I am a 21 year old college student graduating in April (!!) with my degree in Elementary Education. I spend my days working as an accountant (for now) and my nights teaching piano. The little free time I have is spent playing the piano, playing with my adorable nieces and nephews, and attempting to find new ways to wear my wigs that make them feel more like "my own" hair.
In November of 2013 (Thanksgiving day, to be exact), my mom found my first bald spot. I was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata and spent the rest of my high school years attempting to cover up bald spots. In August 2015, right before I started college, I wore my first wig. Not gonna lie... "hate" would be a serious understatement for how I felt about that wig. I ended up going through 4 wigs in my first year of wearing hair before I finally found one I was ok with. Now, I know what I like and finding hair to wear is much easier.
It is ok to be sad. Having a positive attitude is such an important part (in my opinion) of coping with hair loss. Unfortunately, it is also important to grieve and feel sad about your hair. I always felt like I needed to be strong and act like losing my hair didn't bother me. Because of that, I never let myself mourn my hair. It sounds silly, but once I actually allowed myself to be sad, hair loss became easier to deal with and I became a happier person.
Also, don’t feel like you have to buy the first wig you try on. Take your time. Try different brands, different hair types, different colors, and truly make sure you love it before you buy it. I was super uncomfortable when I bought my first wig and let myself be talked into a wig that looked nothing like I wanted. I was so self conscious the entire time I wore that wig, but the second I found the wig I was looking for, I finally felt like myself again.
Ok one more thing... you have the power to switch up your hair every. single. day. How amazing is that?! Once I got over the “oh my heck people are going to know I wear a wig” fear, I started switching up my hair almost every day. Some days I have long hair, some days I have short, and some days my hair is pink. The best part? Most people don’t even notice. Turn that hair loss lemon into lemonade and have fun with it!!
I love that there is literally a wig for everyone. Long, short, curly, straight, brown, blonde. Whatever you need, it is out there. I also love that the wigs are high quality and last a lot longer than other brands I have tried.