by Y on September 1, 2007
My mom made a comment to me earlier today that it seems that nowadays everywhere she looks she sees people losing their hair. She says it’s much more prevalent nowadays than when she was growing up. Well, I have a different take on that. First, let me go off on a tangent and say that my mom is also experiencing hair loss, hers started after menopause. I only wish I was that lucky to have made it past 50. I would seal that deal today if you told me I could enjoy the next twenty one years of my life with a full head of hair and then at the stroke of midnight on my 50th birthday all my hair would fall out. I realize it’s devastating at any age, whether you are in your twenties, thirties, forties, fifties and beyond, but I feel its harder when you are in what is suppose to be the “prime of your life” and instead you spend your days locked away in your house because you feel ashamed of how you look.
Anyways, back to what I started to talk about regarding my mom’s beliefs that nowadays hair loss is more prevalent in women than back in “her time” as she puts it. I think that is partially true. [click to continue…]
I recently read about this organization called “Bald Girls Do Lunch” after reading an article in the Desert News. Bald Girls Do Lunch is founded by Thea Chassin who has had alopecia universalis since 1997. Chassin lives in New York and for the past five years has been a support group leader for alopecia areata. She deals with women, men and children of all ages. From the beginning, Bald Girls Do Lunch was created as a non profit organization that was devoting all its resources to the emotional and practical needs of women with alopecia areata.
Their website states:
Bald Girls Do Lunch supports women with alopecia areata — an auto-immune skin condition which causes the partial or total loss of hair on the scalp, brows, lashes and body. We are a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of women living with the challenges of this condition.
How do we help? We recognize that too many women are feeling very alone with this condition. We bring them together for small and intimate lunches where they can discuss with each other whatever’s on their minds.
• We hold workshops with wig makers to understand wig types , how they are made and which ones suit our lifestyles
• We hold classes with a master make-up artist
• We provide tips and guidance for learning how and when to discuss this condition with family, lovers and friends
This is such an amazing concept and organization. They have the following upcoming lunch locations
Pasadena, CA – Septemeber 9, 2007
New York Special Event – October 7, 2007
Scottsdale, AZ – October 13, 2007
More information can be found on their website http://www.baldgirlsdolunch.org
So how did I get here? I find myself asking myself that very same question on a daily basis. The year 1999 was the year that forever changed my life. My hair loss began after having stopped taking the birth control pill Loestrin FE. Later I found out that it is or at least was, an extremely high androgen index pill. Who knew? Certainly not me and certainly not my gynecologist who prescribed it to me.
So the following months after I stopped the pill my hair began to shed and shed like crazy. It was all over the place and coming out what seemed to be by the handfuls. I tried to find answers online, but I found nothing. I went to so-called “hair experts” also known as dermatologists who aren’t any wiser than the other dermatologists, but just know how to capitalize on the vulnerability of women. They were of no help either. Blood work… within normal levels. I felt frustrated that I couldn’t point to it on a paper and say “ah ha that’s it, my estrogen is low” or “there it is, I need more iron.” There simply was no explanation. I should point out that I also saw very expensive “hair experts” who told me I wasn’t losing my hair. What? Like they would know better than me, I’ve only live in this body… umm forever. Of course if I revisited those same doctors today they wouldn’t be telling me that now. This certainly isn’t one of those instances where you want to be right and say “I told you so.”
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What is The Women’s Hair Loss Project? Well, the women’s hair loss project is just an idea I thought of whilst feeling horribly sad and depressed about my own hair loss situation. I have been dealing with this for over 8 years and I’m not even 30 yet. I knew if there was a place where I could read about the daily dealings of another women with hair loss that I would. It would help me to feel not so alone. So here it is, The Women’s Hair Loss Project. Feel free to write to me with your own stories if you would like to have them shared with the readers. Part of me hesitated when I thought about whether or not I should do this, thinking it would cause me to focus even more on my suffering. But, then I realized that isn’t even possible, this consumes me and eats away at me everyday. Maybe sharing will be healing.
