My Story by, Taylor, 17 Years Old

by Y on September 17, 2007

June 14th 2004. I bet I know what you’re thinking. “That’s when her hair started falling out” Right? Nope. That’s when I had my ability to walk taken away from me. It was a normal day, and I was training for a big national competition in Australia with my horse. I had been riding for 10 years before that day, and falling off was just another thing. No big deal. I had heard that you had a 2% chance of something going horribly wrong if you fell off a horse, and I’d never come away with anything more then a couple of bruises and some sore muscles until that day. I was now a paraplegic. Being faced with the fact that I would never walk again. Ever. That I would be completely dependant on a wheelchair for the rest of my life and have to learn all over again to do simple tasks like looking after myself. It was hard. Very hard. But not the hardest thing I’ve experienced.

Just before my 16th birthday, my hair began to fall out. Very slowly at first, just a few more stands then normal. But in the next week it became more and more noticeable. There would be hair on my pillow, in my sheets, stuck on my clothes, on the lounge, in the shower, absolutely everywhere. Handfuls of hair would painlessly and effortlessly come out just running my fingers through my hair. I used to sit on the bottom of the shower in shock, as I watched my hair run loose with the stream of water and watch the water rise as the hair covered the drain. I was petrified of brushing my hair. I wanted to keep the small amount of hair that I had left. I felt so ugly, so alone, like such a freak. I was a girl! A YOUNG girl. And here I was holding my hair in my hands crying and hoping to God that this was just a horrible, nasty dream.

But it wasn’t. It was real, and after a while I decided it had to go. I was sick of the torment of showers and having to brush knots out of my hair and end up brushing out hundreds of strands, having it cover the entire house and having no control over it. So I decided to shave my remaining hair off to raise money for the Leukemia Foundation of Australia. And you know what? I felt so much better. I felt in control for the first time in months, and it actually looked a lot better then the patchy hair I had left. A few months later I decided to start wheelchair sports, and immediately fell in love with track and road. I always wore my wig under my helmet and boy was it uncomfortable. Keep in mind that it gets to about 42 degrees celcius here in summer.

I met my boyfriend through my squad, and he has been my modern day knight in shining armor. He helped me see that there was nothing wrong with not having hair, and that it didn’t change me as a person. That it was only an aesthetic. I was still me, I just looked different. It was one of the hardest things when I first met him to tell him that I didn’t have any hair and that I wore a wig. I thought he would see me as a freak for wearing a wig or that I was ugly and diseased and tell everyone. But he didn’t. He actually didn’t care which was quite concerning for me. But he has been so supportive throughout my whole experience with Alopecia Totalis. After a month I even stopped wearing my wig to training.

I remember pulling up to the track and thought my heart was going to jump through my chest. I was so scared. I thought they would pull off my bandanna or question me, but no one really cared. It didn’t matter to them, and I think it’s helped me so much being around others in wheelchairs, because appearance don’t matter as much to us. We all have scars, some with disfigurement, missing limbs, burns etc. We can all see we’re the same person even if we look different; we just have a different shell so to speak.

I know what you’re thinking. How could losing your hair be harder then never being able to walk again? Because so many people see long, flowing locks of hair as a definition of beauty, femininity, and sexiness. So many people express their identity and personality through hair length, style and color. It’s like losing a part of you. But it’s really not. It’s just hair. You’re still you. You’re still beautiful, and so many people admire your strength and courage for your strength in adversity. It really isn’t that bad once you see that there is nothing wrong with the way you look. And what is sexiness anyway? A tall, thin woman with beautiful long hair? I think not. Sexiness to me is a girl or woman who feels 100% comfortable with herself. Someone who knows she’s beautiful. Who smiles all the time because she feels great.

Look on the bright side. You get to sleep in longer because you don’t have to spend FOREVER styling your hair, your showers are quick because you don’t have to shampoo and condition and you save money on hair dye, hair dressers, gels, waxes, hair sprays, brushes etc.

You’re still you, and you’re even more beautiful then you were before.

