Diane Williamson is a full time voice over talent professional for Fortune 500 companies, phone systems and also broadcast. She is a veteran hair wearer and deals with Alopecia Universalis (total hair loss, from eyebrows, eyelashes, to leg hair).
Diane has been following my Facebook page since 2012, and has been a tremendous support to myself and other women dealing with the incredibly difficult affliction of hair loss. Dealing with Alopecia Universalis since the 80’s, she discusses dealing with hair loss and hair wearing, while working in the very public industry of broadcast reporting.
In May of 1988 while working for a radio station in Louisville, she was given the job of covering (as a radio personality for the TV station) one of the big events during Derby week, which was the steam boat race on the Ohio RIVER [think: wigs, wind and large bodies of water!] on a paddle wheeler.With that in her line of sight she made her way to a small wig shop and got herself a synthetic wig and made it through thejob on the Ohio river without her wig blowing off. That was the start of her hair wearing journey. At this moment I’m feeling rather fortunate that my first big outing of importance wearing hair in 2012 was a conference indoors, and not on a boat! I have to raise the roof for her being able to show up and get through that.
Diane has dealt with hair loss and searching for hair, during a time period where information was even less prevalent and accessible, than when I started my own journey. She has experienced total hair loss, transitioning into wearing wigs in the workplace, and dealing with the devastating emotional impact of hair loss in all aspects of her own life. She has battled through and as I like to call it, “made it to the other side, where there is life after hair loss.” It is a thing, it does exist. Her story is inspiring and I absolutely loved speaking with her.
Please join us for this episode, while we discuss her hair loss journey, and as she shares her knowledge and insight to people dealing with hair loss now.
The journey to finding the right type of alternative hair for yourself takes time, whether it’s a topper or a wig. Much of this will not only be determined by our level of hair loss, but also our comfort level.
Often times I get asked if I jumped right into wearing Follea (the brand of wigs I wear) or if I tried other methods of alternative hair/ or brands. I definitely tried several other things over the years and had what I called many “Failed Starts,” where I’d get an item of alternative hair, find it was a total failure for whatever reason, and then I’d give up for YEARS. I definitely did not accept my hair loss easily and certainly didn’t accept hair wearing easily. My first failed start to wearing alternative hair dates back to 2001 (hair loss began in 1999) and I did’t start wearing hair full time till 2012.
In episode 3 of The Women’s Hair Loss Project podcast I discuss a couple of my “failed starts” throughout the years, and share the importance of being patient with yourself when attempting to wear hair for the first time or finding the right piece for you.
If you don’t know who the beautiful Sophie Hafner is, then you probably don’t follow me on Instagram or Facebook, because she’s in a lot of those pictures. Not only is this amazing person the only person I have entrusted with my wig wearing life ( new wig selection, color, cut, style) for the last 5 years, but she’s also become a best friend of mine.
Sophie shares my vision and passion for helping women with hair loss, and has always risen to the occasion when I’ve asked her to assist me in carrying out a concept/project to de-stigmitize women’s hair loss and show women how good wigs can really look. Including the concept we have done twice, which is hair twinning, and I mean with a person not wearing a wig (her).
This detailed project required her to actually, not only color my wigs pink, but hers as well! [View Sneak Pink Post] We later revisited it this concept with her transforming one of my wigs into a red head, to match hers. The “Whose Wearing a Wig?” Images were so amazing, that at times people guessed she was the one in a wig. Proof positive you can look and feel as amazing as everyone else while wearing hair. The hair artistry required to do this is something that I’m still blown away by.
In part 1 of this 2 part episode, we discuss the consultation process as well as the technical aspects of wigs, including:
Part One
-Wigs vs. Toppers
-Adjusting to Wearing Hair by Learning To Treat It Like Your Own Hair
-Lace Front vs Closed Front (How to Choose)
-The Follea Gripper – What Type of Hair Loss Is Best Suited For This Wig?
-Sizing of Wigs
-Handtied vs. Wefted (open wefts/ closed wefts)
-French Top/ Natural Skin Top vs Lace Top
-Coloring Your Wigs
-Styling, How To Achieve Volume and Bounce in Your Wigs [click to continue…]
In 2016, with a crew of people involved, we filmed footage aimed towards destigmatizing women’s hair loss, to bring forward more awareness and understanding for women dealing with this devastating disorder – with the respect it deserves and love and compassion. Sadly, life threw me in many directions and I have never been able to have the time to work on releasing the footage. No time like the present. The content is never old, because hair loss is affecting someone every single day. Tomorrow, someone is going to wake up having to deal with this affliction.
In this segment I titled “Crippled With Hair loss” I discuss my lowest point of my hair loss, and also the deals or pacts I used to want to make with God, if I would be granted the reprieve of my hair falling out and having it grow back in. It will sound shocking to many people I know, but there was a time, that I often thought I’d easily swap my breasts or a kidney, for my hair. This is how deeply I, personally… was impacted, and it was a no brainer for me, since I could not see ANY life beyond hair loss.
I realize that sounds insane to many many people, but it is not insane to the person who is living in a prison of self loathing, despair and deep depression. Right now I’m imagining people wanting to slap me for saying that, but trust me when I say, it hurts to admit that, or know that’s how dark it got for me. I put this out there, because I do want women who feel this way to know, they aren’t alone. They aren’t crazy… and if you’ve seen the place I’ve reached in my own journey today, you will know… there is hope.
Now, thankfully I no longer have those thoughts anymore, and I would definitely not swap my breasts, kidneys or my toes for my hair. Now my hair comes out of a box and gets colored while I’m not even present. We can adapt and change.
I want to first write that I am not a fan of hair transplants for women, I personally
think that most women with androgenetic alopecia are NOT candidates for
this procedure. Having said that, I get emailed all the time from women looking
for a good hair transplant surgeon.
If you are deadset on having a consultation, please visit the International Alliance
of Hair Restoration Surgeons. The IAHRS (http://www.iahrs.org)
is an organization that selectively screens skilled and ethical hair transplant
surgeons. Read
my thoughts about hair transplants here.
Diane Williamson is a full time voice over talent professional for Fortune 500 companies, phone systems and also broadcast. She is a veteran hair wearer and deals with Alopecia Universalis (total hair loss, from eyebrows, eyelashes, to leg hair).
The journey to finding the right type of alternative hair for yourself takes time, whether it’s a topper or a wig. Much of this will not only be determined by our level of hair loss, but also our comfort level.
If you don’t know who the beautiful Sophie Hafner is, then you probably don’t follow me on 
In 2016, with a crew of people involved, we filmed footage aimed towards destigmatizing women’s hair loss, to bring forward more awareness and understanding for women dealing with this devastating disorder – with the respect it deserves and love and compassion. Sadly, life threw me in many directions and I have never been able to have the time to work on releasing the footage. No time like the present. The content is never old, because hair loss is affecting someone every single day. Tomorrow, someone is going to wake up having to deal with this affliction.
