Media Expectations

The article I am posting is about a plus-sized model who has settled at a beautiful, healthy size 8. She previously suffered from anorexia as a model, and is now getting slack as a "too thin" plus-size model. Her answer to the backlash is how everyone should view the modeling world, and I applaud her courage to walk her own path. This is her story: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20464449,00.html

Revitalash

Wow, has it been a while since I have posted. My hair is growing back in amazingly, and I am comfortable going out without my wig on! I still wear it, but it is a huge milestone to be back in that place where a wig or a hat aren't my only options.

So, I want to talk about a product meant for growing thicker eyelashes called Revitalash. A friend told me about Revitalash after reading some reviews about it concerning eyebrows as well. Being someone who has to draw on her own eyebrows every day I wanted to look into what the internet was saying about the stuff. There are many alopecia sufferers who do not have their eyebrows or eyelashes (I am lucky for this cycle to have kept my eyelashes for the most part), so hopefully this post will help.

This is how eyelash-growth.com described Revitalash:

"Revitalash Eyelash Conditioner belongs to Athena Cosmetics, Inc. an organization devoted to philanthropy by supporting the fight against breast cancer. The product was born out of a doctor’s need to offer his wife a solution for her once beautiful eyelashes left sparse and fragile due to intensive chemotherapy treatments on her way to recovering from breast cancer.

It claims to provide longer, fuller, and thicker lashes anywhere between 3 to 10 weeks, which is a long wait indeed. It is to be applied by a brush applicator only once a day at bedtime to the base of the lashes to boost the beauty of the natural lashes."

Not only does it promise growth, but also supports the fight against breast cancer; a cause I can definitely stand behind. However, every new product has some side effects and the ones for Revitalash should not be taken lightly, like changing eye color. The price is also pretty steep.

****I want to know if anyone has used any of the lash growth products on their eyelashes and/or eyebrows and what their experience has been with it.

Coloring the world one wig at a time

Many people who have to wear wigs will wear them proudly...one long one day, purple the next. I have not quite gotten to that point where I can let acquaintances (think concierge or coworkers) of my daily life see me differently day to day. When I went blonde for the summer it was a huge change for those who knew me, and now that I am back to my former brown, those who met me as a blonde find it a huge change. Again most people would like the attention of a new haircut, but I only feel awkward as people asked questions of where I got it done and if my roots were starting to show.

However, I now own a short brunette wig and a red one (my next color of choice). I am no where used to having short hair (short hair as a child was traumatizing) to being a redhead. One Saturday night as I contemplated how new friends should see me as because I knew they could care less what hair was on my head, I switched back and forth between the short do, the red, and finally settling in my comfort zone with the wig I have been wearing for a few weeks now. Still I got the "Wow you went dark!" comments since they had not seen me with it yet. Why could I not break free of this fear though? After all I had been at Lake Powell with a large group who barely knew me and did not put my wig or hat on once. I hate that I psyched myself out of the other wigs because I did not think others would find me as attractive or accept me for my medical issue. I've never had a problem with people being understanding once I told them, but I have this deep seeded fear that I will be judged for lacking the beautiful flowing hair as my peers. Funnily enough, the wigs are easier to tame than my own crazy curls, but I would give anything to deal with the unruliness on my head than spend a lifetime hiding under hair that isn't truly mine.

The View

The View covered the story about Miss Delaware and her alopecia condition. Though it wasn't so much about alopecia as it was about bald women in general. A lot of people who have alopecia are extremely offended by how the women disregard alopecia and instead talk about the shapes of bald heads. In my opinion, I was not offended because it seemed more off topic than about alopecia women, though it would have been nice for them to explain more about the condition and expand on the struggles we go through.

What are your thoughts?

Video: http://www.alopeciaworld.com/video/video/show?id=2022678:Video:450109&xgs=1&xg_source=msg_share_video

Getting involved again

A year ago I went to a local support group for people who have alopecia, but due to my job at the time I could not attend the monthly meetings and I fell out of touch. Tonight, I decided to teach my nephew, who is 4, why Auntie Sheena does not have hair and wears wigs by taking him to an alopecia meeting. It was good to talk to people who are going through the same process, even though we all have our personal experiences and are at different stages of alopecia. It got me motivated to want to do more with the organization, such as possibly hosting a children's group more frequently in the Denver area for kids who suffer from the disease. If anyone out there in Denver have kids with alopecia who think they will benefit from this let me know, and we will get it going!

Also, in other alopecia news is Miss Delaware who won the pageant while wearing a wig and decided to forgo her shield during an interview. Check it out here: http://www.comcast.net/video/the-bald-and-the-beautiful/1532050245/Comcast/1532037315/

Here is an article from a speaker at the NAAF conference about the genes of alopecia.
http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/30/researchers-find-gene-linked-to-hair-loss/?hpt=Sbin

Both are great breakthroughs for alopecia and getting the word out. Go bald or go home!

Summer fun!

Got my blonde wig today and boy is it blonde! I can't wait to get it styled and show it off! I tried a new wig place by my work instead of the one down in Destin, Fl. While the lady was nice I like to try on human hair wigs I want to buy right then instead of ordering them, especially because I was not happy with the first one and had to pay for half of the shipping fee back to the maker. While someone has to pay it, I do not think that is my responsibility as a customer who is unhappy with the color that looks NOTHING like the one in the photo. It's funny because the store owner said my dark locks made me look older, yet someone told me today I looked like I was 17! I don't necessarily want to look any younger than 17 and I know I look better as a brunette, though she thinks the blonde is better. Anyways, just wanted to share the happy news!

New Growth

I will still put a new picture up with my fabulous haircut from a month and a half ago!! Also, just wanted to comment that my hair is starting to grow back in! I can't be more excited about it and while it will still take a long time until I can go without a wig at least it is something. Hopefully, I will not start losing it again (as I'm sure another cycle will happen) before I can wear my real hair.