Bald is beautiful. In fact, many people in our culture who have thinning hair and even full baldness are celebrated leaders and confident superstars. However, regardless of our age, becoming bald can be emotionally stressful. Any change to our appearance that is unexpected, like suffering from alopecia, that is not our own personal choice will have an impact on our self-esteem and identity.
Learning how to embrace alopecia by using creative designs to style your hair and head can minimize stress and transform the experience into a more positive one.
Gianessa Wride is a seven-year-old girl with alopecia who recently received a lot of media attention, including an interview with “The Today Show,” for her sense of style and her confident approach to being young, bald and beautiful.
Gianessa’s school held a spirit day called Crazy Hair Day so that students could celebrate their unique style and fashion by styling their hair in ‘crazy’ ways. Gianessa, who is now completely bald, acknowledges that she was nervous and uncertain of her role in a day that was all about hair styles. That’s when she and her mom came up with the creative concept of decorating her head with jewels. Her school took notice of her talented artistry, and Gianessa won the contest for best hair style.
During her interview on “The Today Show,” she communicated with such creative spirit and confidence that she inspired other people. Photographs of Gianessa’s head jewelry have since gone viral. Alopecia is an auto-immune condition causing hair loss that affects over 6.8 million people in America. There are several medical therapies available to alleviate symptoms. Speak with a health care provider in order to get more information about the medical treatments available for alopecia.
As Gianessa shows with such grace and confidence, there are also many non-medical ways to embrace alopecia using creative strategies and fashion techniques. Some creative styling options include:
Jewelry on the head to create an artistic presentation.
Scarves and bandanas designed to catch attention, especially those that include bold prints, sequins and metallic designs. Headbands with bejeweled metals and in bright knits.
Floral headbands, either with fresh or artificial flowers, and a crown can give an added bonus of aromatherapy.
Wigs, which are more cost-effective than ever before and come in many different materials, including natural hair.
Wigs for children are now available in Disney Princess and Pirate styles with elaborate decoration and bright colors.
Temporary tattoos can make a style statement and allow you to explore different designs.
Wigs for women suffering from alopecia are not the low-end, off-the-shelf fashion wigs you can pick up at your local store. On the contrary, Custom Hair Tampa Bay’s high-quality medical wigs are custom works of art individually crafted for each patient. If you suffer from alopecia, we encourage you to visit us at one of our three locations. To schedule a free consultation click here.
Photo Credit: The Today Show
Sources:
https://www.naaf.org/alopecia-areata
http://www.themagicyarnproject.com/about/
http://www.today.com/health/awesome-girl-7-alopecia-wins-crazy-hair-day-t110215