hey Crys! (that's my cousin's name too!) thanks for the wonderful compliments...you made me blush! i'm so sorry that you are going through this, but i promise you that you will find inner strength when you least expect it...
oddly enough, my hairloss has made my like myself more. i thought the only good thing about me was my beautiful blond hair...until i lost it. i was amazed that i could still make friends when i was bald. it was a wake up call for me.
it has also made me more aware of the people around me when i'm out in public. i will never get used to the stares and the gawking.
About Me
About Me:
i am a 30-something stay-at-home-mom to two beautiful yet challenging little boys under the age of 3. i have a wonderful husband who makes me feel beautiful everyday.
in the Spring of 1996, i went home for the summer after my college exams were over. my mom noticed that my hair looked thin. i was diagnosed with Alopecia in June of that year. by August, i was completely bald. i had just turned 22 years old.
while my hair was falling out and for the first year i was bald, i thought my life was over. my favourite part of myself had always been my long, blond hair. when it fell out, i didn't know how i could continue without it.
my parents took me to many places to try wigs on, and none of them made me feel better. i had the delusion that i could find something that made me look the exact same as i did with my own hair. i soon realized that it was an exercise in futility, and was crushed. i spent so many hours crying in my room, wondering how i could face the world ever again.
i had an idea one day, and asked my incredibly talented mother to crochet me a "skull cap". what she came up with is what i still wear out in public. i've never worn a wig...i just wasn't comfortable with it, and felt more at ease if my baldness wasn't hidden
i made the tough decision to go back to school in September after losing all of my hair. it was one of the hardest things i've ever done, but probably one of the best. i knew if i didn't do it then, i was never going to go back.
i met my husband at college a year later, and the rest is history.
i've come to terms with the fact that i will most likely be bald for the rest of my life. i've tried a few treatments like DPCP, but Alopecia Universalis has a low rate of successful regrowth.
i hate drawing my eyebrows on every morning..i'm thinking of having them tattooed. i hate the stares and the gawkers when i'm out in public. i guess that's what goes along with wearing a skull cap instead of a wig.
Hi Cate. I am new to the network and loved your story. You have a great outlook, even thought I am sure you had your share of struggles. I don't know if I could be as brave as you, never getting a wig. I am a Radiation Therapist (I only work part time to stay home with my 2 and 5 year old more) I see people without hair EVERYDAY and I always sympathized with them and prayed for them. Now, I look at some of them and wonder what I would do if I had to choose a wig. Would people look at me and say, "That's a good wig, you can hardly tell."
I think it's funny... so many of my friends (Me included) spend years and lots of money for a college degree... now we all stay home to be mommies! Funny how priorities change in an instant. How old are your boys? Emma just turned 5 a couple of weeks ago and Evan was 2 in Jan. They keep me busy, and I sometimes feel that I have no time for myself, but how lucky I am that I don't have someone else "raising my kids" for the majority of the day. I can't believe how fast 5 years has gone...
How did your parents handle your hair loss? Emma has long, extremely curly, beautiful hair... I look at her and it makes me sick to think that she may have to go through this one day.
Thanks for sharing your story. I am really enjoying the network. I think it is a great way to talk to others in similar situations.
Cate, oh my gosh you have such an amazing story!!! I am so beside myself to hear that you just decided to never wear a wig, you are incredible girl! Shoot if I thought I would look half as cute as you do without hair I would shave it off right now lol. Anyhow, you honestly and sincerely are a very beautiful woman. Thank you so much for sharing your experience, you just made my day!!
Your story is moving and extremely touching. I too am in my 30's and am a mother of two boys 6 1/2 and one is almost 5. I have a strong willed child who I take to a Yoga class to help him center and balance his self and I have a shy tender little guy. Amazing how much being a mother teaches us about ourselves and hair loss on top is just another layer to help us expand our mind and to learn and grow from as well.
Cate! You are so beautiful! And I am in awe of your courage to go without a wig. I have alopecia universalis, too; but, I chose to wear a wig. I completely understand how you feel about the "exercise in futility" of trying to find one that looks just like your own hair. I still struggle with that. And, I, too, am considering having my eyebrows tattooed on -- it's kind of frustrating to have to draw them on every day and some days they look better than others. I'd like the freedom of not worrying whether or not their on straight -- or if they've been rubbed off at some point during the day. It's good to have someone on the site that has the same thing I have and to the same extent. : )
Hey Cate, Welcome to the Network! It is so refreshing to see someone of youth and beauty with such a brave heart. Posting photos of yourself without hair takes a great deal of courage. I'm so glad that you found us.
My hair is thinning, and I have often wondered if I will ever be brave enough to just shave the remainder off. My fear is that I would never be able to pull off the look. At this point I still have a choice, but your photos remind me that women can definitely be gorgeous without any hair at all. Thanks again for posting them. Dottie
Hey there Cate! there is definitely A LOT of support in this community. It has helped me tremendously to interact with other women who were going through the same thing as myself. All the things I thought were just me being crazy turned out to be more normal than I thought, and most importantly just knowing I wasn't alone in this whole thing. I find that since I've started writing about my hair loss and had the opportunity to communicate with other women, that I have been less depressed and was able to put things in a better perspective. So glad you've found your way here.
Dam!!!!!! I wish I looked so beautiful!, Guess what... when a woman can look as good as you do without hair and no makeup, thats called AWESOMELY BEAUTIFUL! LOOK OUT DEMI MOORE
Hey Cate! Glad you found this site and the fabulous support system of these amazing women! You're story is touching and your courage and inspiration! Heather
View cate's Friends
Report this Person
