Bald, brave, proud: women who learned to live with alopecia and fell in love with themselves without hair
Losing hair for most women is a real tragedy. Patients with alopecia suffer from partial or complete baldness, losing self-confidence along with their hair.
Four British women have been tested by the disease and have learned to accept themselves as they are. Moreover, their special condition pushed them to conquer new heights and reveal their talents. Read on to the stories of brave women who are no longer afraid to appear bald in public.
Alopecia is a special autoimmune disorder in which a person loses hair. Both men and women suffer from it, but baldness causes much greater suffering for ladies. With the loss of hair, the fair sex's self-esteem decreases, they lose self-confidence. But a bald head is not a reason to give up if there is optimism and a desire for success in the heart.
Four women told how they managed to accept themselves without hair and learn to live with the disease.
Jewelry designer, 26-year-old Farah Mohidin, was shy about alopecia, but her boyfriend, 27-year-old Ben Allison, helped the girl accept herself as she is. Now she sells jewelry, the creation of which, oddly enough, was inspired by the disease.
The Richmond resident's problems began at the age of seven. At first, the girl had small strands of hair falling out. The mother did her daughter's hairstyles so as to hide bald spots. At the age of 15, Farah was already completely bald. Doctors diagnosed her with alopecia. The girl was heartbroken.
Farah wore wigs and hats that looked ridiculous. The girls of the same age mocked her, and the guys could not understand why she needed a wig at that age. The girl's self-esteem has dropped a lot. After graduating from high school, Farah entered the university, where she studied design art for three years. For her exam project, she designed several silver jewelry with the outlines of a bald head. Personal experience of living with alopecia is reflected in creativity.
In 2018, Farah met Ben. A man considers her beautiful both in a wig and without it. He taught his beloved to accept herself and her individuality and gave her confidence, thanks to which the girl was able to start her own jewelry business. She resigned from her position as a salesperson and created the FarahM Ltd brand. Now Farah sells jewelry, which she was inspired by the disease. Among the products of the British woman are necklaces, earrings and bracelets with decorative elements in the form of bald female heads.
Farah dared to appear in public for the first time without a wig only last year. Now she wants to show that girls suffering from hair loss are beautiful. Each of them can achieve their goal, even being bald.
27-year-old Christala Fletcher from Greenford suffers from nest alopecia— a condition where hair falls out on certain areas of the head. In 2017, the disease became a stepping stone for a woman to create a wig-making business.
The British woman's hair began to fall out at the age of 9. The older she got, the more bald she became. The doctor diagnosed nest alopecia, this disease often occurs due to stress.
In high school, the girl wore a wig to hide bald spots on her head. Hooligans teased her, called her ugly. At the age of 17 , y Kristala developed a blood infection and needed a transfusion. After the procedure, the hair began to grow in small tufts. The girl hid them under scarves and wigs, but when she turned 20, her sister convinced her to shave her bald head.
Krystala spent thousands of pounds on wigs. Four years ago, she stopped looking for the one that would suit her perfectly, decided to make it herself. The first self-made wigs fit much better, but the girl needed more information about the intricacies of their manufacture. During the year, she studied wig making at specialized courses.
In 2017, the Briton founded her own company Lace By Lala and now makes custom wigs for clients from all over the world. It takes about 120 hours for Kristala to make a simple wig worth 1,250 pounds (about 102,000 rubles). Some customers have no problems with their own hair, they just want to try different looks and hairstyles. Others buy wigs because they are bald.
The woman is glad that she can help patients with alopecia, as well as people who have experienced trauma, and baldness after chemotherapy or for other reasons. Usually, Krystala does not wear a wig, but if she wants to, she puts on one of the ones made with her own hands.
Caulette Campbell has been suffering from alopecia since she was 15. From that time she started dancing in burlesque. A 37-year-old resident of Darlington suffered a severe form of flu in her youth, which weakened the immune system and caused baldness.
When the hair began to fall out, the girl began to change hairstyles to hide the receding hairline, but over time there was nothing left on her head. Colette started wearing a wig, but teenagers stared and laughed at her. Then the British woman's eyebrows and eyelashes fell out, and with them her self-confidence disappeared.
The hair partially grew back, but it was very rare, and after a while it fell out again. 10 years later, a friend of Colette, who danced in burlesque in Newcastle, convinced the woman to come to a choreography lesson. The decision to take up dancing was the best in her life. Now the Briton performs under the pseudonym Ebony Silk. On stage, she is not a bald girl, but a seductive artist, whom the audience applauds standing up.
Colette creates costumes herself, and during performances she wears wigs and hats. Burlesque inspired her to shave off her hair completely. She likes to wear cool wigs and colorful turbans. When it's warm outside, the girl walks down the street without hesitation, without covering her head. Colette argues that hair loss should not become an obstacle to self-realization and happiness. She has become a burlesque star and is proud of herself.
39-year-old Adriana Gambardella from Edinburgh learned about alopecia at the age of 9. Thanks to the disease, she became a cancer researcher.
The girl's hair, eyebrows and eyelashes completely fell out before she turned 12. The tests showed that she has total alopecia — an exceptional autoimmune disorder in which the hair follicles are affected, and the patient becomes completely bald. Her mother bought her a wig, but it didn't fit well, and the girl was constantly teased at school. The children avoided her, and Adriana's self-esteem dropped to zero.
While studying biology at university, the girl stopped wearing a wig and started wearing scarves and hats. She threw herself into her studies to distract herself from thoughts about her imperfection. When Adriana turned 27, she met Philip. The young people got married in 2007 after a year of dating. On the wedding day, the bride wore a shawl with flowers, made to order. The couple lived together for only three years. After the divorce, the woman realized that she had married not for love, but because of low self-esteem.
Since 2015, Adriana started working as a cancer researcher. Her work inspired her. She saw patients who had lost their hair after chemotherapy, and their fortitude impressed the British woman. Since then, the woman goes to work without covering her head. Inspired by the patients, the specialist strives even harder to help create a cure for cancer. It took Adriana 30 years to realize that being bald is beautiful. Now she is not worried about her illness and appearance.
Each of these stories is a woman's path to self-acceptance. The disease deprived them of their hair, but helped them find their place in the sun. They are truly beautiful, despite the fact that they are bald, and inspire others to realize their cherished dreams.
Cancer patients lose their hair after undergoing chemotherapy. But the disease is an excuse to give up and consider yourself ugly. Andrea Sierra Salazar decided to prove that a woman is beautiful even being bald. The girl starred in a bold photo shoot without a wig.