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Permalink Reply by GardenJess on June 17, 2014 at 11:08am

It is such a personal decision. For me, I wouldn't get rid of my hair if I could wear a hat or scarf and easily pass for having a full head of hair. If you want to try a wig, you can always wear it over your hair or get a shorter cut if that makes it easier. I see that some people just want to be done with their bio hair and being focused on the hair they are losing, and I understand that. I just find that, for me, wig wearing is a hassle, going bald in public is an uncertainty, and it would be nice to have a fringe of my hair underneath a hat, especially since I often wear sun hats anyway (sunhat + wig on a hot day = not my ideal way of staying cool). I did shave my head and felt it really cleaned up my look, but I had only a few sad straggly bits and some white fluff left. Shaving isn't a one step process because you have to either keep shaving or let the stubble grow. Because most of my remaining/regrowing hair is white, my head looks pretty uniform when shaved. Patches of darker hair would, of course, look patchy. Have you looked into toppers at all? That might be a good alternative to either buzzing your hair off or wearing a full wig. In any case, I recommend researching and trying a topper or wig rather than waiting until one day you feel like you can't make your hair presentable at all. Good luck finding what works for you.

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Permalink Reply by Susan on June 17, 2014 at 11:45pm

I shaved mine while I felt it was pretty bad. I hated watching it go. I keep it shaved now but have had a lot of regrowth so no it's very patch and thin. It's very dark and obvious. I have several small spots and some loss around my hairline. I think it is slowly getting worse but I am pretty much the only one who can. Still I am very hesitant to grow it back know the high probability that as soon as it's a decent length (and I no longer look like my brother) the bald spots will be so big I will just need to shave it again. Personally I feel I look better bald/shaved  than with a calico Buzz cut. So essentially, I have no answer for you, but I can commiserate. 

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Permalink Reply by Rose Marie' on June 18, 2014 at 9:27pm

Hi

This is a personal decision that will take a little investigation into what you think will suit your lifestyle best.  My view on this is if you are doing well with hats and scarves, you are not limiting your life because of them,  then it is working for you. If you are limiting your life you need to look at alternatives that may give you more options.  

My personal experience with my daughter was that shaving was an alternative that worked well for her.  She felt in control of her alopecia again.  She no longer worried about the coming and going of hair...she decided what was happening with it and how she was going to present herself.

We found a hair option that gave her a lot of freedom to be all she could be and she has never really looked back since that time.  She loves her hair...she is open and forthright around her alopecia...it works for her.  Sometimes my daughter has had to shave her head...sometimes she has had no hair.  Her wig was just an alternative that gave her the control over how she wanted to look. 

Good luck with your decision and if I can help in any way let me know.

Rosy

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Permalink Reply by meganc15 on June 23, 2014 at 6:52pm

Hi
I am also going through what you are dealing with currently. From far away it looks like I am fine, but I have lost almost all of the hair on both sides of my head, and the back. All I have is a top layer that covers the hair loss. I have spent a lot of time considering if shaving my head would be better or worse, but I currently do not know what to do. I currently wear a scarf/headband most of the time and for the most part I can get away with that. It's something you need to decide on your own, but I want you to know that you are not alone.

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