Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Joshua Dobbs has been a bright spot for the team after being traded a few weeks ago.
Dobbs started the season with the Arizona Cardinals and was traded to the Vikings after Kirk Cousins suffered a torn Achilles in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers and was ruled out for the rest of the season.
Dobbs is now on his fifth team since the start of the 2022 season. His success in Minnesota has been a major part of the team’s history. NFL this season, but he had his fair share of struggles to get to where he is today.
Joshua Dobbs Alopecia Diagnosis
Dobbs was diagnosed with alopecia areata in third year after discovering that a small bald spot had formed on the top of his head. Alopecia is one of the most common hair loss conditions worldwide, affecting approximately 2% of the population.
According to the National Institutes of Health, alopecia is a condition that occurs when the immune system attacks hair follicles and causes hair loss. The disease is incurable, but there are several types of treatments aimed at speeding up the hair regeneration process.
Dobbs’ hair loss worsened in high school, and by his senior year, his eyebrows and eyelashes began to fall out.
During his college career at the University of Tennessee, Dobbs continued to seek treatment, receiving weekly cortisone injections to try to prevent hair loss. Over time, the shots became less effective, so he eventually chose to shave his head.
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“My family has been incredible. They’ve done the research, so we understand the situation as best we can. They also ensured that I received the best care and treatment possible,” Dobbs said. “Their greatest gift was teaching me to have a positive mindset in the face of adversity, whether on the football field or in other areas of my life.”
As a high-profile football player and quarterback for Tennessee, Dobbs said his experience with alopecia was very public. While many fans were supportive of him, some were ignorant and attempted to influence his game by making fun of his hair loss.
Dobbs has been advocating for this topic since he was in college. He met a kid from a small town in Tennessee who was having trouble leaving home and making friends because of alopecia.
“When we met, we both wore hats. When I took my hat off, I’ll never forget how wide his eyes got and how big his smile was,” Dobbs said. “He had never met anyone else with alopecia. My meeting gave him confidence. It made me realize that I should use my platform to help those who are going through what I went through.
More recently, Dobbs connected with a Cardinals cheerleader who was diagnosed with alopecia shortly before joining the Arizona team.
“Anytime you see people being true to who they are, it’s great to see,” Dobbs said. “Everyone is going through something. For us, alopecia is perhaps a little more visually visible to outsiders looking at us, but everyone is going through a difficult situation.
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