January 17 2006, 3:40 pm PT | Posted in: Female Hair Loss + Hair Loss Causes
Had breast cancer, surgery, chemo, radiation. Then had a brain tumor that they thought could be taken out without radiation (kills follicles, and absolutely left me BALD! I was a hairdresser that went to graduate school with beautiful long blond hair. I CAN NOT find another woman that is as bald as I am. My whole head is permantently BALD. I tried every product on the market and nothing helped because the follicles were killed by total head radiation. I can not work, stay away from longterm partner that I knew since 1973 that I was in love with. I don’t work, have no friends left (my move, because I could not stand their pity). Stopped going to my support groups, and have tremendous stress now. My son is alone too, diagnosed with diabetes after given a medication for bi-polar disorder. I was adopted, and my family has never called me. So I am left completely bald - wear wigs w/pajamas if I have to go out. Thank you for letting me write this since I feel like a grieving “bald” widow !
I was left totally bald 4 years ago from head radiation after removal of a brain tumor. I cannot find another woman as young as I am, or ever older that me, that this happened to. Totally stressed out and won’t go out of the house. Probably will lose my house. Have NO self esteem. Tried everything, creams, lotions with no results. Hair Club for Men and Women (HCMW) are hostile to women, could not afford permanent program. Have alot of wigs, but NO SELF CONFIDENCE/ SELF ESTEEM and have just about given up on the hope of a solution.
Thank you.Have no pictures/ HCMW took pics of top and back ! I kept asking to talk to someone that had my extent of permanent hair loss that they kept telling me about - but did not for a year. Instead they had me talk to a potential client. Very sad.
There is no cure for what you are describing. You had bouts of cancer and beat it. That should tell you that your glass is half full, not half empty. We are the writers, directors, and actors in our own lives. Sometime we need help to do that job and a good psychiatrist/psychologist or counselor may help you direct your ‘play’. Get the help you need and make your life come out they way you want it to be. I have seen many handicapped people who have overcome many liabilities. A relative of mine died from breast cancer and she went through hell trying to beat it. Her life was taken and yours was gifted to you. Do you think that there was a purpose to your survival? Take a look at National Alopecia Areata Foundation. What this should show you is that there are many people working on your type of problem and many people managing their lives with it. Their glass is half full.
I met a lady with alopecia universalis (no hair on any part of her body from genetic causes) who wore a wig and used make-up for eyebrows and lashes for her eyes. Her alopecia could not be detected at all (she chose to look like a hairy woman), and she was fashionable and dynamic in her social and professional life (radio show host and former spokesperson for the alopecia afflicted). She told me that she made a decision that her alopcia was just a handicap and she quickly came to deal with her life when she was young. Living life for life’s value was more important than obsessing over a problem for which there was no cure. She was victorious, something I wish for you.
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Hello,
I read that you have lost your hair due to radiation. I had complete brain radiation in 2005 and my hair has never come back. Just in different areas on my head. I too had beautiful blond hair. Always colored and styled my hair.
I began wearing wigs–and have never not gone out and lived my life. If you would like to talk sometime, please let me know. I live a very full life as a Legal Assistant, Realtor, still going throuch chemo for brain cancer.
Take care,
God Bless,
Lori
Maybe its because I’m in my 50’s, have a solid marriage and wonderful adult kids that will do anything to help me, but my hair loss (full brain radiation from brain tumor) just doesn’t bother me that much. I usually go out “commando”, but my Dr.’s office did give me a wig that I really like. It’s only hair. It isn’t you. If people want to stare, stare back. Besides, I have found that people are nicer to a bald lady.
Hello, I had the same problem.
I use to have a tumor on the left side of my head when I was 9. But all of my hair had grow now except the left side - I’m 14 right now.
I’ve been wearing hat everyday and it’s painful. I know it made me lost lots of self-esteem but you just need to live with it. If you think your life is painful, imagine my life. People picking on you, making fun of you in school. You can’t join any sports, feel sick in gym because you can’t take off your hat when it’s sweating. It had happened to me every year, but now I’ll just fight back if any of the kid were bad to me.
I use to go to hair club for men but they really stink. The people weren’t very nice there and I say they are consider of lazy. They made me a wig for the whole head but what they really need to do is just for my left side. I know that because now I go to New Image. The people are great in there, you should try to do lazer treatment. I’m not saying it doesn’t help at all but I think it really helped me. My hair start to grow a little by little, it’s not even thick yet but it’s coming very very slow. To me, I can see nothing that’s growing but the people from New Image and my parents said that it is growing cos they can see the thickness of my hair. They took photos of my balded side from the beginning when I start the lazer and now. It does look a little different. And the lazer is 100 percent harmless. I think you should try it because I’ll try everything to get my hair back.
Just think yourself as a normal person. A wig could really help if you’re full balded because I think my situation is worst than yours. I have half balded have haired. I can’t even put wig on! And I’m only a kid or a teen. We should look upon you instead of you looking upon us. You should enjoy your life and be graceful that you had survived during the harsh battle. Live your life! [:
Hello
I have a similar situation on my head.
I had a brain tumor removed at age 20, in 1999, and radiation & chemotherapy in 2000. Now, 9 years later, the top of my head is like a baby’s - thin and wispy. The back of my head has only peach fuzz. I would be happy to walk around bald except that the lower right side of the back of my head (where the tumor was removed) is scarred up and misshapen - the initial surgery caused an infection, and so the dead piece of my skull had to be removed.
I am saddened to hear your circumstances that followed your hair loss. I wish and pray for you to find the confidence and self-esteem you say you don’t have. It makes a world of difference - not only on the inside, but your outside circumstances too- the universe responds to you.