I have Alopecia Areata, a very large patch on the side/back of my head, still hidden underneath my hair but BARELY and I think I have officially decided that I am going to shave it because I am wearing wigs right now anyways in the fear that someone will see my half bald head and I don't want the stares and questions and it makes me feel uncomfortable.

Anyways, I am a Shift manager at McDonalds and my owner is aware that I have alopecia, I should mention first of all that he is a VERY bald man, a small bit of hair around the back of his head (funnily enough, the places that I don't have hair) and he has been supportive until now about me wearing wigs and everything else. I am going on a course in two weeks to become the official Assistant manager in our restaurant, at least that has been the plan until now. I have been wearing synthetic wigs to work and they are not holding up very well due to the heat that I am around so I would rather not waste the money on them and I am planning on either wearing scarfs or buying a vacuum or at the least a human hair wig. I sat down the other day and had a discussion with my owner and at explained to him the situation with my synthetic wigs and explained the immense cost of the vacuum wigs and my dilema. At the end of the conversation, he said, do you have any questions, I said, "well, I just want to make sure that it is all ok, I am assuming that whatever my decision I have your support" His response was "well, sure, as long as you cover it, it's fine with me, because our customers will feel "uncomfortable" with seeing that (aka, my bald head) I know I would feel uncomfortable" I was so shocked that I didn't know what to say, I was totally insulted, as though I was showing something private, as in coming to work with my shirt off or something. I am not dying my hair purple, i am not cutting my hair as a "fashion statement" or giving myself a mohawk, I want to do something to benefit me emotionally so that I don't have to continue to see my hair fall out day after day, I am benefitting the restaurant in the sense of food safety as there is no risk of my hair falling into the food, or my wigs creating any contamination, or anything else. Also, if I am more confident I will be able to complete my job with more confidence.

My request for opinions is this, am pretty well 100% decided that I am going to shave my head, no matter what he says, however, we have something coming up called "McHappy Day", and have considered doing the shaving my head along side of that as a way to raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities or in the privacy of my home, kept quiet until I decide to show it to the world. My thoughts on doing it at the restaurant (outside of course) for RMHC is that the customers at the restaurant would then be aware of what i am doing and easy to explain, don't have to go into any more explanation and would possibly be accepted more by my boss and he wouldn't be able to say anything about it after it was done and would likely be supportive because it is improving publicity for his restaurant. I am very upset at the way that this was handled, and my first instinct was to go home shave my head and come to work bald the next day to see what he would say, however, after my course at the end of the month he will have too much invested in my to make a fool out of himself by letting me go. The reason I am really debating on whether to shave my head at McHappy day or now is McHappy day is not until May 8th and I would really like to do it now since I have finally made the decision.

Anyways, give me your feed back if you like, I would appreciate it.