hi kimberly,
im ashton.
how are you?
i have as AA also but my best friend is compeletely bald who has it too.

well lucky for me my bald spots are in the back of my head so even when i put my hair up you can only barley see them. my dermatologist is amazing i have had hair injections twice and now i have stuble in my biggest spot but not in the little ones yet. but my best friend does not wear a wig she wears hats because she jsut got her head shave because she only had a little stuble but she had to be compeltey bald so she can get her locks of loves wig.

Well, when I first found out I had AA, I saw my derm regularly and had injections into the areas of hair loss every 3-6 weeks. In-between the injections, I was told to use men's rogaine or other Rx's . It worked for YEARS.... until it didn't. Everyone is SO different! You might have just spots for the rest of your life, you might grow it back and never have an issue again, or, it may fall out to the point that you would feel more comfortable wearing a wig. I was scared too at first. I didn't like the fact that there was nothing I could do to stop it, and there is no cure... With time though, I've come to accept it... and now I LOVE ordering new wigs! I think it's so fun! :) It did take me a long time to get here though! Hopefully you don't have to get used to it. Here's to hoping for you! :) Just know you'll be fine with or without your hair.

Hey Kimberly.
merry christmas!
i am very glad to hear that everything is working out well for you!
I wish you all the best.
Lacey

aweh thankyou! i'm in winston and i usually order the same wig from wowwigs.com....i just get diff colors and cute bangs in some of them, i think it's the only plus to not having hair hahah. How are you?

my hair still falls out but it doesnt fall out in the patches..

HI Kimberly, my wig is jast a common wig from a smoll shop here in Grecce with human hair. Not very well maded thas why i have chaince 3 since this pic. This time looking for a new one in the internet when i found somthing good i let you know. I wand to tell you don i have alopecia since i was 3. Yousally my hair grouning up but 10 years ago one day i lostthem all. Well i have make very differeng tritmends but nothing...onest i dont know if my hair grouw again.so i accept it,Please dont get sad becose the problem maybe become worse. Smile.you are so pretty hair is not the sender of world.belive me i know what you throu out.. take care Anna

HI KIM I AM IN A GOODE ROUDED I FOUND A VERY GOOD WIG SHOP IN US .I WERE IT FIRST AND THEN I LET YOU KNOW. IM LOOKING FOR ,OVER A MONTH. BY,TAKE CARE KISS.

Hey girl, How are you? My name is Misty and I just recently was diagnosed with AA in Feb. 2009! I have three big spots and its getting to where I cant cover them up! I hate it! You would think with all of us Alopecians on this site that we could figure out something to help it. Well how is your hair doing? If you ever need to talk..Im always here!

in the pictures...your daughter looks just like you..she is sp pretty! Well I'm glad that you can still cover your spots...I can still cover mine too but I just hope that they dont get worse! I have been trying to figure out what you can do to slow the process until your immune system will get back on track! I Just wanted to say hello......I live in Breckenridge,Texas and you?

Hi Kimberly! thanks for the friending! You look great and have beautiful children! It is very inspiring to me to see moms with aa!

Hi Kimberly! Oh man you wrote to me awhile ago and I promise I am not usually so tardy! Right now I have patches pretty consistently but they seem to respond to the injections most every time. I do them on brows, lashes, and scalp every four weeks. They really hurt, every time :( But it usually gives me an excuse to be pampered the rest of the day! Right now my eyebrows are pretty full which is wonderful because those are the hardest to fake! Although last year I went through a bout with none at all.

One thing I would try to cover your spots is bumble and bumble hair powder. I'm pretty sure they have it on drugstore.com. It is like a dry shampoo with pigment, so not only does it cover the spot but it thickens the hair around it and adds some texture. Also If you have enough hair on top I would seriously consider hair extensions. Just the kind that glue or tape in in strips. I've gone from getting them in a specialized hair loss salon to just buying them and installing and cutting myself. But it was a long learning process... anyway I hope you are having a great day! Let me know if you have any questions, I am happy to share. God bless!

Hello, how are you?

Hi Kimberly- nice to meet you!

Hi, Thanks for the add! Nice to meet you. Jules

Hey Kimberly, I just wanted to see how you have been doing. I haven't been on here in such a long time. I hope 2010 is proving well for you!

Hey there and thanks so much for the post. I have been doing GREAT, however, my hair has gotten a little worse, but dealing with it. How have you been?

