podcast

I know it has been so long since I have posted, and so much also has happened. I am still struggling to really go deeply into it all, but I have made some posts on Instagram and a YouTube video to discuss what I have been dealing with this past year.

Long story super short. My father passed away last year, and I recently was diagnosed with a NEW type of hair loss. This is of course in addition to the hair loss I have had for 24 years – female pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia). I now also have a variant of alopecia areata. I see it referenced as Diffuse Alopecia Areata and also Alopecia Areata Incognita, I’m truly not sure if they are the same, but they are seemingly used interchangeably online. I had no idea it was possible to have more than one type of hair loss. Well, it is.

My body went through so much last year… SO much. My health suffered tremendously, and I share in the video some snapshots of how my face was looking during this time. This full on assault to my immune system is what is to be believed to have very likely triggered this episode of alopecia areata. It does run in my family, both of my brothers experienced patches of alopecia areata on their beards (now resolved), and I have a cousin in Panama who had alopecia areata on her scalp. It was there, just waiting…

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This episode of The Women’s Hair Loss Project podcast focuses on moving forward through hair loss, and what that looked like for me. I know a lot of women are in a place of feeling they will not be able to accept, they will not be able to live with hair loss – but you can, I know you can. I am living proof of that. 

I share different parts of my story and journey to let you know it took different things along the way to get me to the place I am today. 

Believing YOU CAN emotionally get past hair loss is so important.  Removing the fixed mentality that things have to be a certain way – that fixed mentality kept me stuck in my own prison for over a decade, till the one day things changed. I changed. My mindset changed. I learned I could be okay even though my hair wasn’t going to come back. I accepted my hair loss, I accepted what is, I accept wearing wigs.  I found a new way to live, and I found it when I was open to it. It was there along, but I wasn’t open to it. 

I sat down today to speak to you, to speak to the woman who needs to hear these words from the person who has lived through it, and who knows deeply all the emotions and feelings that hair loss brings with it. 

We don’t always feel like we have any choices, but we do. It’s not always the choices we want, but we do get choices. Those choices empower us, and bring us closer to reclaiming ourselves and our power.

When I stopped feeling like everything was happening to me, out of my control, without any say of my own whatsoever, and began to make the choices I needed to,  and take action over how I dealt with my hair loss – everything changed. 

To the person that needs to hear this today, there is hope.

Sending much love to all!
XOXO
~Y

Follow me on Instagram @whlpnetwork

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This episode is raw and personal.  In this podcast I share with you in more detail the cause of my hair loss, and provide a deeper look into my hair loss story/ journey. Last week I had posted a video on my YouTube Channel that was meant to really just share the cause of my of my hair loss, and open the dialogue for others to comment on the cause of theirs or if they didn’t know what the cause was, to share that too.

The link to the YouTube Video I spoke of in the podcast: What Caused My Hair Loss?

While I cannot advise what others should or should not do, I think there is benefit in sharing my story so that others can get a deeper look into a 21 year journey of hair loss, beginning at the age of 21,  and caused by the birth control pill Loestrin FE.  The podcast takes a few tangents, but my journey is like one giant tangent, so perhaps it works. I share some of my hair loss treatment regrets, and the things I tried over the years.  It took me a very long time to accept anything and get to the place I am at. It didn’t happen over night, and I think it’s important for others to know that, so they are more patient and kind and loving towards themselves when dealing in what can often seem like the impossible…. Hair loss. 

I post all over the place from YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and my Podcast, so I’m providing the links to all those, to make it accessible and easy for you to choose how you’d like to follow the things I post and share.

I hope everyone is staying safe.
Much Love to All !
XOXO
~Y

Follow me on Instagram: @whlpnetwork

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PRP / Exosomes - Podcast &was Day 3 Update

On May 8th I posted a podcast (Episode 9) titled “My PRP Journey Update and The Power In Decision/ Action.” I also recorded video with it, which is just a video recording of the podcast, and I will post that below, along with the video I made this morning providing my Day 3 update since having my PRP & Exosome treatment here locally in Los Angeles. 

If you’ve heard the podcast, you can skip down to the second video, but if you haven’t, I do think it’s worth hearing to understand my whole thought process that went into deciding to do this, before taking the step to shave my head. This way, down the line if I ever reference 1,2,3 – we can all be on the same page as to what I am referring to as it pertains to the system I had put in place years ago for myself, that made living and accepting my hair loss situation completely manageable, doable, and removed it [hair loss] from controlling my life — dismantling the power it had formerly held over me, prior to my 1, 2, 3 system. Okay fine,  if you just want the punchline… here it is:

1) Wearing wigs (allowed me the ability to look and feel like myself again). Critical.

