It’s the question almost all of us ask ourselves….and then you ask me. How do I know I’m ready? How do I know I’m ready to wear some kind of hair-extensions, a topper, a wig, etc?
It’s a good question with and endless list of possible answers. Another question that often goes along with this one goes something like this, “Amber, you’ve seen a lot of heads of hair-how bad does mine look….you know….in comparison?”. We are all searching for the right answers to SO many questions along this journey. We search for validation that, yes, loosing our hair is as horrible as it seems…..as it looks….as it feels. We crave confirmation that we aren’t crazy or overreacting! Here they are, the answers to those two most important questions.
#1- YES, this really is as bad as it feels like it is-it sucks, and no matter how you spin it-women, no matter their age, just shouldn’t lose their hair. Ever. Period.
#2- NO, you are not crazy!! You know your hair. You knew it at it’s best, and since then you’ve watched the changes, you’ve watched it fall, and you know the difference when you run your hands through it or simply look in the mirror!
Your friends, family and even your doctors may mean well and hope to communicate a message of hope to you by saying things like, “it’s not that bad” or “I love you just the way you are”, or even “you’re going to be okay, at least it’s not cancer or something worse!”. Well, yes, thank goodness it isn’t something worse, like cancer, but, really?!? All of these things, said with good intentions, aren’t meant to hurt us but can leave us feeling so invalidated and allow us to second guess ourselves. As much as it seems like a bad thing, sometimes we might just like for someone to say, “I DO see what you’re saying.”, “It DOES look thin to me.”, “I see the changes you’re talking about.”, or simply, “I’m sorry you’re going through this.”.
Here are a few things that can be helpful to you to decide to go for it, help you to prepare, and even help determine if you’re already ready!
1. KNOW that even if it doesn’t bother anyone else around you, if it bothers you-that’s enough!
2. BELIEVE that there are no qualifications that you must meet to wear hair. This is your life and your hair. You make the rules.
3. STOP comparing your hair to anyone else’s. Yes, it’s thinner than some, and thicker than others, but all your should be concerned with is your hair, how you feel about it, and what you’re going to do about it!
4. GO for a consultation! Knowledge is power, and you need some real information to help start this process!
5. CHECK your fear at the door! This process can be terrifying, yes, yes, and absolutely yes…..so, you’re going to need to muster up some serious courage to address this. Fear is the enemy because if you allow it, it has the power to paralyze you and keep stranded on the island of thin hair forever! Nobody wants to live there!! Start with just 5 minutes a day-if that seems too long, start smaller. Be the bravest you’ve ever been about this hair loss thing for just 5 minutes each day (even if you have to fake it) and use positive self talk to convince yourself that you CAN conquer this, you WILL find a solution, and that you’re going to be OK!
6. DECIDE that you are not going to let this ruin your life! This WILL NOT keep you from the life you want, the activities you love, the relationships you need, and the success you crave!
7. PARTNER with someone professional you trust to help guide you through these steps. Support from someone skilled, qualified and trusted is so important as you embark on the next stage of this exciting journey!
This journey is a very unique one! One day you feel hopeful & like you can handle this & the next you are in the depths of despair feeling like you’ll never have a normal life again and probably many days in between. I’ve been there, and I believe that there are better days ahead-I know there are!
