Alopecia World
www.alopeciaworld.com
Comments/questions people ask
Just wondering what off the wall comments people say regarding your alopecia? I wear a bandana anytime I'm in public and the questions/comments I get are always fascinating.
What kind of remarks (funny or hurtful) have you heard? Also, what kind of responses do you give in return?
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Jennifer on
-
Lady stranger at the grocery store:
"Oh honey, you need a wig!"
Me, in my finest hour: "Oh honey, you need a muzzle."
-
-
Thanks. My mouth gets ahead of me sometime, and I regretted it for a second. But only for a second. :)
-
Permalink Reply by Alliegator on
-
A woman asked me while I was wearing a scarf on my head... "Did you just have brain surgery". I told her no, and then told her that I have Alopecia. At least she didn't ask if I had cancer. I've had people tell me that they like my look or bald head when I go out bald. They didn't ask anything, just gave me a compliment. That's nice sometimes. I've had a lot of people ask if I am sick or if I am a survivor.
Good response blackturtleneck!! I like that!
-
Permalink Reply by Sunflower25 on
-
I had someone at work come to my desk crying and asking if I had cancer. Sweet woman, loved her to death, but it was very inappropriate! Everyone could see/hear her.
I was also wearing bandanas everyday!
My neighbor saw me a couple of days after it grew back and I was out with short (like 1/4" long) hair. He said he was glad I was feeling better. I just said thanks and that was it.
-
Permalink Reply by beni2702 on
-
I've had people ask me why am I wearing a wig. I've had people off the street give me money because of my "illness" and to help me in my time of need. I'm not carrying around a sign people! Geez! It's happened so many times and i'm tired of explaining myself so I just accept and say thank you! :)
-
-
Well, I was grocery shopping earlier today, and a woman asked me "are you going through chemotherapy". I said "No, I have alopecia". She said "Oh". Then I said something like "ya, this is permanent". Then I ended up seeing her later on in the store again, and she apologized for asking me. She said she had gone through chemotherapy so she wanted to let me know that I can get through it if I was having it too. I think she could tell that I was irritated that she asked me. I sort of wear my emotions on my sleeve. Then, I started to feel bad that I responded the way that I did when she asked me. The last person that asked before this instance, I responded the same way. Maybe I need to try to be more pleasant when I respond next time. Lol.
-
-
When I first shaved my head, I found that people started treating me like I had cancer or was deathly ill. Your mention of the grocery store reminds me of the first week of my newly bald experience. I was a regular at a local market, and would go there for fresh produce every day just as I had before shaving off my remaining hair. I had offers for help with bagging my groceries, with pulling my toddler's stroller up over curbs, doors held open for me, and so on. All of a sudden people were jumping up to help where they wouldn't have helped before - even people like my building manager would do it, and she knew that I was perfectly able to wrangle our stroller the day before I shaved my head!
For me, it feels extremely uncomfortable to be on the receiving end of such kindness because I'm NOT sick, I DON'T need the help, etc. I'm a fairly independent person, and it was so hard to deal with being treated with kid gloves under someone else's mistaken assumptions about me. I gave it some thought though and figured out that the best way to respond (in my experience at least) is to either smile widely and healthfully, and say, "Oh thank you but I've got it" and keep on going, or to accept the occasional help in circumstances where I don't feel completely condescended to or overwhelmed by someone who may be making a spectacle in displaying pity. Ugh.
I think it's fantastic that people want to help others that they believe may need or appreciate the help due to an all consuming illness like cancer, but you know how it is --when you're not sick, it really really sucks to have others assume you are.
It also kinda sucks to feel like one has to force a smile or appear happy, alert, and friendly when in fact you may feel tired, grumpy and as worn out as anyone would regardless of the state of their hair.
I think people want to help because it makes them feel good to do so, and that's the only major criteria I use when determining whose offer of help I'll accept. If I think it would make them feel good to help, then have at it! Ya know? But I definitely get where you're coming from even if I've started rambling on. :)
-
-
Don't feel bad about accepting compliments! I do it all the time. Don't feel like you need to explain further, but if you want to explain, you can. For me, it depends on the situation, but if it was a quick compliment than I just say thank you. Think of it this way... if you were carrying an expensive purse, like a Louis Vuitton, if someone complimented you on it, you wouldn't need to say "it was a gift" or "I won it" or "I bought it on sale".
-
-
I'd totally say "I got it on sale." :)
-
Permalink Reply by Laura Adams on
-
The Other day I had a young woman ask me if I was on pain pills for my condition lol. I guess she wanted some
-
Permalink Reply by chris for hair on
-
Bet you are right!
© 2024 Created by Alopecia World.
Powered by