I am soooo sorry I haven't commented back! I don't get on that often because I am well just busy or lazy! LOL.... Yes I have been in wigs for a year now and you know it is just who I am now. Amazing how you can adapt. Starting to lose eyebrows now though..... ugh!

HOw about you? How are you coping? How goes the hair loss?

Thanks for the friend invite, Kimberly.Your kids are so cute; love the pics. I see that you are going to the conference, I am too, and I am so excited (first time attending). Can't wait to see you there. Take care :)

Hi Kimberly, See you next week at the conference!

I'm sorry to hear that you were unable to make the conference. Have you ever attended one before? It was wonderful; I had such a great time meeting others in the alopecia family. I wish I could have had this experience years earlier, when I was a kid struggling through this condition. Despite dealing with alopecia the best way I could, for 19 years I've often felt so alone. The alopecia community is a great one to belong to; kind and so accepting. If you get the chance next year you should go. I would have loved to have met you too! :)

Hi Kimberly....I buy my wigs from www.iwigs.com I've been wearing them for the last 5 years and they are by far the best ones I've ever had.

They have elastic pull tabs in the back and I also send my head measurements, so they fit pretty well without any help. My first one I ever bought lasted 4 years with just minor repairs done. The one I have no I've had for less than a year and I'm saving to buy the same one, so that I can send this one in for hair replacement when it's time.

I just noticed your status up at the top. I wear my wig everywhere. I live in Florida and am constantly at the beach or pool and am at the gym 5 days a week and my wig still holds up through all that.

Can't do much about the "not hot" part. I refer to my wigs as skin-tight beanies. I NEVER even wore hats before I lost my hair! I am very active, work out 3-5 times per week, run, etc. I will not go without a wig, so I tolerate the heat and discomfort. I would like to experiment with different brands and different companies, but they are so strict about returns/exchanges that it can be very costly if you end up not liking something you buy online. I am getting bored with my little red bob cut....I used to change my real hair every 6 months or so!

I have bought all but one from wowwigs.com. The one in the picture is a Revlon, the model is called Scorpio. Comes in lots of colors. The most comfortable wig I own is a little short shaggy one (Rumor) from Eva Gabor, I just don't wear it often. I find most of Gabor's styles a little too old-fashioned for me. I am SO due for a new wig. They wear out, even with good care.

No glue, no tape. They all have have some sort of adjustment tabs to tighten or loosen as needed. There's really no danger of them "coming off" unless somebody yanks it off! You can tighten the tabs enough so the wig doesn't slip around your head, but not too tight as to cause headaches. I have found that you really need to wear the "wig caps" underneath - little sheer nylon caps that keep the wig from slipping and also makes it more comfortable and less itchy. I warn you though: if you haven't worm wigs before, they take some getting used to. DON'T GIVE UP! I started in October '09 when my fallout became too extensive to hide with styling and makeup. I HATED it and had headaches virtually every day. You learn to adjust the wig tightness and positioning on your head, and eventually it feels ok. Even now, I have days where I just can't stand it, but I'd rather that than the alternative.
There are some great gals on here that say "be bold, go bald," but I think you are in the camp as I am in that it's not likely that will ever happen.
Hang in there and ask as many questions of me as you'd like (private email too, if you want).

hi kimberly! i just do it in the shower pee into a cup or container and put it on massage it on, leave it 4 a few minutes and then wash it off. i put shampoo or something on it so it doesnt smell after that. thanx so much. am i rough around the edges? all the best!

Hello Kimberly!

Thank you for the friend request! Sounds like you are having a tough go of it right now... sorry! If I can help- happy too!!

Heather

Thanks, I always try to keep a positive attitude, so that means a lot to me :) I got that wig from Serge's Showgirl Wigs in Las Vegas, NV and it was $2000. It's human hair, hand-tied, with a big patch of silicone in the front that suctions on.

I'm pretty sure you have to go there.

Hey!

Thank you for your compliment! In my pictures -- only the dark hair is a wig....all the others is my hair (blonde). I have several spots.. and a receding temple area-- but fortunately for the most part I can still cover them all with my hair. ( windy days bite!)