2) Cutting my hair into a massively short cut (quite often shorter than most men’s hair cut in the back), basically buzzed at back/nape and longer in front to integrate with my wigs. That action also happened same year as I started to wear wigs (2012). Cutting most of my hair off did two things. One, shorter hair tends to look thicker and two, it allowed me to not see the majority of the shedding. Seeing the shed (to me) is ONE of the most debilitating aspects of dealing with hair loss.  My hair is so freaking short, there are no tangles… which means the fallen hair is likely gonna slide out right in the shower without my knowledge. Usually. Total Win.

3 ) Lastly, and quite important for myself… PRP therapy (started doing this in Nov 2019). PRP therapy didn’t grow all my hair back, but it reduced the shedding, and slowed the progression of my hair loss. This was important to me. I do like to utilize some of my hairline with my wigs to enable them to look more natural and I also enjoyed keeping as much hair on my head as my body would allow. So 1,2,3. That’s the system I had in place. For a longer deep dive into my mind saga please listen to the podcast. 

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Jan 1st of this year Ricki Lake came out to the world revealing her secret battle and struggle with hair loss that she had been dealing with for nearly 30 years. I met Ricki in 2012, she had joined my site, The Women’s Hair Loss Project, in search for help, support and understanding. We connected through hair loss. 

I am so honored to be able to be joined by Ricki from her home in Marina De Rey, for this episode of my podcast. It was an unbelievable privilege to sit down with her and listen to her tell her story as she shares how her hair loss started and takes us along for an inside and intimate look at what it was like dealing with hair loss while being in the public eye. 

She also shares some never before seen personal footage from from the day she shaved her head, and also snippets of documented clips from when she revealed to her boyfriend for the first time (after dating for 20 months) about her hair loss struggle. Spoiler alert, he embraced her with loving and open arms, as any good man would… for those women who are concerned about dating and hair loss. 

Ricki is truly a beacon of strength, and hope for others, and I am inspired by her courage to be able to step forward, and put a face (a very public face ) to this debilitating and devastating disorder that so many women like myself have had to deal with and often having to have done so suffering in silence.  Much love to Ricki ! And Much Love to All !
XOXO ~Y 

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Low Level Laser Light Therapy & PRP TherapyI am joined again by Joe Tillman, The Hair Transplant Mentor to discuss the validity of the Low Level Laser Light Therapy and PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) Therapy for the treatment of hair loss.

I have personally chosen to never try low level laser light therapy for my hair loss and discuss my reason for that, however, over the years I have heard some people say they received some benefit and others say they received none.

I have been doing PRP Therapy since Nov 2009 with Dr. Joseph Greco in Sarasota Florida. Side note, I live in Los Angeles and have chosen to take the trip from LA to Sarasota (with no direct flights) to see him every 4-5 months for this treatment (not sure thats the exact prescribed timeframe to go, but it’s what I felt made me feel most comfortable). I have personally have found value in this treatment, but like I mentioned above with LLLT, I’ve also heard from women who have felt they received no benefit at all. As with all therapies, our bodies are unique in how they respond, and if they respond at all.

Joe shares his knowledge and insight on these two very popular treatments often being promoted online. It’s important we have all the information needed before we can decide whether or not we want to try any hair loss treatment.

Follow me on Instagram: @whlpnetwork
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Joe Tillman - Women and Hair TransplantsFor this episode I am joined by Joe Tillman The Hair Transplant Mentor to discuss the topic of women and hair transplants and if women actually make good candidates for this procedure. It is my understanding based on my what I’ve read over the years, and also based on the experience I have with my own type of hair loss, female pattern baldness aka androgenetic alopecia, that women like myself are NOT candidates for hair transplant surgery. I wanted to dive deeper in to this topic and get the facts from an expert, so that women can be empowered and educated when making decision on treating their hair loss. 

While I wasn’t surprised to hear that in Joe’s opinion, 90% of women are not candidates for hair transplants, I got educated in learning about which procedure would be preferable for a woman if she was in fact a candidate, the controversial industry topic of Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) vs Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) for women’s hair restoration surgery

In this episode Joe will discuss all the reasons why 90% of women are not candidates, and he will also discuss the other 10% of women that could potentially be a viable candidate.

Follow me on Instagram: @whlpnetwork
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Diane Williamson - Alopecia UniversalisDiane 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 the  job 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.

Follow me on Instagram: @whlpnetwork
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Finding The Right Wig Takes Time - Women's Hair Loss Project Ep 3The 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.

Follow me on Instagram: @whlpnetwork

*Videocast Below*
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PromoArtIf 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.

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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
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