the past two years, but she hardly uses it.

“Last year I went everywhere bald. I have one wig with me just in case. But now when I wear it, it’s very uncomfortable, it’s hot, it starts to itch.

And hair everywhere, it’s so annoying sometimes. How did I live with him before? Fortunately, I’m bald now.” – laughs the girl.

“I’m still getting used to myself”

Social networks help the new Eva to accept herself, where the girl shares her everyday affairs and occasionally publishes blogs on various topics, for example: “Bald makeup for Valentine’s Day” or “Bald I’m looking at hairy Barbie.

“I’ve gotten a little used to myself and sometimes I forget why people are looking at me. Then, when I find out that they probably have never seen bald women, I think – well, look. It took me 2 years to accept myself, and I’m still on this way” – says Eva.

Recalling the strangest memory about the reaction of people around her, Eva goes back several years to the center of Odessa. Then a passer-by asked permission to pat her on the head.

“People react differently, emotions can range from surprise to sorrow, as if I have cancer. Children sometimes point their fingers, elderly people can comment on my appearance.

At some events, be it rock or punk concerts, where there are a lot of informals, I can respect bearded bald men. Mostly, all this causes me understanding, and in some places – laughter.” – says the girl.

At the end of 2023, Eva began a medication course that stimulates hair growth. However, she soon finished it. He says that it does appear here and there, but for this you need to follow a diet and minimize stress.

“It doesn’t always work out, given that I have studies. Now I live my student life to the fullest“, – added the girl.

Anastasia Poya“Ukrainian truth. Life”