*******************************************************************

Taylor, Thank you so much for sharing your story!!! If you also would like to share your story, send it to: women@womenshairlossproject.com

You Can Read My Hair Loss Story Here

Read Julie’s Story

{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }

Jess September 17, 2007 at 7:33 am

I love this girl, she is my inspiration.

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julie September 17, 2007 at 8:03 am

Elle, I absolutely love your picture because you have this “I’m fearless” look on your face. We all tend to develop that look when we’ve trudged our way through the muddy pits of adversity. One of my favorite phrases, “When God closes one door, another opens, even if there’s hell in the hallway.” ๐Ÿ™‚ We will have good days when we feel so blessed and everything is going our way, until something else happens. We grow stronger and it makes us humble, human and happy at the end.

Thank you for sharing your story, I love your attitude!

Stay strong!

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Mona September 17, 2007 at 10:07 am

You’ve dealt with so much and are so strong, I read your story over and over trying to have some of your strength rub off on me: ) thank you.

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Mira September 18, 2007 at 2:28 am

Elle,
You are a truly inspirational and beautiful woman. I am a woman in my mid-30s and have dealt with gradually thinning hair due to androgenetic alopecia for the last 10-12 years. At times it has made me feel sad and insecure and has affected my life (e.g. not jumping into an inviting ocean because hair loss obvious when wet!) but as I grow older(and my hair gets thinner) it upsets me less. I am not defined by my hair and even if I chose to define myself by something as superficial as looks, I know that I am still a beautiful woman with or without the dead protein on my head. If I feel like looking like Amy Winehouse once in a while, I can always wear a fabulous wig. If I consider all the money I’ve saved on hair products, I can surely afford a posh one! Take care and keep smiling..
PS for all you girls who are worried about hair loss vs romance, I am married to a lovely man who first knew me when I had a beautiful mane of hair and still thinks I’m gorgeous. Hair is nothing, attitude and who you are inside is everything!

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admin September 18, 2007 at 7:05 pm

Hi Mira –

How did your husband react when you first started to lose your hair? I imagine he probably felt helpless and wanted to try and help you. You are very lucky to have found such a wonderful supportive person to share your life with. You are right attitude IS everything. I constantly try and put things into perspective and I always ask myself.. why why why is it so important that you are letting this run your life and in essence steal years away from you. Years I will never get back, it’s already taken so much from me. The answers are always different. I’ve already spent the last 8 years of my life in partial seclusion. I do go out, but many times I avoid it entirely because of my hair loss. Not exactly how I had planned to spend my twenties.

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Elle September 19, 2007 at 10:12 pm

Hi Mira,

That’s so wonderful that your husband is so supportive for you during such an emotional time in your life. It really goes to show just how much a little support goes a long way and can change your view entirely.

Admin, I understand your difficulty with avoiding certain things because of your hairloss. It is approaching summer down here in Australia, so I’m now faced with the problem of swimming. Not by myself but around friends and their families. To wig or not to wig?
I have about a weeks worth of regrowth which is now already starting to fall out again. Alopecia is definitely a roller coaster ride of emotions.

Does anyone know the effect of chlorine and salt water on already such fragile hair?

Elle.

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admin September 19, 2007 at 11:09 pm

Hi Elle –

First off thank you for sharing your story and picture with everyone, you are a vision of beauty and inspiration to all women. Hair loss certainly is a roller coaster. Do you feel comfortable when you are wearing your wig? I’ve never wore one myself, so I’ve wondered how they feel on your head. As you wear it throughout the day do you get used to it and forget you have it on?

I’m so sorry to hear that your new regrowth is starting to fall out, I hope you are doing okay.

As far as the chlorine and salt water… my understanding is that since alopecia areata and alopecia totalis are autoimmune disorders, where your body is basically rejecting your hair, salt water and chlorine should not affect the hair follicles which lie beneath the scalp. The chlorine itself can affect the quality of hair like it would for anyone, even people without hair loss, but to my knowledge it doesn’t affect hair growth in anyway. Thats my guess, although I’m not 100% sure.

