As many of you know, I am writing a book titled Boldly Bald Women. I have come to a place where I would like input from those women who have shaved their heads and choose to go bare headed (weather permitting). I have gone through the downsides of living a boldly bald lifestyle. The section I am writing now asks the question:

"So why, if there is cruelty towards and discrimination against women daring to go bald in public, why would anyone in their right mind expose themselves to the emotional discomfort and societal intolerance of female baldness? Now there’s a sixty four thousand dollar question for you."

Some of you, who have already participated with this project via a questionnaire have sent me your reasons. This group has grown recently and if any of you are willing, I'd love to have you share. Those of us shaving our heads and living boldly bald are pioneers for the women who are less comfortable and more leery of consequences. I believe we can help those who follow to feel more free to explore options by sharing our own stories. There is no financial compensation for sharing, but there is the satisfaction of knowing you are using your difference for the good of your sisters.


Thank you for your willingness to shine!

Pam

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Replies to This Discussion

Thanks Galena, don't you just love the sense of freedom? There's something about taking action instead of letting dwindling hair consume you. Suddenly it's a whole new world and the hair has lost it's terrifying power. Your sense of self value rebounds and expands from your head to your whole being outside and in. Instead of worrying about how to cover the patches today you get to think about buying a new pair of earrings to punch up your enthusiasm and put some pizazz in your smile. Or maybe just match your outfit or your eyes. Your energy changes and the world can't help but change in response. Pretty cool. And.....I too love the baby butt smooth!
Thank you all so much for sharing your amazing stories. It gives me so much strength. All my life I've been told how beautiful or striking I was and you know what, I really didn't get it. Now that I'm going bald I hope that I can be as beautiful as you all are. When you speak of the freedom you feel going bald I can almost feel it and feel excited. Something just dawned on me, women who are bald are much more noticable in a crowd and that could be a very positive thing in many ways.
Big, Big Hugs to all of you and thank you all again for sharing your experiences, strengths and hopes with us all. God Bless
Marie
Hi Pam, You can find my response to your question, Why do I shave my head as a blog here.

Thanks!
Thanks, Cheryl, your blog is a good read!!! Weird thing, I've replied to thisa couple of different times yesterday and it didn't post. Hope this one comes through.
I took off my wig last week! AND I LOVE IT!! I don't have to wake up as early to find where i threw my wig at the night before. I dont worry about the time line before i need a new wig or the dreaded wig change. im more happier, open and bolder while bald. Wigs too, were a problem to me, i was always depressed! My wig didn't look good one day and I would just stay home, did that many of times. I had so many personalities and mood swings with wigs, IT WAS LIKE WHICH DIVA IS COMING OUT TODAY! I AM SO HAPPY TO BE ME and FREE! Not all days feel free, but i do notice the change.
: - ) You GO Sam Sam! You've gone from wigs to wings!!!! Welcome!
Thank you for your comments.
Sam Sam, I can relate to trying to find my wig! LOL! For some of us this choice and journey is the best thing we can do for ourselves. It sets up back on track. Yes, there are emotions that we have to deal with along the way. But, I feel like I cut through the chase with alopecia. If that makes any sense.
Yes, Cheryl, exactly.
I shaved my head because I didn't like the way I looked with "spotty" hair. It was a very long process to go out in public without a wig because I was afraid. But now that I am essentially living life as a bald woman I find it very liberating. I feel attractive and different but in a good way. A friend told me today that I inspired her to step out of her comfort zone.
Roslyn,

I think you've touched on an important side bar to dealing boldly with baldness. We do become an inspiration to others who although not dealing with baldness, have other consuming issues to deal with that require stepping out of a comfort zone. We are a visible manifestation of courage. A picture is worth a thousand words. One bald woman walking down the street with her head up and confidence in the swing of her hips (no matter what their size!) looking the world in the face with acceptance for herself compassion for the reactions of those around her mixed with a bit of humor is a walking billboard for inspiration. What a statement we make when we can accept and love ourselves ourselves as we are without embarrassment or shame.
I also find it interesting that what I did "for myself" not to inspire or do anything courageous, basically just to be comfortably me, has put me into the position of being an inspiration to others. Something I was really not comfortable with at first. In a lot of ways, I am an introvert. I am not one to be on stage, don’t particularly try to find the lime light. Do not believe I have that “big” stage presence.

I know this is by no mean, I mean no means, the same thing, but I often think of Rosa Parks. Her husband, Raymond was a member of the NAACP, she later became the volunteer secretary. But she was chosen to be the one to change history. Sometimes we end up in a position that we were not necessarily going after, but one that needs to be fulfilled regardless. I often need to remind myself that I do not have to be “Oprah” to be used or to be effective. Just do “your” thing and be willing to share it.

Rosa Parks once said “People always say that I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn't true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was forty-two. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in…”

I think I felt something similar with my alopecia when I made the decision to live my life as a bald woman. I was just tired of giving in to who I no longer felt reflected me in the mirror.
Oh, Cheryl, I've thought of Rosa Parks so many times since I said no to hiding. She took a personal stand the day she chose not to give up her seat on the bus simply because of the color of her skin. At the moment she made her choice it was one small action of courageous resistance in the continuum of All-Things-Done in the world. She could not have foreseen the ramifications of her individual act would change the awareness level of an entire nation and send unending ripples throughout the global community. She could not have known that she would become a heroine to women of all colors sizes and shapes because she got tired of giving in and did the next right thing for her to do, any more than you did.

Rosa Parks is a heroine. And so are you. And so am I. And so is every woman who gets tired of the dichotomy of a bald head in a hair infatuated society and says no to being split in two.

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