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Comment by Gina on June 22, 2016 at 4:29pm

Hello everyone, this picture is the only pic I ever took of me bald , I cannot imagine having the courage to go out without a wig on! I admire all you girls that can show the real you. I am in my 40 s and I ve had au for a long time. It is so hard and I am so happy to of found this forum.

Comment by Sharalexis on March 6, 2016 at 12:15am

I have gone bald in 4 degree weather. YES. Sharon Blount

Comment by OneBaldMother on March 4, 2016 at 7:35pm

I enjoyed reading others responses so I will share my story too.  I am not bald all the time but I often think I would like to be.  I am bald at home and have gone bald in public a handful of times.  I am still taking baby steps.  My first step was to stop wearing wigs.  I rotated between hats/scarves/wigs for a while until one day I just told myself no more wigs.  Now I wear hats or scarves in public. For the few times I've been bald in public, it feels very freeing and yet nerve racking at the same time.  I am an introverted person and I don't like to have the spotlight on me for any reason.  The hardest part for me is that you need to build that courage up again and again.  The first time I went out bald was tough and the next time was not really any easier. I imagine over time it just feels normal.  

Speaking of looking at gorgeous baldies...you look great!  Have you decided to take the wig off?

Comment by Cue Ball of Steel on March 3, 2016 at 12:51am

I used to wear a wig 24/7, you wouldn't catch me dead without it. One day I realized wigs are literally the incarnation of all that is uncomfortable in the world. They're itchy and hot and gross and I wanted nothing to do with them. 

It's a little hard to just randomly show up to work/school/whatever just bald all of a sudden, so I would recommend telling people about it before if you want. Otherwise just joke about it, be like "this job makes me pull my hair out" or "I'm having an off hair day" etc etc

The general public might glance at you, but it's never malicious, more like curiosity. It's sort of amusing to see people's eyes flick to the top of your head like the scar in Harry Potter and then back down. If we're getting deep here, your friends are going to like you either way, chances are you've told them already anyway. 

To answer your question, for me it was a steady increase in me getting fed up with frayed, stringy pieces of plastic constantly scratching my neck. I stopped wearing it in the summer between grade 10 and 11 and no one bothered me about it. So ultimately up to what you're cool with.

Good luck

Comment by GardenJess on February 29, 2016 at 12:19pm

As I head toward another summer with useless hair, I am wondering again about shaving my head, and about appearing without a wig. For me baby steps have been the way to go, but as others have said, there are uncomfortable moments. I started at home, which was a continuation of my deliberate decision not to hide my head at home and around my family. Yes, they were disturbed by my changing looks, but they got used to it and the shock value went away. I often went out with a scarf or hat that covered my head but not my baldness. For practical reasons, I'm not likely to be totally bare much of the time anyway since I want warmth when it is cool and sun protection when I am outside. Then I got up my courage to go out among strangers with a bald head. The world didn't come to an end. I never got to the point of being bald around my acquaintances, in part because I was trying to work out whether I was a bald woman or not. Guess I'm still not sure. :)

I never got negative reactions out in the world when I was bare headed. In some way, I think going bald made me more confident. I held my head high, and people were less likely to assume I was sick than if I was wearing a scarf. And cool sunglasses definitely helped. 

Comment by Michelle on February 26, 2016 at 3:48pm

Thank you so much for all your responses i really apreciate it! @Jess thanks for giving another perspective. I will keep in mind to respect myself and my pace and to not be hard on myself if some days are harder than others-if some days I don't feel up to it. Baby steps! @cheryl you are beautiful and inspiring your eyes glisten with joy. You are exactly the example I want to follow. Thanks for sharing your experience. @Return_life, @sharalexis and @the_flyest, good job you guys!! You have taken a big step and most likely the most challenging one of all. Eventually, you will no longer think of it at all. Bravo for taking that leap to self-acceptance.

Comment by Toxicmosquitoaf on February 26, 2016 at 3:23pm

For me the breaking point was when I couldnt do sports with a wig. So with the help of sport I one day decided to stop wearing wig, and I had alot of help from my coach who introduced my hair condition to other teammates and they were really great about it. So from then on I started going bold everywhere (school, bus, party, etc.)

Comment by Jess on February 26, 2016 at 3:15pm

Hi,
My first time going bald in public was in my last year of school. I get panic attacks sometimes and there was this one day where it got quite bad, I went to the sick Bay Area and asked if I could take my wig off becuase I thought at the time that it was contributing to my anxiety. The lady in charge was okay with it and we had a conversation about whether I should or not go bald. Eventually she convinced me and I just walked out into the main school building without my wig. It was quite nerve wracking at first but everyone else was really great about it. They were all very supportive. However it was perhaps a decision I made too hastily becuase eventually my anxiety got the better of me and after a few months I just didn't feel comfortable anymore, it wasn't really what people thought of my physical self but what they thought about me health wise. Some people assumed I was dying and I found that quite overwhelming. What I am trying to say is, really think about it. Don't let others push you to make a quick decision. Only do it if you think you can handle it and if you are ready But it doesn't matter if you like wearing your wig. Some people are more comfortable being anonymous in public. It takes time to build that type of confidence. Do what you want to do.

Comment by Sharalexis on February 26, 2016 at 4:04am

Hello fellow pecies, I am 58 (59 next mo :) ) and my "juicy" days all long past; but on warm days I just go for it. I figure what the heck, if the alopecia kids can face middle school and high school bald what are the chances an ole girl like me will have a bad time of it...know what I mean?

Comment by Cheryl, Co-founder on February 26, 2016 at 3:36am

Hi Michelle,  I too worked in stages.  I started at a NAAF conference, the following year I left my wig at home for the conference, then I started around home, then to do errands, then I joined a new gym and started wearing bandanas to the gym from the start.  The hardest was when I went out with my friends for the first time.  Work was the last place.  What I did for work, I went to the company Christmas party without a wig and then after that I stopped wearing them.  It was not easy but I think it was well worth it.

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