Happy thoughts and positive thinking, thats what I try to always tell myself. Like you mentioned hair loss is a crazy emotional ride. Some days I’m better than others in thinking those “happy thoughts,” and some days I wonder what I did to deserve this torture that has been thrust upon me. But like I’ve written in some of my others posts, we are so much stronger than we give ourselves credit for. We are able to endure and to adapt. Had you shown me a picture 8 years ago of myself right now, with my advanced hair loss, I don’t know how I could have dealt. I never imagined I would be where I am today. I never thought it would get THIS bad. But I’ve rolled with it over the years, the hardest ones being these last couple. I hope that I will be strong enough to make choice I’ve been thinking about for quite sometime… to get off the medications I’ve been taking so long, the medications that have me feel like a prisoner to them… and shave my head. Be done with it. Begin the new me, one without so much pain, suffering and worry about what tomorrow will bring. I don’t want to fear the shower. I don’t want to be afraid of the mirror. I want myself back.

-Y.

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Elle September 20, 2007 at 1:39 am

Hi Y,

Yes, I am relatively comfortable while wearing my wig. It’s very comfortable while sitting up, but wearing it while lying down is just torture. You do tend to forget about it throughout the day, it’s just weird having hair in your face after being bald for so long.

I understand your desire so shave your head. I felt the same way. I just hated being tortured by my own body that I just decided it really had to go. Like I said in my story, I really did feel better. It was quite therapeutic. My family did not understand at all, they didn’t get that I was so upset about losing my hair and then deciding to get rid of it all on my own, but I guess it’s just a thing you need to experience to understand.

In the end it really is your decision. I’m sure you’ll look absolutely beautiful whichever way you choose to go ๐Ÿ™‚

Elle.

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admin September 20, 2007 at 6:22 am

Hi Elle –

Family. That is a definitely a concern for me when I think about shaving my head, I don’t think they would understand. Yes, family is suppose to love you unconditionally, and they would still love me, but I don’t think they would be very supportive of that decision. As it is they don’t really get the suffering I endure, I put on a happy face when I’m around them and I don’t talk about what is going on with my hair loss. I used to, but it never made me feel better so I just stopped and kept my thoughts to myself. This would be quite a shock for them. I was talking about this with my fiance yesterday. If we were to move to a new city I place where no one knew me, I would feel less apprehensive about shaving my head, after all anyone that meets me will have seen me the “new” way and only that way. But where I am now, more than my family, there is everyone else… people that know me and would think I lost my mind. Why do I care? I don’t know, but sadly I do. I’m trying to work on that, not caring so much about what others think and realizing life is more than hair, it’s {life} out there, right now going on while I sit inside and live my protected life inside the walls of my house.

There has to be a change in me, a point where I let go. Let go of the struggle. I’m searching myself daily to find that. Part of that is relating to others and learning from them as they learn from me. so that is why I wanted to start this site, to provide a deeper level of compassion and understand to women suffering with hair loss. A lot of women are early in hair loss where they still have options for treatment and I want to help them find the right answers and resources and not be misled by incompetent doctors, not waste years and money as I did. But for myself, I’ve already been treating for 8 years and I’m tired. Whatever hair loss I warded off with the meds has now all been lost and then some. I can’t treat my hair anymore. What will be will be, I need to treat my soul, my mind, something I should have done a long time ago.

-Y.

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Mira September 20, 2007 at 6:34 am

Ladies,

To answer your question on how my husband reacted.. He wasn’t my husband then, he was my boyfriend and it took me a long time to even be able to talk about it with him. It took me a long time to even talk about it with my girlfriends! Taking part in, “my bum’s too big’ type conversations when all you want to do is scream out “but I’m going bald and that beats everything!”, I’m sure you know how that feels. One day, I just said to him, “look, you realise that I’m going to be bald one day and are you going to be able to handle that in the future” and he said told me not to be an idiot and asked me whether I was going to be able to handle the fact that he was probably going to lose his six-pack and develop a beer belly. I said “yes” and he said “likewise” and that was the end of that! What he hates is when I lose confidence and then don’t go out/enjoy myself/look after myself. I think he believes and I do too (now!) that you are as gorgeous as you feel.

