On blustery fall days, many women curse the havoc wrought by wind in their hair. Not Andrea Roussel. To her, being a little wind-blown is a reminder of how God answered a stranger’s prayer, simultaneously demonstrating His power and gentleness. He gave her hair.
Until August 2006, Roussel had spent about 20 years living with alopecia universalis, an autoimmune disease that rendered her entire body virtually hairless. Although she owned three custom-made wigs in different shades of red, Roussel was comfortable baring her head in public. In fact, that’s how she typically went to and from field hockey practice at the University of Louisville, where she was a graduate student.
But when Roussel walked through the lobby in Crawford Gymnasium that fall, she caught the attention of custodian Greg Hughes, who assumed Roussel had cancer and stopped her to inquire if he could pray for her. She corrected him and explained her condition, and Hughes responded that God cared about her hair. They prayed about its restoration right there in the lobby.
Roussel, now 23, said her hair started sprouting a couple of weeks later, and it quickly began covering her head.
Since then, her hair has thinned out in spots, but it’s still growing. Some locks trail down her neck and end in bouncy coils, reminiscent of her mother’s dark curls. Still, she said, "my mom wants to give me a hair cut" to even it out.
When her hair originally came in, Roussel pampered it with baby shampoo, and experimented with girly products she’d never used, including mousse, hairspray and colorful barrettes. When it was long enough, her friends put Roussel’s hair in its first ponytail—right on top of her head, "like Pebbles," she giggled. She’s since graduated to adult shampoo but hasn’t lost the wonder of barrettes.
After finishing her master’s degree in education in May, Roussel became the athletic coordinator at Christian Academy of Louisville. This semester she also will be a part-time health and physical education teacher at St. Matthews Elementary School.
Roussel said she anticipates her new elementary students will be curious about her hair, as kids usually are the ones who ask the most questions. And that’s fine, she said. The more questions people ask, the more opportunities she has to tell what God has done.
"It can be hard to share your faith," Roussel said. "Just getting the conversation started is the hardest part. But this really has been the easiest way to share."
And the word has been spreading. Roussel’s friends use her experience to strike up faith conversations. CBN’s The 700 Club took notice of Roussel’s story and aired a segment featuring her and Hughes on Oct. 30.
Roussel said her hair growth may not last, but that doesn’t diminish the power she knows God poured out on her life.
"Even if it falls out, it’s still an answer to prayer," she said. "If it strengthened one person’s faith, then it’s served God’s purpose."
The scenario reminds her of one of Christ’s most awe-striking miracles—raising Lazarus from the dead after he’d spent four days entombed.
"Hey," Roussel said, "even Lazarus died again."
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