To be, or not to be, a Bad-Ass Baldie … that is the question

[Spex]

Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’d know that alopecia is a big, big topic right now, and we have Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith to thank for that. When Jada turned up at the Academy Awards rocking her near-bald head, dressed in that magnificent emerald green gown and on the arm of her soon-to-be-Oscar-winning husband, she was radiant. Cut to ‘that’ GI Jane joke and things turned sour in less than a heartbeat.

The woman who had bravely faced her hair loss and declared herself in videos to be a ‘bad-ass’, who had chosen to not let it beat her, was now the butt of a bad joke.
Non of us deserve to be the butt of any hair loss joke. And I know from my own personal experience that hair loss is devastating. I counsel men and women on a daily basis in my work and they all share a similar sentiment: hair loss can break you.

Hair loss, by any other name

At this point, I should explain that the word ‘alopecia’ is a general term for hair loss. Extrapolating on that, there are many different forms of alopecia, and each is treated in different ways. It is correct to say that Jada Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia, but I haven’t been able to find out what form of alopecia she has.

To be honest, it doesn’t matter. Male or female, when you’re losing your hair, it can be extremely confronting. At some point, you have to decide what you’re going to do about it. Do you put on a brave face, live with it and develop a thick skin to cope with the jokes and comments? Do you make an appointment with a hair loss specialist to seek treatment options? Or, do you shave your head and become a ‘Bad-Ass Baldie’? And hey, while I’m at it, why can’t you be a Bad-Ass Hair Transplant Recipient?

As someone who has dealt with hair loss myself, I know that it can be life-changing, and not necessarily in a negative way. By absolute necessity, life’s challenges help to build character, help us grow and develop and guide us towards seeing ourselves – and the world – in a different light. It’s time to understand that hair loss is not your fault and that taking charge of it and moving forward despite it IS your choice, your growth and your empowerment.

Let’s look past the obvious social catastrophe that occurred at the Oscars. Let’s instead celebrate the fact that the terms ‘hair loss’ and ‘alopecia’ have become topics of discussion around the world. Whether Chris Rock made a legitimately nasty attack on Jada’s character (I don’t believe so) or simply made an ad-libbed, innocently intended jibe at her hairstyle is not the point. The incident has pushed the topic of the social ostracisation that comes with hair loss front and centre and elevated it to a point where people may now think twice before making a hurtful comment.

If you suffer from any form of hair loss, you still have to do your own work to understand your condition, decide what you want to do about it, and shake off other people’s perceptions and prejudices. Arm yourself with information, not just about hair loss but about your hair loss. See a specialist who can guide you towards the most appropriate course of treatment.

Seek help from a mental health professional if needed to help you deal with any impacts on your emotional wellbeing. Decide whether you want to be a ‘Bad-Ass Baldie’ or someone who pursues treatment options. No one can take these steps or make these choices for you, and that, in and of itself, is what’s so empowering. You get to decide, you get to choose your path, you get to feel however you want to feel.

Let today be the day you refuse to let your alopecia get the better of you
Help is out there, and I’m not just talking about hair loss treatments. I invite you to visit my website where you’ll find tons of valuable resources around hair loss, including pictures of my own hair transplant journey and links to several highly regarded surgeons from around the world. Also tune in and listen to The Bald Truth and The Bald Truth UK podcasts to help know you are not alone on this journey.

Doing nothing about your hair loss could cause your emotional health to spiral, possibly in proportion to your rate of hair loss. I urge you to get proactive and you’ll soon see that there are solutions and support out there. When you feel informed, equipped and empowered, you’ll never feel like the butt of a joke.

Regards
Spex