Y, please don’t waste any more of your precious youth and life by being sad about hair!!!! I’m saying this to you as someone who has gone through the same thing, as someone who checks out the overhead lighting wherever she goes, who hasn’t gone swimming in a public pool for years, as someone who feels envy and sadness everytime she sees a woman with beautiful hair, who stands in front of a mirror for hours before going out, carefully flicking strands of hair around to acheive better scalp coverage, who said to her beautician on her wedding day “I don’t care about make up, clothes, or anything else, just try and make sure my hair looks OK!” Please go out and enjoy life and thanks a million for starting this website as it’s so good to be able to talk about these things. Hugs.

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admin September 20, 2007 at 6:51 am

Hi Mira –

Your husband sounds so wonderful, I’m so happy for you to have found someone so special. I also very lucky to have the same support and a man who loves me for me. He is ready with the shaver in hand to start me new look ๐Ÿ™‚ He also hates when I stay home or frequently decline going out because I’m embarrassed of how I look. I’m constantly touching my head to make sure every hair is evenly spread back in my pathetic ponytail. Having to repeatedly fix it because after a few minutes the large hair parts split all around my head revealing shining bald areas. I pick restaurants based on their overhead lighting, and when I do go out I always end up going to the darkest one. I like the ones with candles where you can barley see your food ๐Ÿ™‚ sweet relief, I may be eating something unsavory that landed in my plate but I least no one is looking at my hair. I am right there with you on the swimming pool. The last time I went in a pool was in 2002, it was still after my hair loss but back then I could still get away with looking like I had “naturally thin” hair.

I don’t want to waste my life, as I already have done. Tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone, life could take another unexpected turn at any moment. I’m working on trying to change. Thanks for your support, and for being a part of the site. It helps me to read everyone else’s thoughts and stories, so I know it must help other women as well… and that makes me happy.

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Mira September 20, 2007 at 8:28 am

Just wanted to share an inspirational wedding-hair story! I chose my beautician for the day based on a story he told me. One of his previous clients had so little hair that he spent 7 hours DRAWING hair on her head. Apparently she looked great on her wedding day and looked like a traditional asian bride. For the second wedding party, held at her groom’s home, she shaved her head and wore a wig and in the middle of the dance floor, she ripped the wig off, threw it aside, and carried on partying and having a great time. The consternation among the wedding guests turned to admiration for the beautiful, bald bride! Isn’t that a great story? On a practical note, I have seen scalp dyes advertised on the internet (to minimize shine, disguise scalp). has anyone tried these?

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julie September 20, 2007 at 9:22 am

Where the heck are you women finding these wonderful men in your lives??? The men I meet get so scared when I tell them about my situation and I never hear back! Is it the men in the US? In Chicago? I’ve tried the online dating game and have met someone, so far so good. But I can’t understand why some men are just such cowards, unable to face a real woman. We are so much stronger, fiercer, smarter and determined than most.

I am so proud of everyone and happy for everyone on this forum. Sharing the pain, the emotions…sometimes I can’t help but read and cry!

I am at a point where I am comfortable with wig wearing even though its limiting my active lifestyle. I want to sit in a hot tub! I want to go swimming in the pool at my local gym. I wish I could go skydiving or bungee jumping and feel the wind through my hair, not rip it out! I want to shave my head and see if this new guy will still accept me for who I am. I don’t want to waste my emotions and time or energy with someone that cannot accept it. I can’t start a relationship like this and its torturing me. Getting close and intimate scares me the most…

Aside from the relationship, I recently got laid off and the stress is causing my hair to fall out even more. I’m job hunting now and am nervous about interviewing because of the wigs. I’m confident about my skills and would love to get a good job…I’d rather win the lottery and stay at home! LOL ๐Ÿ™‚ Wearing the wig during interviews makes me so self-conscious, I feel like they’re staring at my head instead of picking my brain! Any suggestions?

