I have had short hair for the past 6 years. I shaved my head twice before, once for fun when I was in college, once to support a friend a year ago who took chemotherapy for breast cancer. I wanted to show her that a woman can still be very beautiful without hair. It meant a lot to her and she shaved her head right after me and did not use wigs since.
When I shaved my head about a year ago, I was working in a consulting firm and my stupid boss got angry as I did not informed her beforehand. Why should anyone inform anyone for that for God’s sake? My boss threatened to fire me and she thought that I was trying to protest something in the office. I did not defend myself and tell them the reason. I thought that I should not have to be explaining myself for that.
They used this as an excuse and start mobbing me at the office and I was forced to resign 6 months later.
Afterwards they learned the reason and tried to reach me but not for a sincere apology, but to prevent me from suing them for mistreatment and mobbing.
People eh? Or should I say “corporate devils”?
Anyways, you know the rest, the major depression linked with my auto-immune diseases and constant pain in my life for the past 6 months. Read more on 10 THINGS ABOUT ME
Now, jobless, depressed and sick, this 35 year old career woman starts from zero.
With a shaved head again.
Third time, but this time it was not my choice. It is for neither fun nor support. This time I happen to have Alopecia Areata, another auto-immune disease, which causes patchy hairloss on the scalp, where white blood cells from the immune system attack hair follicles and keep them from producing hair. It generally looks like this:
http://www.aocd.org/resource/resmgr/ddb_high/alopecia_areata_1_high.jpg
Now I am looking at the mirror.
Do I deserve this? No.
Am I beautiful? Well, at least I still have my head on my shoulders. I still have my fingers to blog. I still can write my story. I still have you reading it. I am grateful. But do I FEEL beautiful? No.
When I shaved my head to support my friend, I did not feel bad about my look. I felt very beautiful then. It was my bold decision made me beautiful in my eyes maybe… Now that it was not my choice I feel forced to do it. I feel helpless. So, maybe this time, it will take some time to feel beautiful for me.
And when I do feel that, I will share a photo with you 🙂 But, I am not strong enough yet.
Love,
Alex
My 35 Project 
Try listening to india.arie! She’s good at reminding me what true beauty is.
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It sucks when our bodies betray us. I’m not sure how I’d feel either. I’d probably be pissed off, at least in the beginning. Sending you good thoughts and a virtual hug.
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Thank you Robin 🙂
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I say rub some luscious oil with your favorite essential oil and feel the touch of your hands upon your head. And be with your sadness and your bravery and your beautiful self.
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Take pleasure and comfort in knowing that there is beauty far beyond what hair or any garment may provide you. Your writing is beautiful, and your strength is even more so. You have our support, all you need is to ask. 🙂
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🙂 Thank you, that keeps me going on 🙂 More than anything…
Even if I lose all my hair I will not despair.
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🙂
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At least you acknowledge that you have a head upon your shoulders and fingers to blog with. With that gratitude (however little it may feel) you will certainly rise and feel beautiful once again. It takes time but it’s not the end.
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🙂 i agree
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Wish I could give you a big long hug. Hang in there….as long as the steps forward exceed the steps backward, you will succeed. Sending positive thoughts your way. And by the way, you ARE beautiful, hair or no hair.
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Thank you Chris…
I am trying 🙂
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There are differing degrees by which we conform to the common view of a beautiful person. This common view will change in response to fashions and trends. When someone presents themselves in a way that differs from this ideal we are naturally drawn to those differences and our brain needs to come up with an immediate reaction (sometimes an inappropriate one, as in the case of your former boss). When I was younger I was put off by facial piercings (eyebrows, nose, lips, tongue) on people, but as I have had more exposure to them they no longer stand out as the defining feature of that person’s appearance for me. For a lot of people a woman with a shaved head is unusual and unexpected, but it will incite different responses in different people. If we let our minds (rather than the media) make their own decisions then we will all have different criteria for what defines beauty.
For me beauty is all about motion – how someone’s tongue and lips move while they talk, how their eyes change shape when they are smiling, frowning or concentrating, how they gesticulate when they are describing something, or how their bum wiggles when they walk.
As people get older their bodies change and I invariably find those people who accept and embrace those changes are more attractive than those who use surgery to try to restore what they think they have lost. How your body changes will have less of an impact on your life than how you react to those changes. Walk tall with your head held high and if anyone reacts badly, then that’s their problem.
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Our bodies can be so difficult for us sometimes!! Be well!!!
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Yes! I think my body has a dissociative disorder acting as a different person 🙂
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Alex, I have had many of those days! I feel your pain! 😞
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You are a beautiful writer and a strong warrior. Sending you virtual hugs xx
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Thank you 🙂
This means a lot to me!
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Thank you for sharing this with us. Every time our body betrays us it is a very hard adjustment. I understand why it would be harder this time as opposed to last time. It is a difference between feeling empowered (before) and Defeated (now). Take your time to adjust to the change. If you choose to share your new look with us then you do, if not that is understandable too. I know you will have my support either way.
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thank you 🙂
I will adjust in time I guess
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I second ‘To Live With All My Might’, your writing is so powerful–I can feel every bit of your emotion in it. Stay strong.
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Thank you 🙂
I loved your comment 🙂
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Yay, join the club!!
My mum just shaved my head two weeks ago.
I keep my hair short and cropped now have having it spiky, longer and more.
There is something powerful about a shaven head. I don’t know what it is. It is like an openness. A bare-all. A fearlessness. A purity.
My mum knew a young, beautiful Buddhist nurse once, when she worked in a hospital. She was a practising Buddhist and she used to keep her head shaved. Her beauty shone out like a beacon, because she was completely comfortable with herself.
Just like you 🙂
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Real beauty has very little to do with outside appearance. The most beautiful women I have ever known didn’t look like models; but they were intelligent, witty, creative, talented, and passionate (I don’t mean that in a sexual sense). Looking in the mirror to recognize your own beauty is a mistake. You’re looking in the wrong place.
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I think that inner beauty is about outside behaviors too. So you may want to put it as looks and behaviors. Both are important but I like to look good too. Is that a crime? Why not I have both? I want them both 🙂
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