Comment

Comment by Susan on August 11, 2016 at 12:20pm

Well said Keith. 

Comment by Brandy on August 11, 2016 at 12:15pm

If you feel comfortable going to an interview without a wig or a head covering, more power to you.  Just project confidence and focus on your excellent qualifications.

Personally, I wear a head scarf whenever I go outside my home or have curtains open.  At job interviews, I don't mention alopecia.  However, when I fill out the employment application and am asked if I need an accomodation for a disability, that's where I mention my alopecia. I say that I need to be allowed to wear headscarves and do not want to be required to wear a wig or hair piece.  So far, that was worked well for me.

One of the best things I ever did was to renounce my hair piece and replace it with head scarves.  First, I had to come-out to people at work and the gym as a person with alopecia.  But, I have found acceptance and hope you will find acceptance also.

Comment by Pamela on August 11, 2016 at 12:14pm

In June I ordered a $4,000 wig.  I haven't gotten it yet, but looking forward to the day it comes.  It is all human hair and won't fly off in the middle of traffic crossing the street.  To me AU is the most devastating thing that has ever happened to me and I'm not going to embrace it one dam bit. I've been dealing with this since early 80's.  It has come back a couple of times but left a few years later.  I have been totally bald now since 2011.  Exactly 6 months after my Mother passed away and I'm pretty sure it's never going to come back.  So the reason for spending mega amount for the last wig I will ever buy.

Comment by Keith on August 11, 2016 at 12:11pm

Confidence can go a long way.  If you go in public without covering your head, I would guess you have already built up that confidence (or were lucky to have it from the beginning).  I'd also suggest not to react in any way if/when you think they might be questioning your head.  That confidence and presenting yourself as a whole person without giving in to showing any insecurities (conscious or not), a lot of people won't see your bald head.  You can paint the picture of yourself for them through your personality and confidence and strength.  Hair or no hair, isn't that what employers want anyway?  I have cicatricial alopecia with vitiligo on my head, so I wear a hat.  It's become who I am, and most people don't notice the hat or think I'm trying to hide something.

Comment by Susan on August 11, 2016 at 12:08pm

We underestimate the beauty and love there is in this world.

Raya,that is so untrue.I work for a company that sells the most coveted luxury goods in the world,and i am bald. My sense of style has gotten so much better since i stopped wearing my wig.

I am even more successful that i ever was.

Girrrrrrrllllll,what you talking about.

Comment by Susan on August 11, 2016 at 11:55am

No offense to you Pamela.I understand that we are all individuals with different situations and perspectives.

It makes me sad when people hide.

When i wore a wig i was much less confident than i am without it.

I work as a Personal Shopper and Stylist at Neiman Marcus Boston. 

Comment by Raya on August 11, 2016 at 11:50am

The truth is that this world is cruel I've never went outside this world without a wig cause I know what and how the world looks at people who go out there without their wig . People don't like seeing a person especially a woman walking around a public place with their bald head cause it scares their clients,customers,kids,co workers. For example I lost my hair when I was in grade 4 the school had a rule about no hats but they let me wear a hat until my parents could buy me a wig but I was bullied a lot in school cause I was bald and for that reason and cause of my family's reputation I would never go out without any make up or my wig. It's your decision do what your heart tells you and not what anyone tells you. Good Luck !

Comment by Kate on August 11, 2016 at 11:44am

Bravo for putting yourself out there. I very much admire that you choose not to wear a wig. You of course do not owe anyone an explanation. However, it might be to your advantage to find a way to confidently and briefly address your baldness, so as not to allow rumors or misconceptions to bias the interviewer's decision (even thought that might technically be illegal).

The most common misperception might be that you are ill or have cancer and are undergoing treatment, and there could be a fear that you will therefore miss work or be an expensive addition to the healthcare plan of the business, which could cause inappropriate bias in their hiring decision. So brief education is in order. If the interview goes really well, and it never comes up otherwise, you might mention in an upbeat, confident, casual way at the end of the interview something like "As we wrap up, I would like to give you a little insight into my baldness. I have a condition called Alopecia, which is not contagious, life-threatening, or painful. The best way to think about it is that my body is allergic to my hair, which causes it to fall out. It's not a condition that will affect my work in any way, and I am open to answering questions. I hope you agree it's what's IN my head, not ON my head, that counts for this job! " This covers all the points of confusion and fear that uneducated people might have (will it cause her time out of work?, can I catch it?, etc.).

You might also be able to address it in the questions they ask. For example, if they ask what kind of a work environment you like, you can talk about how you value an open environment where employees respect and build relationships with each other. You can give an example of a past experience/environment where your coworkers understood your alopecia and it was a non-issue, and you in turn learned about them and respected them as individuals as well (which might mean learning how to work with an introvert, learning how to partner with a coworker who needed flex time to care for family, working with someone from another culture, etc.).

Perhaps there is a humorous way to clue them in before you arrive, for example, when confirming your interview you could say something like "I look forward to meeting you on Thursday. You'll know me when I arrive - I'll be the bald one in the blue blazer." or something like that. :) 

Lastly, if you do any volunteer work with any organizations that are focused on Alopecia, put it on your resume.

Good luck and let us know how it goes. 

Comment by Solange De Santis on August 11, 2016 at 11:44am

Pamela has a very good point. I have had the experience both ways. I have interviewed and gotten jobs when I was not wearing a wig. They were at faith-based organizations where I was able to tell key people that I do not have cancer and my health is fine. Then I simply carried myself with confidence and got the job.

However, I am now in a high-level corporate environment and I have spent $500 on a very good wig, which I wear to work daily. I have to go to meetings with large groups of people in the industry and also with our corporate executives. I simply do not have the opportunity to explain constantly that I do not have cancer and I cannot control what someone across the room might say. Believe me, it's happened a lot ("I couldn't help but ask you how the treatments are going," etc. Or "look at that poor woman with cancer.") 

So I would say assess the work environment and whether you need to wear hair or not. I have had AU for 19 years and I was once a real diehard about not wearing a wig. Now, it's distracting and I want everyone to focus on my work. But the wig comes off the minute I get home! Best of luck.

Comment by Sassydiana on August 11, 2016 at 11:11am

All good suggestions, I really like what Lovely Butterfly said, I have sat at the other side of the table and know that not knowing it is Alopecia and not cancer could be the reason I don't get the job. Of course an employer would never tell you that you did not get the job due to an illness, but they would find another way to not hire you, or tell you that you were not qualified or that someone had more experience or something. After all they are most likely looking for a long term employee.

I suggest you go to the interview however it makes you feel comfortable, wig, no wig or scarf be confident stand up tall and proud. Good luck to you

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