Last week … for the very first time… I saw a women with male pattern baldness. Not just the diffuse all over loss that I am used to seeing, but completely bald on top with hair on the side and in the back (just like those Propecia commericals on You Tube). The lady was probably in her late 60s with gray hair. The surprising thing for me was that the hair she had on the sides and back was still quite thick! I was impressed by the fact that she was out in public without a wig or hair covering of any type. This wasn’t a woman who doesn’t care about her appearance because she had taken the time to put on her makeup and dress nicely.She passed by me so quickly that I only had time to register her hair loss and glance at her face before she was gone. After she was out of my line of vision I actually found myself wondering if she could possibly be a cross dresser or transsexual. My mind simply could not wrap itself around the idea that a woman could really have that type of hair loss.I know that this lady was not in my line of vision long enough that looking at her could have been considered staring, but I know that if she had not walked away from me that I would have definitely tried to get a closer look. I like to think that I would have found something kind to say or some way to pay her a compliment.
I sometimes wish that I had little WomensHairLossProject business cards to hand to women I meet… but then I have to remind myself that many of these women might still be in a place that having someone notice their loss may be insulting. I feel as if this website has made me more open and accepting of my own hair loss. I think I should remind myself more frequently that not everyone is ready to discuss this condition openly with people they have never met ;o)
About the author: Dottie is a community member of the Women’s Hair loss Project. To learn more about her and read her other blog posts, visit her profile: http://community.womenshairlossproject.com/Dottie/
Here is one of those propecia commercials Dottie was making reference to.
March 4th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Like I have said before……. You are a talented and caring woman, this writing touched my heart in a very special way, Thank you! LOVE ROBIN
March 5th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Hi Dottie:
Yes this defiantely touched my heart as well. Even though I am kind of in the angry stage I still want to talk to people (that are going through it) about it. I take the train into work every day in Boston and after this started for myself I noticed more and more how common this is. There have been times that I have wanted to approached women and ask how they deal with it and if they have an advice but don’t because I don’t want to insult them either.
Lisa
March 6th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Robin & Lisa,
Thank you for your kind words. My heart truly went out to this woman, and I have to admit that there was also a touch of fear in my heart that someday this is what my hair might look like. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some outward sign (button, pin, ribbon, etc.) that we could use to show the world that it’s ok to approach us? I wonder how many times other women with hair loss have wanted to approach me and ask questions, but were to afraid they might insult me? Hhhmmmm… makes the mind wonder.
March 6th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
I truly believe that alot of women suffer with this and I really see it more and more. Thank God for this site and all the wonderful women I have met!