Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland)—Alopecia Areata Awareness Week is held in the 3rd week of November each year, and encourages us to consider the impacts of this often misunderstood condition. Alopecia Areata can be a lifelong condition, and can deeply affect self-image, self-esteem, confidence and even mental health. It is not uncommon, with estimates suggesting that 2 per cent of the population will be affected at some point in their lifetime. It can affect anyone, but most commonly presents during childhood. Alopecia Areata is an auto-immune disease that results in hair loss. It can range from small patches of hair loss on the scalp, to total loss of all hair on the body. We do not yet understand the complex interplay of factors that cause this condition. We can help our improve the experiences of our friends and family members with Alopecia Areata through personal support, increasing our own awareness of this condition and actively supporting the research aiming to develop safe treatments. Today I acknowledge those children and adults in Maitland who are living with, and through, Alopecia Areata. They are becoming our experts on how to cope with this condition.