Baldness - Not Just for the Men
Did you know, that more than 30 million females in the United States have problems regarding baldness. 30 million!!! While that is still much less than the male statistic, it is quite significant.
For most women hair loss causes a huge emotional issue (which causes more stress = more hair problems).
Women tend to be vain about their hair. We are always fussing, brushing, and grooming it. We get upset when the men in our lives don’t notice our new hairstyles….and most of us are suckers for any kind of hair accessory: such as a hairband, barrette, or some kind of clip. We spend way too much money on good shampoos, conditioners, and styling products. Why are we like this? Because we are obsessive creatures.
So when we start to lose our hair - we start questioning other things. Will my boyfriend notice, and will he have a problem with me - am I losing my feminine wiles? Even the most secure women out there, are going to be thrown for a loop. It’s just not something that is talked about. OK I talk about it - but not many others do.
According to Fox News, there are some things that you can do to stop (and possibly reverse) the baldness. Here is a brief run down of the options available to you.
- Monoxidal -better known as Rogaine. It’s a topical liquid that you apply directly onto the thinning area of your scalp. It needs to be applied twice a day. Statistics show that it has stopped hair from thinning in about 70% of its cases ~ and shows regrowth by 50%.
- Low Level Laser Light Therapy - try saying that 3 x fast! Laser light is used to stimulate blood flow in the skin layer, where the hair follicles are. The treatment converts 70% of hair that’s in the resting stage of the hair growth cycle back into the growth stage.
- Hair Restoration Surgery - Skin grafts from the donor area (usually the sides and back of the head) are transplanted to areas that are bald. The new hair follicles will take, and start growing - this is not affected by female pattern baldness. The transplanted hair can be coloured, curled, and cut. This is because it is our own!
Of course there are non invasive options…start working on your accessory collection. Head scarves, hats, even fun wigs. I once had a roommate who has beautiful hair, who insisted on wearing a mauve wig a few times a month, because -well I am not exactly sure why - but she was (and am sure still is) a really fun girl.
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POSTED IN: Bald Women, Facts & Figures, Hair Replacement
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7 opinions for Baldness - Not Just for the Men
Louise
Aug 26, 2007 at 3:52 pm
I’ve been bald for about five years now, and for the most part am fine with it. I’m getting annoyed with being stared at, though, so I tried to buy a lace-front wig, because I’ve heard they are the best option… and was totally ripped off (didn’t get my wig, and the seller disappeared with my money). I was so surprised at how upset and disappointed this made me– how, although I’ve thought I’m fine with it, I had really been looking forward to looking “normal”. I cried for days.
Guess I still have a bit of vanity left in me after all.
Laura
Aug 26, 2007 at 11:39 pm
Hi Louise,
isn’t it funny how weird we get about stuff like this. We are perfectly fine living our life a certain way, because we were dealt us a certain hand.
We get a glimpse of how things could be slightly different…and wham! When it doesn’t come through we are devastated.
It seems perfectly natural to me, that you would be affected this way.
Who is to say what is normal looking, though.
You have been bald for 5 years…wouldn’t bald be the norm? I mean for you….don’t measure yourself against others.
I haven’t quite figured out the whole identity thing with the hair quite yet. Maybe its because my hair loss comes and goes, depending on how my health is doing.
Do you use a head cover at all now? Whether it be some other type of wig, or a hat, or anything else?
Louise
Aug 27, 2007 at 10:26 pm
My hair all fell out within five minutes while I was in the shower one day. It was quite a shock.
Bald is “the norm” for me, yeah, I guess you could say that (although I had hair for much longer than I’ve not had it… I’m 31 now), but I still do wish I had hair. My head gets cold, and hats fall off when I’m sleeping– I never had that problem when I had hair. My eyebrows and eyelashes have come back, but when I didn’t have them everything kept getting in my eyes. Also my job is fairly ‘high profile’, as a teacher, and I resent the constant stares. Not that I mind explaining my disease, but I would rather be known as “the awesome teacher” than “ohh, did you know she’s bald”. I’m not sure if any of this is making sense.
Anyway. Yes. When I’m teaching, I wear a wig. At home in the yard or whatever I wear a hat or a bandanna or nothing… inside the house when it’s just me and my husband I’m au naturel.
Laura
Aug 27, 2007 at 11:10 pm
Louise,
I can’t even imagine what it would be like to lose all of your hair within 5 minutes.
Shock is an excellent word! But somehow, not quite enough.
Of course you want to be known as an awesome teacher, and not “that bald teacher”. I have similar issues, regarding that thought. Oh and it makes perfect sense.
I wish I could say that outward appearances don’t matter. I would love to be able to live in a world, where that was the case. The truth is though - right now it does. Which is why we wear wigs, and use thickening shampoos…and have all sorts of little tricks to cover up.
I think how you approach your baldness is fantastic.
As for head coverings at night….I don’t know of many slip proof bandannas - I do wear one during the winter, and for at least part of the night it manages to stay on - at least until I can get to sleep.
When I lived on the prairies - (this will sound ridiculous, and it looked it) I used to wear a wool beret to bed, so I could keep my head warm, and I had a lot of hair back then.
It did the job, and it didn’t slip off at all. But like I said, it was really odd looking.
I will be on the lookout for some cute head gear for us :)
Becca
Nov 10, 2007 at 6:28 pm
I read that there are other women out there that are bald, but it simply doesn’t give me any comfort to just hear about it… I want to know these women, be around them. I feel like the only one in the world. I am 31 yrs old, and started balding in middle school. By high school, I thought i could fool people (because looking in the mirror I couldn’t see the problem) but others could see it from the side, back and top.
There is NOTHING I wouldn’t do to have hair. I’ve paid thousands of dollars for extensions (when I had enough hair to attach the weaves to).
Without hair I don’t even feel like a real woman. I’m married now, and one of the reasons I won’t divorce him is because I know that I would never find another man that would accept me with my lack of hair. It has affected my life even more than being raped. I feel so guilty because I know things could be worse - cancer, aids, etc… but I can’t help it. I feel like a child with wanting to stomp my feet and beat my fists while screaming “IT”S NOT FAIR”.
dave
Dec 8, 2007 at 2:31 pm
first of all ladies…i dont understand why baldness is a problem for you??? dont you know a lot of beautiful women shave their heads and go bald for life.when i see a completly baldheaded women i say wow! .and i am saying with all my hart how adorable they are! please dont asshole people make you feel bad in anyway about being bald.and i say bald women really rock!!!! and thats how i truly feel deep down in my hart!! so feel free to express your self!
Jenny
Mar 25, 2008 at 8:50 am
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