When Bald Is Beautiful – A Woman’s Perspective On Alopecia

Inspiration for women, girls, women entrepreneurs, women in sports

Since Thursday’s are the day I write about women supporting women in life, I’m inspired to shared the life and beauty lessons I have learned since losing all my hair to alopecia over the past six months. It’s been a difficult journey accepting the condition and looking in the mirror but I have grown from the experience and wanted to share the lessons.

I loved having long, dark thick hair. People always commented on its beauty. I tied it up in a ponytail when I was young playing sports so it wouldn’t get in the way. I let it swing from shoulder to shoulder in the wind joyfully loving the feel.

In my early twenties, I made my straight hair into brown ringlets, similar to Whitney Houston’s hair, so I would feel different. Everyone loved my brown curls and I did until I started graying and made the choice to color it and not perm it anymore.

My first Alopecia Areata spot was discovered by my hairdresser Michalle Harmon when I was 25 years old. I battled the crazy, unpredictable disease throughout my life, always rebounding back to a full head of hair; but not this time. It is gone. Gone like the wind!

Every day I wonder why this is happening to me. Was I too much of a feminist the past 23 years and God is teaching me to be more compassionate in this male tradition of balding? Have I stressed my body too much with too much work? Am I eating the wrong food? Is it just genetics? My brother and father had alopecia in small doses but never lost all their hair. I thank God at least for giving me my Dad’s sense of humor to tackle this situation.

Today, I wanted to share with other women what I have learned about beauty and confidence during this period of complete baldness to inspire them to accept themselves how they are right now and every time they look in the mirror.

Today’s Wisdom:

* Since losing my hair, the most compassionate strangers have asked me how I am and helped me in some way. Once in awhile a stranger would help when I had long hair but never as many as now. I am sure I look more sick than I am, but I appreciate the fact they notice me and say kind words.

* When I look in the mirror, I see baldness, but when I look inside myself I see the same person I’ve always been. I am still strong with a feminist spirit to change the world for women in business, sports, equality and life.

* The people who really love you, love you no matter what you look like. My husband of 29 years and 2 adult sons don’t care what I look like in front of them or their friends or colleagues. They are still proud of me and want to be with me. They see who I am. They love me for all of me.

* I have found more joy in doing sports, as a woman with no hair, because no one who is working out is judging you on your looks, just your tenacity to be out running in the rain or biking in the heat. In sports, you are accepted for what you are doing, not for what you look like.

* In my business, I might have lost my traditional look, but not my smarts, wisdom and ability to inspire women entrepreneurs to be successful. They see my “pink spirit” more than anyone else and understand the guts it takes to share my story with them and keep on moving.

I hope today you look in the mirror and see the person you are on the inside, not the outside. Believe me; a really bad hair day does not matter if you are out there doing what you love and changing the world with you passion.