I am about to turn 46 years old and my alopecia started when I was just 18. At the time I had gorgeous long blonde wavy hair down to my waist which everyone always commented on. It began with two small patches at the nape of my neck and because I was at dance college and was required to wear my hair up in a tight bun for ballet every day, the doctors blamed it on this and told me not to pull my hair up so tightly.
I knew it wasn’t due to this, as the patches were so neat and completely bald, and they would itch like crazy. I was really upset and very self-conscious and started to wear my hair in a very low bun, but I knew people could still see it. I would frequently cry on my Mum’s shoulder as I thought it would affect my chances of getting a dancing job when I left college. Wrong or right, I knew that my chosen profession was centred around looking good.
CAUSED BY STRESS?
After about a year, the hair had started growing back. I was so happy and relieved but unfortunately, this wasn’t to last. Tragically, my mother was in a fatal accident and passed away on my graduation day. Very soon after, I noticed the patches appearing again but this time they were bigger. The doctors now blamed it on stress and grief. I guess I was lucky in the fact that the patches were right at the base of my neck and with my hair down, you really couldn’t see them. I got a dancing job on the cruise ships, where they provided all the dancers with long curly banana clip wigs which, to my delight, completely covered my patches!
I managed to hang onto most of my hair throughout my dancing career with a few bald patches that were easily hidden but over the last 15 years, the patches have spread over the rest of my head and have all joined up making me completely bald. In desperation, I have tried all sorts of remedies ranging from steroid injections in my scalp to very expensive treatment courses at a well-known hair loss clinic, but nothing has ever really helped. I even got a cow to lick my head once as I’d heard that this could help!
COULD IT BE HEREDITARY?
I’ve found out that my maternal grandfather suffered from alopecia and that mine is hereditary. He died when I was very young, and no one ever knew he had alopecia as he always shaved his head! Ironically, I seem to be getting hairier everywhere else and spend a lot of time shaving, epilating, and plucking hairs from places they have no place to be, go figure!
I don’t think I will ever really come to terms with the loss of my hair but over the years I have come to accept it. Don’t get me wrong, I still have moments when I get angry and upset, and then I feel guilty, as I know there are people out there suffering from diseases a lot worse than mine, but it’s only natural to grieve, so I now try not to give myself such a hard time when it happens.
I don’t have the confidence to go out without a wig on, and I doubt I ever will, so I can honestly say that Simply Wigs have changed my life! I have tried several styles over the years and am currently very happy with my Light Blonde Amaryllis wig by Natural Collection.
MAKING MY WIGS LAST.
The best bit is that, once this wig is past its best, with the inevitable “friction frizz” that happens with all long synthetic wigs, I pop it onto my wig head and give it a good steam with my clothes steamer. Although this takes the waves out of the wig, it brings the synthetic hair up a treat. Soft, sleek, and looking as good as new. Luckily, the style of this particular wig also looks great when the hair is straight. I wear my straight ones to work and save the newer, glamorous, wavy ones for going out, thus prolonging the life of the wigs!
Love from,
Kimberley x
How interesting to know that others out there feel the same as i do. I have been bald for forty years,my lovely long hair taken from me,and no explanation why. I to am glad I found simply wigs,after years of searching to find a vast amount of lovely wigs at the best prices around all with wonderful service.
I always enjoy reading and learning from, the personal stories of hair loss. I do think stress plays a part in some cases.
In 1950,my mother died. I was just 10 years of age.
5 years later I learned she had taken her own life. The shock was overpowering. This was the 50s – no one told children anything.
I went on to study nursing at 18 and began to notice my hair was thinning. The doctors blamed the starched caps we wore and treated me with ultra violet lights.
As the years went on, my hair took some punishment. I nursed over -seas in Vietnam, Cambodia – suffered fallcipirum malaria. The high fevers further affected my hair. I was also exposed to Agent Orange – the toxic substance used in Vietnam.
As my hair thinned to the point beyond the help of various products – I began to wear wigs. Over the years they have improved to the point where we are all so fortunate to have Simply Wigs. I am now 82. Have no hair at the front, but have plenty of hair on the rest of my head. I admire those of you brave enough to expose your heads. I’m not afraid to nurse in war zones – but still reluctant to expose my head. Doctors have never been able to help – hair dressers just give sympathetic smiles. Thank you Simply Wigs for everything you do for us.
Kimberley
Lovely to hear your story, no one really understands unless they have it too.
I’m 47 and lost my hair at 6. Spent most of my childhood visiting the hospital and being poked at and had weird and wonderful things tried. Injections (they were really sore), heat lamp (which caused my skin to blister and peel. Doctor once told me to drink Guinness, that was when I was a teenager…lol. Numerous Creams and lotions. I’ve not seen anyone about it since I was I think 20ish. I have given up thinking it might grow back. So much happier as an adult (was bullied as a kid at school) and the wigs you get now are so much nicer and realistic people are always asking where I get my hair cut, I now can tell them the truth, when I was younger I would lie. I haven’t been angry about it for a while but used to be frequently, the guilt too. Oh and I also relate to the hair everywhere else. I’ve so much hair under my chin (why can’t it just grow on my head!!!
Take care X
Thanks for sharing your story – I can relate as I started loosing my hair from the nape of my neck first. By 18 yrs I had to shave it all off and get a permanent wig. I’m 40 now and although wigs are normal I still miss my beautiful brown hair of my teenage years. xx
Bang on Kimberley. It’s that question: why me? I ALWAYS wear a wig, end of. The expection is the shower and in bed, when I wear a scarf, to extend the life of my wigs. Any potential ‘cure’ is no closer than when my hair fell out in my mid-fifties. Wasn’t taken seriously on my first visit to the docs. There’s been a couple of very thoughtful articles in my daily paper this week – one from a male perspective and the other from a female persptective. Similar comments.
As always, thanks to Simply Wigs – I could not be in the world as I am without their superb service! J
I can identify with occasional feelings of anger when I feel I ought to wear a wig but can’t really be bothered. It’s a complex condition to deal with isn’t it?
Like you ill never come to terms with losing my hair but when in discovered Simply Wigs, this was a step forward ?