“Accept yourself for who you are, no hair and all. But, get yourself some nice hair!” — A personal account of living with alopecia.
Q: Thank you for taking the time to talk to Shevy’s. To start, you’ve had alopecia since 1974 but didn’t start wearing wigs until many years later. Will you tell us about your decision?
A: I felt I needed to be honest about who I was then, at that point in time. However, the styles available were really terrible for a young person who wanted to be hip and fashionable—wigs were marketed to older women in those days.
Q: There’s a lot of information out there about alopecia and other medical hair loss conditions, but there’s also a lot of misinformation. How does someone make their way through all of the conflicting messages and get the facts?
A: I’m not sure the facts and details about which condition you have really matters to a woman who is losing her hair—all you know is that you’re losing it. I guess that a dermatologist would be the first place to get answers, as a simple blood test can confirm if you have alopecia, female pattern baldness, stress related baldness or something more serious.
Q: Have you ever been part of a support group, chat room, or other awareness organization? What is a day in the life like for someone who may have just been diagnosed, and how did you deal with the news in the beginning?
A: I’ve never been interested in being part of a support group. I was a young girl when I was diagnosed—just a teenager. It’s extremely difficult for anyone to be diagnosed with alopecia, but as a teenager it’s very hard. I wore hats and scarves outside, but couldn’t do so in school. I was a patient for the NYU Medical Center’s Dermatology Department and was a guinea pig for Rogaine, which was called Minoxidil back then. I also took the Propecia pill before it was approved and additionally I would receive more than 100 shots of cortisone at a time, weekly, into my scalp to promote hair growth. The Rogaine and the cortisone did stimulate some hair growth, but it was really just “baby hair”.
Q: You’ve always been a bit of a style rebel—I know you’ve had a long career in the fashion industry, and were involved in the downtown music scene in the 80s—how has that influenced some of your choices and decisions when it comes to how you want to present yourself to the world?
A: I was very much the punk rocker in those days. I was influenced by people like Patti Smith and eventually was drawn to the English punk rock scene. When I lost my hair, I felt I couldn’t be authentic if I was wearing a wig. My look was completely accepted when I was out clubbing and also at fashion school and related social settings when I was out and about on my off time. I worked in fashion retail and manufacturing but when I was looking for more job opportunities that would advance my career; I was confronted by a manager who told me I should get myself some hair in order to move ahead. It was hard to hear those words, but eventually they proved quite true.
Q: Have you ever worn a Shevy’s wig? Would you try one, and what might influence your decision?
A: No, I’ve never worn a Shevy’s wig before, and I would say that price would definitely influence my decision to try a new brand. I’ve worn natural hair wigs before and have paid top dollar for them so I understand the allure.
Q: How often do you buy wigs and how do you make your decisions?
Do you stick to a certain look, or do you mix it up and change styles and colors and lengths frequently?
A: I usually purchase a new wig every 12-18 months. I’ve tried many different styles, colors, lengths and hair qualities over the years and discovered that I personally prefer synthetic hair wigs, since I wear them every day. I find that the upkeep for a synthetic hair wig is also best for me. I prefer that it’s “wash-and-wear” with little styling required for it to look good. I tend to stick to the same basic look and would think that most with alopecia do, since you really would prefer that no one knows you’re wearing a wig.
Q: Do you think more women are open to the idea of wearing wigs and hairpieces for fashion and fun nowadays?
A: Yes, absolutely, especially since it’s very mainstream now. Most of Hollywood wears extensions of some kind in their hair, as well as wigs, and celebrities and starlets are being more vocal about it now than ever before.
Q: What is the most amount of money you have spent on a wig? Was it worth it?
A: The most I’ve ever spent was $3,200 for a human hair wig. At the time, I had a health insurance plan that covered the cost…it was certainly worth it! It was the right hair at the right time and it was the first wig I ever wore that made me feel like myself when I closed my eyes—after five years of wearing wigs.
Q: What else would you like to share with us? Any advice, thoughts, and words of wisdom you can leave us with?
A: Accept yourself for who you are, no hair and all. But, get yourself some nice hair!
For more information, please visit http://www.naaf.org/site/
Shevy Custom Wigs 