September is Alopecia Awareness Month, and there’s no one better to introduce you than Tami Wong, founder of Hair Loss Pride. Alopecia is a condition where the immune system attacks the hair follicles, causing hair loss that can range from small patches to losing all the hair on your head and body. It affects people of all ages including kids and teens and for a lot of women, it comes with a kind of shame nobody warns you about.  

Tami knows that shame firsthand. She started losing her hair at 15 and spent most 20 years hiding it before she found the courage to do something different. Now she’s the founder of Hair Loss Pride, a Vancouver-based community helping women and teen navigate hair loss through coaching, wig consultations, education, and real connection. She’s also a mom of two girls, a wife of 14 years, and someone who believes vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness.

We asked Tami what make her a Vancouver Mom to Follow, and her story is exactly the kind of honest, brave and deeply human answer you’d hope for.

Describe your business or career role

I’m the founder of Hair Loss Pride, a Vancouver-based community supporting women and teens navigating hair loss through coaching, wig consultations, education, and connection.

What makes my business unique is that I created it from my own lived experience. I began losing my hair at 15 and, at the time, had no community or support to help me navigate it. I felt completely alone, ashamed and unlovable, and genuinely believed I was the only one going through it. I spent nearly 20 years trying to hide my hair loss.

Hair Loss Pride is the community I wish I’d had back then. My goal is simple: no woman should have to experience hair loss feeling as alone and ashamed as I did. I’m working to change that through support, representation, education, and honest conversations about something women are still often afraid to talk about.

What makes you a Vancouver Mom to follow?

I’m trying to turn something women have been taught to hide into something we can talk about openly, find community in, and ultimately feel empowered by. Through Hair Loss Pride, I advocate for greater representation of women with hair loss in beauty and fashion, while creating spaces for education, connection, and support.

I also host Shedding the Shame, a podcast about the things women are often taught to keep quiet about, from grief and loss to relationships, motherhood, money, and identity.

What sets me apart is that I lead with vulnerability. I’m willing to share the difficult, messy and sometimes uncomfortable parts of my own life because I believe deep connection and vulnerability make us stronger, not weaker. My mission is to empower women however I can and remind them that they are never as alone as they think they are.

Tell us about your family.

Home is my husband of 14 years, Eric, our daughters Isla (9) and Zoe (7), and our 11-year-old Pitbull/Border Collie rescue mix, Emmitt. Eric works for Adobe and travels quite a bit, but he’s the kindest, most supportive partner and, after 16 years together, still makes me laugh every day.

Isla calls herself “a gamer” and builds incredibly intricate worlds in Minecraft. She’s also an amazing artist, and I’m constantly blown away by what she creates. Zoe is our performer, always singing, dancing or inventing a game, and she’s basically a giant ball of love. Emmitt is the best boy, loves people and is amazing with kids, but is also the most anxious dog you’ve ever met. I’ve even tried doggie Prozac with zero success!

Our house is loud, chaotic and usually filled with laughter. We love having friends over and host almost-daily after-school playdates, plus weekly neighbourhood happy hours on our lawn. More than anything, I want our home to feel safe, welcoming and open to the people we love.

What are your go-to activities, places, or hidden gems in Metro Vancouver that you and your family love?

I’m a big coffee person, so most weekends you’ll find us at To Live For Bakery. My girls gobble up their treats, while I love the coffee, kid-friendly atmosphere and Erin, the owner. We also frequent 49th Parallel for the donuts and Mish Mish for what my girls call their “fluffy pitas.” Their smoked salmon board is incredible, too.

Eric and I like to hike, so when we’re on our own we’ve done The Grouse Grind or some tougher hikes. Our kids will tolerate the Quarry Rock hike in Deep Cove, and I usually bribe them with Honey’s Donuts.

We live in East Van, and Science World is always a win. Kits Beach is another favourite, especially watching the girls search for shells and crabs.

These days, many weekends are spent at baseball or soccer fields cheering on our youngest and hanging out with the other parents.

When Eric and I get time alone, we love brunch at Maxine’s, Greenhorn or Café Medina, walking the seawall, biking Stanley Park, or catching live comedy or a concert at the Vogue.

What’s something motherhood has taught you about yourself?

My kids have taught me that I don’t have to be perfect. They love me best with my wig off, in sweatpants, making silly faces, watching a movie or drawing together. They’ve taught me that the to-do list can wait, but connection can’t.

I’ve also learned that I’m a better mom when I take care of myself, whether that’s working out, spending time alone or with friends, or going on a date night with Eric.

I used to be afraid I wouldn’t be a good mother because I didn’t have a healthy relationship with my own mom. Motherhood has taught me that I can be the mother I needed, both for my girls and for myself. In doing so, it has healed parts of me I never knew could heal and shown me what unconditional love really feels like.

Where can we follow you?

If you’d like to stay connected, you can find me here:

• Website: www.hairlosspride.com
• Instagram:@hairlosspride
• LinkedIn: Tami Wong

Tami Wong is one of our Vancouver Mom to Follow, and this feature couldn’t come at a better time. September is Alopecia Awareness Month, a time to talk openly about a condition that still carries so much silence and shame for the women and teens living with it. Tami, helps women and teen across Vancouver navigate hair loss through coaching, wig consultations, education and genuine connection, while also hosting Shedding the Shame, a podcast about the things women are taught to keep quiet. 

At home, Tami is wife to Eric, mom to Isla and Zoe and the proud owner of one very anxious rescue dog. She’s proof that leading with vulnerability doesn’t make you weaker, it makes you the kind of person other people feel safe around. 

If this September is teaching us anything through Tami’s story, it’s that no one should have to face hair loss, or any hard thing, feeling alone. 

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