How hair loss caused growth in personality

The heat from the Colorado spring sun beats down as Leviticus Brandt, a 21-year-old student at Colorado State University, opens the door. 

Although he gives a warm greeting with a smile on his face, he moves slowly through the house as he adjusts to using his new crutches. 

“I tried to do a backflip while skiing, and I landed it, but I immediately sank into the ground and my knee popped loudly,” Brandt said as he talked about his injury. “I had an MRI before Spring Break, and it showed my ACL was completely torn.” 

Looking down at his shorts that cut off just before his black and blue scar, he discusses what his recovery has been like so far. 

The recovery was much harder than he had anticipated.  “The day after it [the surgery] I was like ‘cut off my leg this hurts’, and I couldn’t move it at all,” Brandt said

Although the surgery has caused him some struggle, it is not the first time he has encountered a health issue he had to overcome. 

In the Beginning of his eighth-grade year his friend noticed a bald spot on the back of his head, and as the hair continued to fall out, the doctors confirmed his fear that it was Alopecia. 

“A lot of mental struggles came with it,” Brandt said. “The core of who I was is still alive, but it changed how I think about and perceive the world around me.” 

According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, roughly 2% of the general population will experience a form of Alopecia.

His metaphorical armor against the constantly changing state of his hair was, and still is, his beanie.

“The hat is a physical concealment, because it is like a distraction. You might notice it, but it buys time for people to know me before they know the me without hair.” 

 As he sits wearing a green hat, he discusses what school was like as a young kid trying to fit in with his peers. 

“There were many times that teachers would snatch my hat off,” Brandt said. “It was embarrassing because people were watching, and it created a scene, which is what I wanted to avoid.” 

Although he had explicit permission from the school and principal to wear his hat in school, there were many times he was faced with pushback from the staff. 

Losing your hair may bring more negativity than positivity, but Brandt chose to look at it differently. Surrounded by a support system of friends and family, he chose to use the experience as a lesson in living life. 

“There are many things that I can’t control that may affect me in life, but I don’t let them, because there is nothing I can do in those situations except keep moving forward,” Brandt said. 

Over the years as his hair continued to change, he never let it affect his social life, and has made many life-long friends who support him. 

“He is such a bright-spirited and optimistic person,” said Soljin Choi, one of his closest friends. 

“When he first shaved his head, it was the first sign of him accepting himself and we all knew we needed to be there to support him,” said Choi. 

It is clear that his support system has only gained numbers over the years as his friends and roommates stop into the room to check on him after his surgery. 

There are many things Leviticus learned about himself as he accepted the possibility that his hair may never grow back. One of the most important traits he gained during that time was the power of determination. 

“When we added him in [to the business] that is when everything took off,” said Jasmine Nove, who co-owns a marketing business with Brandt. “He can get along with everyone. You can bring him anywhere and they will like him.” 

Even though they have only known each other for a couple years, Brandt already feels comfortable around Nove and his co-workers without his hat. 

“At first he was uncomfortable taking the hat off for the first year I knew him, but once we started becoming friends, he felt confident,” said Jasmine. 

Although the growth in his confidence is clear, he is not likely to go hat-free in the near future. 

“I would let my friends and family see me without it, but if anyone else came into my room and saw I would probably still scrounge around for a hat.” 

 Acceptance and growth are not linear things, but he is moving towards his future goals and computer science career.

“Being ok with vulnerability and being okay with not being yourself is one of the most important things I have learned through this experience.” 

Brandt plans to continue working on the marketing business with Nove and has just been accepted into an internship position that will help him make more connections for future jobs.