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admin September 20, 2007 at 11:30 am

Hey Julie –

I’m so sorry you got laid off, its horrible having sudden changes like that happen in our lives at any moment, but more so when you are dealing with hair loss.
What type of wigs do you wear? I’ve seen some that look incredibly natural, even in person. There are a lot of orthodox Jewish families in my neighborhood and, as most people already know, orthodox Jewish women wear wigs as part of their religion. I can only tell because I’m looking closely from behind and the wigs sometimes lay a little different in the back if they are wearing a shorter style wig. But from the front, wow, they look darn good. The hair is of such good quality.

As far as detraction from have your prospective employers look at your head during the interview, I’d dress real sharp, put on makeup perfectly and just wow them with your obvious intelligence and genuine desire to help others. I’m not sure what industry you work in, but I’m sure you’ll do great out there in the interviewing world.

I’d like to win the lottery too, only I don’t play ๐Ÿ™‚ Makes it kind of hard huh?

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julie September 20, 2007 at 12:35 pm

Thanks for your advice! I think i’ll wear a black suit and some pretty eyeshadow to direct their attention to my eyes. I’m do marketing/sales in the beauty industry and I’m also a Realtor. We always deal with the public so its quite difficult to concenrate on people when you are already so self-conscious. Its so difficult to find work nowadays and I know competition is so fierce in any industry. Sometimes, I just wish I could stay home and read or write books all day!

I always dream of winning the lottery. It would be nice to! ๐Ÿ™‚

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Elle September 20, 2007 at 10:56 pm

Julie,

I don’t know how myself or others have found such wonderful partners. They really are a dying breed, but I always thought to myself that when it came to dating I was glad that I was different. Both with the wheelchair and hair loss. Why? Because it weeds out the jerks right there and then. Something like hairloss really shows who are worth pursuing and who not to bother with. Yes it means you MAY have fewer relationships, but it saves a lot of heart ache and then a loss of esteem and confidence from breakups over something as ridiculous as hair loss. ๐Ÿ™‚

Elle.

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Mira September 21, 2007 at 3:37 am

Julie,

You’re so beautiful that all anyone is going to be looking at is your face. Good luck with finding a new job, I am sure with your courage and determination, it will not take you long to do so.

I too want to have the courage to shave my head ( it would be so much cooler to bungee jump without bits of hair flying in your face) and keep thinking of sinead ‘o’ conner, skunk anansie and how great they looked. By the way, just came across this website ๐Ÿ™‚

http://www.wiw.org/~jess/archives/2007/02/19/eight-bald-women/

I think my plan for the furure is, shave my head, have great tattoo on my head, and have a fabulous wig for when I feel like having hair.

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admin September 21, 2007 at 6:51 am

Great Link, all those women look absolutely fabulous with shaved heads, all except the one that has a digital conehead ๐Ÿ™‚ As I look at the pictures I think, whats so wrong with that. Nothing is. Of course it should be considered a crime for Demi Moore to shave her hair because its so darn gorgeous. All it is, is finding the courage to do it, to DO SOMETHING. I’d love to have a page on this site just dedicated to women who do shave their heads or just wear their hair loss proudly, so that it can inspire other women who have gone through the treatment gamut such as myself and come out the other end exhausted and still losing hair, to take back themselves. It’s hard finding that place down deep, to realize as you have said before, we are more than the dead protein on our heads and to not allow hair loss and all the suffering it brings to penetrate our minds and job of us living. I often feel I exist, but I’m certainly not living.

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julie September 21, 2007 at 8:19 am

To shave or not to shave…wig or no wig! Everyday, I make a choice. Somedays I look and it leads to inspections, checking for new growth or more shedding. The torture of shampooing gives me nightmares…one dream consisted of shampooing my hair in the shower and it all fell off when I rinsed. I wait for those days, just so I don’t hold the razor and do it myself…It would feel too much like suicide, and that’s a familiar feeling back from the days I fell hard into depression and the downward spiraling of that reality. Maybe, as a form of suicide, I would be killing off the dead protein, the part of me that kills me. It would be a metaphorical action, to kill off something already dead in order to revive and bring myself back to life. Instead of pushing it to the back of my consciousness to remain and often peek its ugly head to nag me…maybe, just maybe…the shave will feel like i’m taking a breath of fresh air for the first time. How nice the water would feel against my skin…or the wind blowing over me.

