Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Amber on July 11, 2010 at 9:54pm

I wear waterproof liquid eyeliner. my eyebrows.. i just keep my eyebrow pencil in my purse. i try to keep it out of heat as much as possible or it melts and is a mess to put on.

i have always have three sets of wigs. one to swim, workout, be in the heat in. One for out door activities.. such as baseball games, fairs, going to the zoo, or any general outing. I always wear a bandana to help absorb sweat at the my neckline. also helps protect the wig from getting matted up and frizzy earlier than i want it to. My wigs are constantly rotating out. Brand new wig is for indoors and everyday life, the wig I was wearing goes down to outdoor activities, that wig will go down to the swimming and working out. that wig gets tossed. You just get use to life with alopecia after awhile. I hardly think about it anymore.

i also wear fake eyelashes for special occasions. i get them from walmart and target. I don't wear them much because i'm more comfortable without them. Messing with glues on stuff gets on my nerves. but i will wear them for special occasions.

i went snorkeling last year and bobby-pinned my wig down to the cap i wear underneath. the pressure on the goggles and the bobby pins help keep the wig on. also if you ride roller coasters just wear a bandana. that ties the wig to your head. make sure it's tied pretty tight.

i buy alot of water and sweat proof makeup. i find that my eyebrow pencil wont stay on as well with sunblock so i just wear foundation with sunblock already in it. my makeup tends to stay on better if i am wearing foundation and not just going natural. The best part about wearing a wig is when it gets really hot i can just go into the bathroom and take it off for a few seconds. cools me down right away.

I understand your frustration. i really do. It took me 25 years to get to where I just don't think about it anymore and it doesn't really bother me anymore. it is what it is. i can't change it. i just learn to live with it. summers can be extremely frustrating but don't let alopecia hold you back from enjoying life.

Permalink Reply by Alexis on July 11, 2010 at 10:36pm

thanks!! that was helpful.Doesnt the makeup irritate ur eyes? I dont use liquid eyeliner because it leaks into my eyes. We cant allow alopecia to ruin our lives but its so stressful to have to switch wigs, tie down wigs so they dont fall off,wear eyeliner and false lashes, but then theres the worry about the make up melting off anyway....its too much

Permalink Reply by Mary on July 11, 2010 at 11:54pm

Alexis, I know this isn't the sort of answer you're looking for, but we're here to share our experiences for whatever help they may be...so here goes.

I totally respect any woman who prefers to wear wigs. I lost my hair 2 1/2 years ago, and I tried wearing wigs for about 8 months. I understand your frustration with the discomfort and bother because I felt it. I understand just wanting to look "normal".

After breaking down in tears and anger on several occasions when sweat was dripping from under my wig in hot weather or while exercising or dancing, I realized that my PHYSICAL discomfort while wearing a wig outweighed my EMOTIONAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL discomfort being seen as I am - bald.

I decided to get on with my active life and cope with my total hair loss by being cool and comfortable and carefree, just like many men with hair loss choose to do. I have eyeliner and eyebrow tattoos and don't have to worry about applying makeup or having it come off when I'm hiking, dancing, scuba diving or swimming - or, just going to the store. I look "normal" for me - it's a new normal, but it's who I am.

I believe that the only way women will feel that they have a CHOICE between wearing a wig or going out bald is for more women to be seen in public bald. People got used to (and now admire) bald men, and no one assumes bald men have cancer. This social acceptance and changed standard of male attractiveness only happened because so many more men started shaving off their dwindling hair and going for the bald look.

I think WE can create a new standard of beauty for ourselves, and give people an alternate view. We just have to do it - like Kayla Martell, Miss Delaware. She sometimes wears a wig, but sometimes takes it off in national TV interviews, and she is helping redefine "beauty" for women. Gail Porter did the same thing in the UK.

I'm not saying women shouldn't feel fine about choosing to wear a wig - I just want us to have the same options that men do. That's all.

Good luck, and hang in there through the heat.
Mary

Permalink Reply by Mary on July 12, 2010 at 12:00am

p.s. After posting my comment, I saw this new video. Check it out - she says it all:

http://www.alopeciaworld.net/video/interior-designer-sheila

Permalink Reply by Amber on July 13, 2010 at 10:08pm

I admire women who can go without their wigs. i am not one of them. i simply do not have the self confidence or the courage to do so. but i envy women who can. :)

if i am sweating outdoors alot I wear big sunglasses and a bandana. The sun glasses I have cover my eyebrows so if they sweat off no one can tell. a bandana just helps absorb the sweat and keep it in place if i'm running or horseback riding. I have never ever had a wig fall off. I am very grateful for that.

liquid eyeliner took me a minute to get the hang of. If i go slowly and and do it one section at a time it doesn't leak into my eyes. I like the look because it stays dark and doesn't wear off.

makeup does irritate my eyes sometimes. i had to switch foundation a few times until I found a brand that didn't irritate as much. I can't wear alot of powders because it irritates my eyes. The liquid eyeliner doesn't irritate as much as pencil eyeliner. I wear contacts and I have alopecia so even without makeup my eyes are always irritated because stuff is always getting into them. always. just comes with alopecia.

it really is just second nature now. after living with alopecia for a lifetime I really don't know any other way to live. Yes I would love to be 'normal' but this is my normal.

Permalink Reply by Mary on July 13, 2010 at 10:40pm

We all need to do whatever we're most comfortable with.

Permalink Reply by Tracey L. on July 28, 2010 at 8:24am

Hi
I wanted to let you know that there is this wonderful product at Sephora called She Laq. It is a clear liquid that you brush over your makeup to set it. This stuff has been a God send to me. My eyebrows used to sweat right off. Not anymore. It will keep any makeup on till you want to wash it off. As far as wigs and the heat. I have learned to deal with it and I do have and "older" one that I wear to the beach and when I know I am exercising in the heat and will sweat it up.

Permalink Reply by Mary Hynes on July 28, 2010 at 7:58pm

I wear bangs - so if my eyebrows smudge off - they don't stand out. My eyelashes have just started to come back - I don't know how...enough to put mascara on ( I have really missed that!) When I wore my lashes I noticed the hotter it got - the more likely they were to come off. The glue is not waterproof as it implies - if sweat can make them fall off - I can only imagine what swimming in them would do. I have taken a break from wearing them - to see if it helps speed up the new lashes coming in....so far so good. I go in the bathroom a few times a day at work and remove my wig and run my head under cold water...it sucks...but it helps. I wish I were brave enough to go without my wig...but sadly I am not...I did try one day and I was so uncomfortable and my heart raced all day. I work in a kitchen and I had a hysterectomy 4 years ago so between the hot flashes and the heat I could cry some days. I look forward to the cooler weather :)