I completely agree - if you find something you are comfortable with it will make you feel much better. The dark hair wig I bought I got from Wilshirewigs.com ( took Susan's advice- she never steers you wrong! :) ). It was inexpensive (103$) -- but truthfully I think mine looks a little wiggy. Maybe I'm just to picky? From the few I have seen it appears the shorter cuts look more real. Figures b/c I love long hair! ha!

Something I find odd... but a few of my friends have been wearing fashion wigs! ( ha.. guess when you have the choice it is fun...) One of my friends particular found one that looks so similar to her own hair that when she wears it- I never notice!!! She laughs and then tells me... even though I do not have personal experience with paula young wigs... that is where she bought hers and it does look good. So you may want to visit that website. ( paulayoung.com)

Just another suggestion-- I did call Joseph Paris in NY and talked to someone who was helpful and answered a bunch of "wig" questions I had. However I"m sure they have great wigs but they are VERY expensive ( 2,500+)

Hope you are having a better day!
Heather

Hi!

Wow - I didn't realize that Joseph Paris would send a sample wig!! I think that is great. Can't wait to hear what you think of it!! If I gets to the point I have to wear a wig on a daily basis.. that is the same thing I would do. I am currently using Olux foam and knock on wood... it seems to work well for me.

I also imagine that the vacuum wigs are AWESOME -- the pictures on this site of some of the people who wear them are so realistic looking!! So I love the idea of how real they look and how secure they are. BUT here's the thing -- you have to be totally bald and shave any type of re-growth you may get in order to wear it. So with the Joseph Paris wigs -- you always have the option for your hair to grow. And I BELIEVE that re-growing hair is always a possibility! I maybe alone in this .. but I still believe that a cure will be found!! :) I've got a stack of medical books sitting by my desk and there are so many wonderful things in the works... so why not an AA cure ? And now that they identified the genes -- only getting closer!!

Hope today was a better day for you! Hang in there - you are not alone.

Heather

Hi Kimberly,

I am LOOOVING my Freedom wig! It gets so hot in the summers here in DC, but it remains comfortable no matter what. It's so nice because I can put it in a ponytail or half-up if I want to when it's really hot out. I would recommend the Freedom wig if you are completely bald and have little or no hair growth; the Freedom wig has to suction onto your head, so your head has to be silky smooth. If you do have some hair left and don't want to shave the remaining hair off, then I recommend a lace wig. My lace wig was okay, but it certainly is not as comfortable or as real-looking as the Freedom wig. Let me know if you have any other questions - I love helping :)
-Natalie

Hey -- how is it going today? Have you had a chance to really check out and play around with the sample wig yet? I hope you like it!!

I only buy synthetic, low-cost wigs, which I wear in public. At home, I go bare-headed. I wanted to ask you why you added those words on your page today at the top. Are you okay?

Okay. Let's tackle this head-on, as Sisters in Alopecia. Get a family member or church to help you pay for the cutest wig you can find, pronto. Have a relative or kindly person you trust go with you to the wigs shop(s) to try them on. Take your time to pick a style that you will enjoy, even if different from your birth hair. You may want to take time to order a certain color from the swatches. Make it a day you can also get treated to a cool lunch and movie at a friend's house. Listen to some of the songs I just put on my Music Therapy blog. You can do this! Chin up, girl!

Maybe because you, like any of us, have trouble being in that different world that comes with loss of a body part. It will bring grieving, like any loss...but it is not a loss anyone in our normal life understands, so we have to trust our AW friends, supportive friends and relatives ONLY, God, wig stylists. Seek the methods and strength of strong, outspoken women in history, who didn't give a damn about others' opinions and kept on marching despite breast removal, embarrassment (Sandra Bullock?), etc. The quicker you find the "cover" you need while getting over the loss, the better. You can always deal with other questions later.

Hi, Kimberly! I wear a FW vacuum wig. ~Holly

Hi, Kimberly. Yes, I do love wearing my FW. I have not have any issues wearing them. I've been wearing these vacuum wigs since 2002 and was stationed in the dry dessert heat wearing them and had no issues of them being too hot to wear in that climate. The downfall however is that it does take awhile for them to gather the type and length of hair to make these wigs. High quality virgin European hair is hard to come by these day especially now that celebrities and others are into hair extentions. Its worth the wait and I don't see myself wearing anything else that will make me any happier than wearing these wigs.

