Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Melanie on May 20, 2008 at 5:33pm

After years of feeling very alone and odd about my hair, I started a website with a support forum for women that not only have alopecia (like myself) but also other forms of hair loss... It's one of the first times I ever really felt like I "fit in" with a bunch of people and made a huge difference in my life... Now, my goal is to make sure that no woman ever feels alone when it comes to hair loss... After all, it does affect MILLIONS of us... ;)

Permalink Reply by Nicky Zip on May 20, 2008 at 5:50pm

Hi Melanie

Interested in reading your post you talk about a forum you've set up - does this link to your website? Love to pay a visit if you could give me the details. Sounds like you've used your difference to make a positive change out there in the world and no doubt given much needed help and support to women. All power to your elbow!
Nicky Zip

Permalink Reply by Melanie on May 20, 2008 at 6:33pm

Nicky ~ The link is in my profile. ;) After a few years of running the site, I've come to realize that all stages of hair loss are just as devastating (especially for women). Whether you have female pattern baldness, patchy alopecia or are completely bald, it STILL effects your psychological well-being. Knowing that there are many of us that feel the same way throughout ALL the stages truly has been an eye-opening experience for me.

Permalink Reply by Kayla on June 26, 2008 at 2:59pm

I love having short/barely any hair! I have had AA for ten years now and have competed in the Miss Delaware pageant for 3 years now and love speaking at schools and showing kids that you should embrace your differences. And also that you don't have to fit the stereotypes in our society to be beautiful.
My platform is IMAGE- Inspiring and Motivating Adolescents to Gain self-Esteem and I travel throughout Delaware promoting positive self image and essentially feeling comfortable in your own skin.

Permalink Reply by Yvonne~Yhoney on November 16, 2008 at 4:25am

I've always wanted to design T-Shirts with witty saying on them...mostly sarcastic phrases, but since I have shaved my head and embraced my alopecia, I have seen that doing something like this could have a great impact on people's attitudes about alopecia. So I have done it...I have started designing art layouts for T-shirts geared toward people like me! :)

I know these T-shirts will start changing attitudes and will start conversations about Alopecia, one T-Shirt at a time... :)

So I will be using my difference by using the emotions that I feel to place witty sayings and designs on T-shirts regarding alopecia.

Check out some of my recent designs:
http://www.cafepress.com/YhoneyAlopecia

Permalink Reply by Mary on December 23, 2008 at 1:10am

Your T-shirts say it all! It makes me feel so good to know that there are other women who feel the way I do about refusing to cover up.

Permalink Reply by Mary on December 22, 2008 at 7:46pm

I guess this is an appropriate place to share something that I did recently that used my baldness. I was at a shopping mall, walking around wearing a sunhat on my bald head. I would take off the hat when in a store. As I walked by the outside of a department store, I saw a young woman (probably about 20) smoking a cigarette. I lost both parents to cigarettes and I admit to having strong feelings about the tobacco industry. I've always been disturbed by the sight of young people smoking, but never felt that there was anything I could say that would make an impression on them, so I never said anything.

This time, without planning to do so, I paused in front of the young woman, removed my sunhat, looked her in the eyes, and said gently "Why would anyone want to give themselves cancer?" Then I put my hat back on and kept walking.

I didn't say that I have cancer - I would never do that. But, since people constantly ask me what stage of chemo I'm at, or what kind of cancer I have, it seemed fair to use that assumption. Who knows whether seeing me made any difference to that young woman, but I do know that appearances are more important than health concerns to many young people, so maybe it made an impression.

Since that time, I've done it once more.

Am I bad?
( ;-) Mary

Permalink Reply by Jo Jo on November 8, 2009 at 5:11pm

I totally agree and would like to remind you that although there is power in numbers (together we stand divided we fall) It all starts with ONE (the domino effect) Good 4-U, keep it going!!!

JoJo

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