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Permalink Reply by Mary on April 19, 2010 at 6:24pm

I say GO FOR IT, Sheila! I tried to wear a wig for about 8 months and finally realized it just wasn't going to work for me. I've been SO much happier since I just accepted the fact that I AM A BALD WOMAN. Once I embraced it, life got much easier.

I know it isn't for everyone, and I support anyone who prefers to wear a wig...but give it a try. Take baby steps...go to ONE place for the first time bald. Then another. I counted the first steps for awhile: first time to the library, to the grocery store, to a mall....then I stopped counting. It's hard at first, but now I really don't care and it's just me.

Good luck, and keep us posted on how it's going.

Mary

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Permalink Reply by Sheila Anderson on April 20, 2010 at 9:42am

Thanks for the support Mary. It really helps. I never thought about the baby step method. That may work for me.

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Permalink Reply by Mary on April 20, 2010 at 9:53am

You're welcome, Sheila...it really took baby steps. The first time I went "out" was literally to our mailbox on the street! Also, from the very beginning, I drove everywhere bald...the car is a great place to get used to being bald in public. And, it helped me get my pale scalp color evened up!

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Permalink Reply by Carmen Dayhoff on April 20, 2010 at 3:22pm

Mary your funny...

I've been going through the same thing too.

Last September I attended an awareness thing where we did a photo shoot. For me this was a HUGE first step, as it was my first time bald in public at all. I can't seem to muster up the courage to take the second step though. I keep plotting when and how in my mind, but it just isn't happening.

I have done one thing that I think has helped improve with self acceptance: I put some of those pictures, that were taken in the shoot, in frames and put them around my house. I have some in the kitchen and some in my master bath. I like seeing great pics of me with out my hair piece on. And I'm okay with other people seeing those pics too. This was really big for me, but after doing it, I'm really glad that I did.

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Permalink Reply by Mary on April 20, 2010 at 3:36pm

You're on the right track, Carmen. I have some nice bald photos of myself up around the house. I emailed one to friends and family the day I shaved my head (before I went AU).

For me, it was really a process of de-sensitization: I had to get used to the way I look bald. When it became "normal" for me, it was easier for me to be bald in public and believe that other people would find it "normal", too (even though I know they don't.)

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