Hair Loss and a Love Story
Your time is valuable. So is mine. That’s why, in a world where there’s about a million “wig experts”, this site is very specific - for women with hair loss and those that want to help them - the hairstylists that want to become wig stylists.
I know a thing or two about wigs and hair loss. I’ve been wearing and selling helper hair for the last third of my 6 decades on the planet. Pretty ironic for a career hairdresser to get a disease where the only symptom is hair loss. I’ve lost my hair five times and regrown it four. Five. Times. Lost. UGH!!!! Are you KIDDING ME?! Feel my pain? If you have hair loss, I feel yours. The Hair Loss Club, where no one wants to be a member. Thank God for wigs.
Speaking of God, my faith is what got me into the wig business, first as a non-profit, then a sole proprietorship, then a corporation. As the business has grown, so have my faith, my skills, my confidence, my waistline, my income and my determination to help as many women as I can. And the stories! You can’t imagine the hundreds of stories I have to share with you. With names changed to protect the innocent of course. Here’s one:
A few pretty tame, platonic but fun dates with him and things were starting to heat up for the first time as we were saying goodnight late at night. We were necking in the front seat of his truck under a streetlamp glow when he placed his hand on the back of my neck to draw me in closer. Because I had a long wig on and hadn’t yet told him yet that it was a wig, not to mention that I was 90% bald under it, I kept gently removing his hand rather than risk his hand removing my wig. After this played out 3-4 times, he said, “You don’t want me playing with your hair, do you?” I thought, “Perceptive! But uh-oh, here’s that opportunity I’ve been dreading, I might as well tell him and get it over with. Oh well, it’s been fun while it lasted. Too bad, I really liked this guy.”
Out loud, I said, ”That’s true, I don’t want you playing with my hair but not because I’m afraid you’re going to mess it up. I’ve been dreading telling you this but this is a wig. I was afraid you’d pull it off. A few months ago I developed this weird autoimmune disease, alopecia areata…” and I launched into a lengthy description of this condition that affects about 2% of the population.
My words trailed off as I realized I was going overboard with the medical stuff. I tried to decipher the look on his completely blank face. After what seemed like the proverbial eternity he said, “An autoimmune disease? Thank God! I thought you were going to tell me you used to be a guy and had a sex change operation…I thought for a minute maybe you might have a package down there! I’m so relieved!”
Then he said all the right things, we ended up smooching goodnight, now in the glow of that streetlamp and mutual relief. The next morning he sent me an email saying bald women were sexy.
This couple ended up married and had a beautiful daughter together who has long hair halfway down her back, with no sign of alopecia areata. It’s hereditary in about 20% of cases so they were concerned.
It seemed appropriate by way of introduction that the first story here be my own. And told in first person, as I’m the first person I’ve ever known to have alopecia areata, even in all my years of being a hairstylist, before I got into wigs. I’d love to hear your story if you’d like it to be featured in a future post (name changed to protect the innocent, whether you are or not ; ). Email me here.
I’d love it if you visit my social media and follow, links below. Lots of wig images, tips and video tutorials to learn from. See you there!
Sherry Schaefer is the founder of My Wig Coach, where she provides wig training for hairstylists through programs such as the Ultimate Wig Stylist Bootcamp and Wig Essentials for the Hairstylist.
