Me, some years ago, with the hair I miss so much!
Lately, since I discovered my bald spots, I have been thinking way to much about hair, about what it means, about what would I do without it, about how to fix my situation and about how much this disease has disrupted me.
I have been remembering a lot an episode with my friend Inocencia, in Houston. She had breast cancer and she underwent a successful mastectomy, radiation and chemotherapy and after several years she is still cancer free.
As it usually happens in these cases, during the chemotherapy treatment she lost all her hair. Unlike me (with alopecia areata), Inocencia was battling a deadly disease; one that could have easily taken her life. She knew that the hair loss was a result of the treatment and therefore it was temporary. She was certain that the hair was going to grow back. That is a certainty that patients with alopecia areata don’t have; we know it is likely the hair will grow back but we don’t know it for sure, we don’t know when it could happen, we don’t know when the bald spots will stop growing and we don’t know if we would loose our hair again once we have recovered.
I read once that the only certain thing about alopecia areata is its uncertainty.
Going back to Inocencia I remember well a conversation we had with a mutual friend, Sandra. Inocencia was happy the treatments were over and the hair was slowly growing back. Still she was wearing a wig. We asked her to show us her new hair and she did. She removed her wig and showed us her bald head filled with little hairs starting to show. She looked beautiful!
After that she told us that the worst part of her illness had been loosing her hair, it have been even worse than loosing her breast.
I was stunned. How can someone be focusing in the hair (that will come back)?! Instead of her breast (that will never come back)?! Or the illness (that could come back)?!
It was just beyond me, I couldn’t understand it. Besides, she looked beautiful bald.
After the first night, the first day and the first week carrying my bald spots and doing everything to conceal them I have understood (the hard way) the importance Inocencia gave to her hair. The breast is not visible, neither is the cancer, but the baldness is the first thing someone will notice… it is the first thing that tells the world that something is not right.
I know I am not going to die from alopecia areata, I know that it is likely the hair will grow back, but still I am grieving for the lost hair. I understand now.
The Hair Journal 
Hi, I understand very good what are you talking about as I am completely bald. My boyfriend has Psoriasis and he is always telling me that he’d rather Alopecia than Psoriasis… I always tell him that Psoriasis is very itchy but nobody can feel it or see it. He can covers it.
Alopecia Areata is visible… the only thing we can do is wearing a wig, and I have to say… it helps. I have never found a wig which I feel comfortable with, but I will find it.
Do you wear wigs?
I don’t wear wigs… I have enough hair to pull it back in a pony tail and cover the spots. But I would consider it if the spots keep growing. Also… right now I live in Cuba were there are no wig stores or anything like that. Most of the products (treatments) I am using I have to have brought from other countries. Good luck!
For me have spots and be very worry if someone can see them or if it is windy is not a life. You are always thinking how to cover it and so on…
There are ways to get wigs, but maybe your hair grows and you don’t need anything. I wish you very good luck and keep smiling!
And Cuba sounds very cool!!
Cuba is cool! We have been here for 5 years… and we are leaving soon. I am blaming the stress related to the move for the AA! But yes… I have look to some hair pieces that I may buy soon… we are moving back to the U.S. You should visit Cuba… for your traveling blog!
Maybe one day… I don’t have next stop yet!!!
Getting hair pieces will help, It may reduce the stress that AA creates. I recommend it even though sometimes they are a bit expensive.
entonces, hablas español??
Si si…. naci y creci en Mexico… muchos anios en EEUU y ahora otros varios en Cuba! De donde eres?
Soy española, del sur (Malaga)
Hola Elena! Realmente me pude sentir totalmente identificada leyendo tu post. En mi caso, mi médico me quiere conformar con placebo (me recetó pantogar, que no es para areata) y con la frase matadora final: “es sólo pelo”… pero es mi pelo! y a mi me importa! Gracias por contar tu historia! un saludo areato!
Gracias, chica! Tengo muy descuidado el blog… pero seguro esta semana subire mas postings. Es la primera vez que se te presenta la alopecia? Algo te ha funcionado?