I have alopecia and have lost 50% of the hair on my head in the last 18 months. It is so bad that I can't hide it well anymore. I'm to the point that I want to just shave my pretty red hair and be done with it. I have tried Biotin pills, stressing relieving methods, and time. You will probably say just go to the dr but it isn't that easy. The dermatologist will want to do steroid shots in my scalp and that is not just painful but excusiating (and I gave birth without pain meds and that didnt hurt that bad). These are also very expensive and insurance wont cover them. I guess I'm just trying to vent but I'm really starting to get more and more down about this issue.
Well I decided to get a haircut Friday. My hair dresser was able to cut it and style it without showing any spots. I go to the dermatologist today to see if anything can be done. If I start having spots that show then I will shave the rest of my hair but until then I just deal with what I have. Thank you all so much for the great encouragement and advise.
Dear J., Please don't give up. You have beautiful hair. Can you get a flattering hair cut. My friend has alopecia and gets a great haircut each month. No one knows that she has alopecia. She looks great (also because she has a great smile.). In short, you are beautiful. Work with what you have. Buy a new lipstick, a fantastic shirt or dress. (there are some great last minute summer sales...)
HTH. GL. Jilly
Is this a redhead thing? Because you ladies are making me nervous!
I love what one of the other women said, shave it and ROCK IT!! There are very few women who can really rock a shaved head, but every single one of them who does, does it because they have CONFIDENCE and that's SEXY! Yeah, you could always go get a wig (I would try to match it to your natural color), but I think that if I was in your shoes, I would shave it and be beautiful with it. I'm a relatively vain person, but I'm also very self confident... You need to know that no matter what, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! Plus, think of how much fun you'll have shopping for pretty hats and scarves (I love scarves!)
Embrace it. Be your own beautiful self... and best wishes with whatever you decide to do :)
I've shaved my head several times and there were many things I loved about it. For instance I loved how sensitive my scalp was to being touched without all that hair in the way. My boyfriend used to massage my head while we watched tv together. I loved not having to worry about what kind of hair day I was having, I was always having the same hair day. I have NEVER at any other time in my life gotten as much attention from men as I did when I was bald. I don't know if was a confidence thing or if I was getting their attention because a bald woman isn't something you often see but I got hit on all the time.
I know my case was different because I chose to be bald but even if you don't choose it you can still enjoy it.
I would go ahead and shave it. I have worn my head shaved for a long time and LOVED it. Many men told me they thought is was sexy too!
And ok, it's not quite by choice in your case, BUT it is incredibly liberating.
If you don't quite want to shave it all, consider getting a supershort pixie cut. Very cute.
Good luck!
I would. Shave it and go wild on hats. I lost so much hair after my first child that i got a razor short cut. That way i did not see all the hair falling out, and i stopped suffering so much from losing my (also red) hair. It took years for it to grow back. There was a backlash after my second child. But it is back to what it was now, long and tick. I do not ever use shampoo, but a natural mineral cleanser, a paste that you make with vulcanic mineral soil and water. Keeps my scalp healthy and makes my hair thick. But it doesn't work for everyone. I couldn't get it in the US and shipped it from Europe (e.g. Lavaerde, Tautropfen Wascherde, etc).
Anyway, my most imporant message is: cut or shave it, to give yourself a break from this terrible feeling of tufts of hair going out....
good luck!
D.
I'm so sorry!! So much of our self image is tied up in hair! One of my friends had alopecia and lost her hair pretty quickly in large clumps and no amount of haircutting can hide the handfuls of hair that are gone. She too shaved her head. She tried wigs -they itched like crazy- She tried lots of different kinds of shampoos....there are some for alopecia people. A couple worked well for her. But shaving her head was the best thing, and then she wore lots of flattering hats and scarves.
Your confidence comes from the beautiful person you are! The hair is just a component to you beauty, not the entire thing. Hold your beautiful head up high and take the world by the horns!
Her hair did eventually grow back. And it grew back even fuller and thicker than before. She also got out of every speeding ticket since people thought she had cancer.
((((HUG!!)))))
so sorry! I'm a hairstylist and before you shave your head, try something new.
I would get a cute shorter cut, with graduated layers to add some bulk (as opposed to layering which will make it thinner), and add in some highlights on top of your red hair. The highlights serves as an optical illusion that creates depth and it also adds some texture as well that can help with styling and teasing.
(ps, I have shaved my head before, like GI Jane!)
Good luck! We had a few clients in the salon that had this as well and resorted to wearing a wig once it got really bad. Some wigs are surprisingly comfortable and natural looking, though they are a little more expensive than the fashion wigs you will find in the mall.
I am sorry to hear your frustration and I can't imagine what that would feel like. Have you tried wigs? I see some gorgeous wigs out there (a gal I work with has super short hair so she wears wigs to change it up) maybe it would be fun to try one that is the same color as your natural hair or be exotic and try something sexy or out of character?
The good news is that with or without hair you are still beautiful, smart, and fun and no hairsyle can take that away!
I'm sorry this is happening to you. It is so hard to deal with our self-image issues when everything is perfect. One diffiult thing about alopecia is that it feels out of your control. It is taking hair away from you. You could take control of it and beat it to the punch by shaving it yourself. No, that doesn't fix the problem, but at least you're in control, you know?
Have you tried wigs? Bandanas? Have you contacted a support group? Surely the dermatologist has some reccomendations. I know Locks Of Love provides wigs to people with alopecia, though there is a cost, I believe.
Again, I'm sorry you're going throug this. I personally would just shave my head and be done with it, then move into wigland.
Good luck to you.
My insurance did cover the Kenalog shots and they works great the first go 'round a few yrs ago, but last year nothing :-(
To add insult to injury, my hair is graying sooooo fast! And both times I tried to have it colored tons of hair came out. I have put on so much weight and yet blood work is "normal". Not loving the graying, but don't want to be balding either, so for now gray will be the way lol! Don't let it consume you, it doesn't help...trust me! Best of Luck!