Whatever job or boyfriend I end up with…it’s only because of everyone of you that have read and written the stories that bring us together…it’s the pain that affects us all. The voices and comraderie of our souls…the soothing nature of the written word…the uplifting beauty of positivity and the glorious strength we possess…all have been encapsulated into the best “pill” on the market! Without the support of every woman…I wouldn’t feel as confident. Today, I’m trying on another wig I purchased that I haven’t taken out of the bag. I had to name it first…when I change my look, I change my name…it can be so fun and therapuetic to be someone else for a change…

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Mira September 24, 2007 at 2:08 am

Hear, hear to that. I check this website every day, it is my daily pep pill! To be able to share experiences with women who are going through the same thing is so therapeutic. The worse thing about hair loss is that you can feel so alone. I have many female friends who have the usual weight, wrinkles, waxing (! – oh how I would kill to have too much hair) type complaints but none who are losing the hair on their head. It’s so difficult to talk about it as the last thing I want to do is have anyone (even people I love) starting at my head and agreeing that I have a problem. So thanks again to everyone who is part of this forum, you are a great source of stregth to me!

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Helen September 25, 2007 at 9:06 pm

After years of driving myself crazy, using all sorts of products, including polysorbate 80, on my hair, I got a wig. The woman was wonderful, she put me at my ease and came in with styles and wigs that she felt would work. I kept with my natural hair color, very dark brown. It was 1987 and I was 49. Some of my hair showed at the sides of my face and under the back of the wig. That added to the natural look. About five years later, I was fully coloring my hair, my problem was on top, and decided to try a wiglet. I had a beautician cut my hair to fit and she showed me how to use it. Wiglets are lighter than wigs and you feel better because more of your hair is uncovered. The color of my dye and the color of their dye matched perfectly. Now I am 69 and almost a year ago decided to stop coloring, even tho I knew getting a match would be difficult. After several mistakes, one too dark, one too light, to be put away for the future, I have found something that is fairly close. When I went for a haircut today, the girl did not know I had a wiglet on until I began taking it off. She was nice enough to cut my wiglet to match my haircut.

Sure I would like to feel the wind in my hair, tho I don’t swim anymore. But I have gotten used to wearing it, you do not notice it, for the most part, during the day. If a stiff wind comes up, like so many other women, I just hold on to the top of my head. Haven’t lost one yet!

It was difficult when I became a widow and had to tell the new man in my life about my hair, but it fazed him not one whit. And if it would have, then it would have been good riddance to bad rubbish.

You don’t need to go out bald, cover it up. It is something we use, just like a bra. Think of being my age and going braless with my DD cup!

If you can afford it, get a human hair wig. It can be cut, styled, colored as you wish. It will move in the wind, and, surprisingly you will feel it. Your head becomes sensitive, and while it is not like your own, it is a heck of a lot better than nothing.

Helen

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admin September 25, 2007 at 9:33 pm

Hi Helen- Welcome to the site! I loved your story so much I had to make a special post for it on the main page so it will be easier for other women to find and read. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and positive outlook on using wigs and wiglets.

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Rebecca September 5, 2008 at 2:51 pm

Elle,
I just wanted to thank you. Reading your story has helped me put some things in persective. You’re a truly strong and beautiful woman, and I wish that I had half of your confidence.
Thanks,
Rebecca

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Jerrie September 13, 2008 at 10:28 pm

I just joined the site, and am exploring different areas. I happened across this page and I just had to post and say that I love my shaved head. It took me a while to get here, and did not happen overnight. I cried, complained and blamed the world when my hair started falling out. I tried Rogaine – it gave me headaches and did nothing for the balding. I used wigs and hats, but working with special needs children who, when they found out my ‘hair’ came off my head, made it a point to pull my wig off at least once a day in the classroom and I was looking more and more like Friar Tuck with my little ring of hair surrounding my huge bald patch on the top of my head.

