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Addicted to research
I am sure there are many of you who are addicted to researching Alopecia. I was just diagnosed last month and am trying to cope. It recently has gotten worse well in my eyes. I have a very supportive boyfriend who tells me how beautiful I am on a daily basis, but I still cry. I guess I worry about where it will go and how will I look in the morning. I already been to the dermologist and she was very informative and made me feel a little better. Surprisingly the salon I went to to see my options the woman was blunt and not very compassionate. She made everything seem so negative and money oriented. I do feel better wearing a hair piece to fill in the gaps, but what she said just sticks in my head that I will probably loose it all and so forth. Her products were over priced and I guess she must know people in our shoes don't have many options so they will spend for comfort. This woman has been in the business for 24 years. I was amazed that she didn't show a little more concern in the feelings I already am experience.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tuesday on
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Dana - I've had AU for almost 10 years but your post reminds me of my initial experience with hair loss. It takes time to accept and deal with the loss. I recall searching through the Internet and emailing people for advice. Funny - it was my first exposure to the Internet and thank heavens for it - all this information and support helped immensely.
You're just in the early stages - take it slowly. You'll get better in coping over time. Honestly! I'm sorry your first salon experience wasn't so good. I visited a salon during the early days of my hair loss and had a similar experience. My only guess is that the employees are so used to seeing people without hair - they have lost their compassion? Some salon employees and physicians I've encountered - who have hair - seem to completely NOT understand what "alopecians" feel like! I had a female dermatologist resident (med student) sneer at my bald head and give me a look of disgust and pity - I was so angry!
Awwh, thing will get better Dana! Keep posting.
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Permalink Reply by Dana Kozlowski on
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Thanks for the feedback. I have so much running through my mind and I guess I get frightened to see what will happen next . I was told this hair loss could have stemmed from the car accident I was in last month because right after that my hair started falling out. I am by no means a person who thrives on vanity, but I do love my hair. I am scared that the salon may be right and all my hair will fall out, the dermatologist I went to was a woman and quite nice. She said this is not uncommon and to give her a chance. I do have some regrowth in a few spots. I am trying to destress myself. I just graduated from college and now that is complete there is one less stressor. I thought this site may give me piece of mind in dealing with this.
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Permalink Reply by porcelinh on
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Your not alone Dana. I had a bad experience at a wig store when I was first diagnosed with AU. I can recall when I could not hide losing my hair anymore and I needed another wig just in case I was to lose the one on my head or it was not going to last since the first of many wigs I wore were synthetic wigs. I went into a wig store and the sales person was so inconsiderate! I wanted to try on one of the wigs on display but, she would not allow me to go back to a private area of the store to take off the existing wig I was wearing. She wanted me to try on one of her wigs right in front of the store where the front door was and where people can pass by on the street and see me! What was worse was that she made the awful comment that her wig in my hand was better than the one I had on top of my head! I ran out of there crying! Some people are so uncompassionate when they are so ignorrant about hair loss and just see it as a multi million (or billion) dollar industry.
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Oh, btw Dana, Congrats on graduating from college! Think and stay positive. We are all here to give you support and advice. Welcome to AW!
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Thanks! I broke down a bit this evening and cried. I am entirely patchy on the top of my head. I am trying my hardest to be strong, but it doesn't seem to work. I know there are many people who love me unconditionally and I should be so happy. I hope I find the answers here and the support I need.
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Permalink Reply by Leresa on
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Hello Dana, I'm sorry about the experiences you have been having. I felt compelled to reply because I have experienced the same too & I had those same feelings. I know that your simply just trying to do what you can control to feel like yourself & get on with it. I wanted to share with you for the future, that people who do not have alopecia will never understand what we go through( you know, the emotional roller coaster & the time consumed trying to look normal especially when your 1st diagnosed after all they're just outside looking in ,they don't even understand the half of it so don't take any of it personal for lack of compassion it has nothing to do with you. You do have options to find someone who will take their time with you for what your looking for. As an example this last customized wig place I went to had me sign all these disclosure forms about non refundable policies & then when my wig was ready some 3months later it looked like tigerwoman, it ws so thick there ws no way I would even wear it out for haloween & when I presented this to them all they could say ws that I signed. Take your experience as a positive that this salon lady is not someone you would want to do business with & at least you know now & didn't settle & you saved yourself wasted money
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I was just thinking a little more about what this woman who has been doing this for over 24 years said to me when she found new hair growing. She bluntly told me, "Oh that hair is white so it will fall out again, so don't count on that hair growing in." I didn't think much of it except gradually this was making me feel more stress. I did find a head piece that matched my hair perfect and began to smile and cry! This woman thought because she read a medical book she knew everything about the disease. I did decide to seek counseling and hope it helps as well. I guess it is hard to talk to people who don't really know about this. My boyfriend and I found a motorcycle run this summer to raise money for kids with Alopecia. I think we are going to do it! I am going to find ways to helps others with this!
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Permalink Reply by BaldGirlsDoLunch.org on
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Hi Leresa.....how are you?
What a terrible experience. Getting first wigs is such a learning experience. What you've mentioned regarding paperwork is something I think others are finding is a "situation" too. I've been looking for feedback from those who have gone through the wig buying experience to help all those who come after us.
This discussion " Dear Wig Seller, I'm a Buyer and...." is going to help us create a survey. The goal is to better educate our alopecian community about what they need to be thinking about before setting out to buy a wig.
If you can provide the specifics of the paperwork and any other specific guidelines, it will be very helpful for us all to know what to look out for.
Thanks,
Thea
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