Brave Barbie® and Brave Ken® Dolls bring joy to children with alopecia areata. Representation is important. Especially when you are living with a highly visible autoimmune disease like alopecia areata. Kids want a toy that looks like them. In 2013, Mattel, Inc. created Brave Barbie in collaboration with the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF) and organizations supporting children living with cancer. Since its introduction, Brave Barbie has stood as the only toy in the world created and distributed exclusively through nonprofit partners, with over 120,000 dolls placed in the hands of children to date. NAAF distributes a limited quantity of Brave Barbie and Brave Ken free of charge to the alopecia areata community each year. Effective September 2025, Brave Barbie dolls are available in two skin tones in fashion-forward outfits and come with five versatile accessories: headphones, a hat, a headband, a rooted wig, and a customizable sticker pack. To ensure even more children feel represented, the new Brave Ken also features a rooted wig, expanding the possibilities for self-expression and play. NAAF distributes Brave Barbie and Brave Ken through multiple in-person activities: The Walk For Alopecia at 20+ locations across the country and Walk Where You Are teams receiving kits have a Brave Barbie included At the 41st NAAF Conference and Youth Camp in Orlando, Florida Through support groups serving local communities For more information about timing and locations, please visit the links for these events and check back frequently, as those web pages are updated regularly. Questions? Contact NAAF at info@naaf.org.