So, I started wearing the caps last year. At the end of the school year, I found out I was pre-menopausal, and started having hot flashes. The hats bugged the living crap out of me, so, one day on my way home from work, I stopped at Wal-Mart, bought a 4 blade men’s razor & the largest can of shaving cream for sensitive skin I could find, went home and shaved off what hair was left on my head. It was such a release!!! I was finally in control of what my head looked like… and my husband loves it! He says I have channeled my inner ‘Kojak’.

Sure I get looks when we go out, and I have had people ask me what is wrong with me. I tell them nothing, and go on with my day. The ones who are more persistent, like the lady who approached me while I was out with my husband celebrating his birthday, and asked me if I had had brain surgery, I explained that I had alopecia. She asked what that was; I took the time to explain it to her. She responded with ‘well, couldn’t you wear a wig or a hat or something?’ My response to her was that I preferred the natural look, and wished her a nice day!

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aniqah September 28, 2008 at 8:58 am

Dear Elle,

Thank you so much for putting your story up. It truly has helped me.
Your story made me cry . You are a true inspiration and an amazing role model to other girls and women out there.

Thank you

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Piyu June 10, 2009 at 6:50 pm

Hi Elle,
Thanks for that wonderful story. You actually brought tears to my eyes. I am still crying trying to write this. Thanks God its lunch time at work and no one is watching me..
Your story just made me realise what I have got and why am I spending so much time lamenting over the lost hair. I am a successfull women of 30 yrs with a very supportive husband (who tells me to stop worrying about the hair and not be so bothered) and 2 beautiful kids and thinning hair for nearly 12 yrs.
Like all the others, I’ve spend a lot of money on various treatments and lotions and doctors. And lots and lots of hours worrying about the hair loss.
Recently a dermatologist prescribed me Aldactone and researching on that, I came to this site. I am moved by your story.. truly inspirational. May god give me the strength to shave my head if the need be.

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Maeve February 21, 2010 at 8:20 pm

Thank you so much for this story and the inspiration you provide. My hair just started falling out last month and has gotten significantly thinner in that short amount of time. I find myself avoiding brushing my hair in fear of seeing how much comes out and it has caused serious depression and stress. I finally went to a doctor last week and am getting blood tests done this week.

Reading your story helped me feel a little better about it. You are so brave and strong.

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Crystal April 4, 2010 at 6:28 pm

Inspirational stories by all. It is great to know there are so many strong and capable women out there going through the same thing I am.
My hair started falling out last August, I posted my full story under another forum, but I have a question for any readers. I don’t know the extent of anyone else’s hair loss, but mine is horrifying. I dread showering and never run my fingers through my hair, becuase when I do it feels like it is coming out almost in chunks, that’s how many strands come out. That is all partt of my struggle, but my question is, where or what do you ladies do when your remaining hair gets too long. I have not had a hair cut now since June, because since August even thinking about having another person witness the horror that is combing my wet hair, is mortifying. Do you ladies cut your own hair? What do you do?
-Crystal

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Lexi May 19, 2010 at 4:57 pm

I just stumbled across this site today researching about hair loss in women. I am in the early stages of losing my hair. So early, I JUST had a scalp biopsy done. I’m nervous about the results, but I am pretty sure I know what’s going on. It’s been really tough, but it’s relieving to read about others that have gone through it or are currently going through it. I want to bring back my self- esteem. I lost it back when I first starting losing my hair a little more than a year ago when I was around 16. Being in high school and dealing with hair loss is the worst thing I have ever gone through. But I know that I will get through it. I have tons of support from family. If I only had the guts to tell my peers…If I ever find a cure, I’ll letcha know ๐Ÿ™‚

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prerna January 21, 2011 at 1:14 am

hii,,,

we all learn a lesson from you. I m also going through this , but i see some light , I wanna give you a solution which i am getting benefit of , do prayanam its form of yoga ,i left all medicine , see some hair growing back still i loss hair alomost 40 a day , but growth is noticeable. only in month plz try this….and belive me in 6 month you get back wat u lost , in india many has cure the diseases like cancer .and HIV , so try this …..

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