Wigs at the HERS Breast Cancer Foundation program store in Fremont. A new proposal by state Assemblymember Marc Berman, a Menlo Park Democrat, could help many in California cover part of the cost of a wig or hairpiece, which can often go for thousands of dollars, by requiring insurance companies to pick up $750 of the tab. Hair loss is something Mihir Sharma from Saratoga, who has alopecia areata, has been dealing with for most of his life.
Berman introduced Assembly Bill 2668 last month and it is expected to be taken up by the health committee in April. “The wig provides a sense of security because, with alopecia, you can’t prevent those stares,” said the high school student who was one of the young people who inspired Berman’s bill, along with Mountain View High School student Miranda Huang. “People don’t necessarily mean it negatively; it’s just different, it could be curiosity or surprise. Wearing the wig helps you blend in and maintain that sense of security.
Berman said that while he is aware of insurance providers’ concerns regarding costs, he emphasized that “those suffering from medically induced hair loss are far more valuable than the potential costs associated with mental health struggles.” Stanford University sophomore Adrianna Zhang at her dorm room on March 8, 2024, in Stanford, Calif. Zhang began experiencing hair loss at the age of 10 due to alopecia areata. She recently has been on medication that has helped with her autoimmune disease, so she is not wearing a wig presently.
This family photo shows Adrianna Zhang at 12 years old wearing a wig when her hair loss was more severe due to alopecia areata.