Hi Kimberly,
I hope your search for a wig is going well. I was like you too where I could hide it for some time, but eventually, I gave in and shaved it off! I don't wear a wig at home, but I do for work, etc. Good luck, you'll find lots of support online here!

Hi Kimberly,
I hope that the prendisone works out for you! I think that the hardest part for me was deciding to stop all treatment and just let go. Once I was able to accept that my hair was falling out and once I shaved my remaining hair off, I felt like a new me! The Freedom wig has definitely changed my life. In the past, I was so afraid to go swimming or go out on a windy day because my bald spots would show. And when I had a lace wig, I couldn't swim or work out in it and I was always afraid it would blow off in the wind. But with my Freedom wig, I can literally live my life like I did before my alopecia (I can work out in it, swim in it, go out on a boat on a windy day in it). However, deciding to shave off your remaining hair and get the Freedom wig is a big step, so definitely take your time :) Let me know if you have any other questions - I would love to help!
-Natalie

Hi Kimberly,
In the waiting time until I received my Freedom wig, I got a full lace wig. It takes about 3-4 months for the Freedom wig to get manufactured. It is a very difficult decision to decide to stop treatment and just accept the hair loss; I knew it was time for me to move on when my hair loss started to control my life. I was afraid to join in the normal day-to-day activities of life because I didn't want anyone to see my bald spots. I also started having panic attacks and sunk in to a depression when my hair really started falling out. So after about 4 months of being miserable, I thought "You know what, I'm done being the victim to my hair loss. I'm ready to take control." And when I shaved it all off and got my first wig, it was the happiest I had been in a very long time. I finally could LIVE again! It felt like a hundred pounds taken off of my shoulders. When you feel like your hair loss if preventing you from leading a full life, that is when you will know what to do and if you should shave your head. I hope that helped! It really is a very personal decision and people take different amounts of time coming to terms with their alopecia (I was in denial of my alopecia for 9 years before I accepted it). Lots of luck! And please know you're not alone :) Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help!
-Natalie

Hey Kimberly,
The hairpiece in my profile pic is a lace-type wig that did not require tape or glue as it seemed to fit perfectly. I wore that piece for a year and this past June just got my freedom wig (sorry haven't posted pics yet). I love the FW for it's versatility and it looks and feels like me. I also liked my previous hairpiece but the FW really is not intruding in my active lifestyle and is super comfortable. My profile also has pics of me in a shorter synthetic hairpiece I bought online. Inevitably I think it comes down to what you feel good in. Alopecia is really a head-game and part of that head-game is starting to feel good about our new appearance. It takes time, but once you find the right hairpiece (and it may take a few tries) and make-up tricks you'll find yourself coming out of the funk that really can suck us in. I was there and will never go there again. I appreciate normalcy more than I ever did and I feel good doing it. Hope this helps. All the best
Jenn

Hey- awesome news the wig turned out to be so great! I had that same impression just the few times I spoke to them on the phone. Have you made any decisions yet? So much to think about!

Do you think you will make the trip to NY if you decide to buy or check out the Joseph Paris? I remember they said they offered free consultations. If you do there is also a vacuum wig company not far from there that looks very interesting! I'll see if I can find the name for you...

Hi, Kimberly, just wanted to say hi; how are you doing? :)

Hello!!

WOW-- great news. So happy you found something you love! I am not familiar with the gripper? What type of wig is that?

All your hair is now gone! omg! Sorry Kimberly! Did you give in and shave or did it all fall out?

All is well here -- just a typical Monday! :) Which all things considering isn't so bad!

Heather

That's really great, Kimberly! You'll have to post some pics when you get the chance; I'd love to see it. I've heard of the gripper, but haven't actually seen one in person. I'm curious about how the caps look & work. I wear a vacuum wig, & I know how important that sense of security is. Good luck! I bet it'll be awesome. :)

Thanks, Kimberly, I'll have to check out that video. I would be interested in seeing the actual cap up close out of curiousity. I am not currently in the market for another wig yet, but I think it's so important to keep up on all of the options we have. It seems that each type of wig offers it's own set of attributes , as well as it's negatives. The gripper sounds like it has some nice features, though. All the best! :)

Hey!

The gripper sounds awesome!! I'm excited for you -- can't wait for you to get it! a secure fit would be the most important to me --- gosh what a nightmare thought thinking about a wig blowing off your head! Sounds like you wouldn't ever have to worry about that! :) Keep me posted!