Question from: BALD: should I be proud?

What would you like Ali P to help you with?:

I have had alopecia since the age of 10, I started wearing hats and bandanas and continued to do so up to 16. I have no hair on both sides of my head and at the back the hairline doesn't even reach half way along my head. For a year now I have had my hair long so it covers my head, recently its been getting me down as the "style" doesn't suit me and it takes ages for me to do it by brushing and checking with my mums mirror to see if it is covered.

I need your advice as I do not know what to do. Should I shave off my hair go bald although then I know that i will be concerned about the dark shadow where hair does actually grow. Or do I carry on doing the same thing I am doing now which is annoying.

Sorry for the long essay

Dear BALD: should I be proud?

Thank you for your question.  There are pros and cons to keeping your hair style as it is and to taking the big step of shaving it off.  A good starting point might be to speak to a hairdresser about different ways of having your hair cut or styled so that it still covers any bald patches.  

Deciding to go bald and shave off any remaining hair can be a very liberating step and if you do this you should definitely feel proud to be bald.  How obvious the places where the hair grows will be if you do shave off your hair will depend on the colour of your hair.  You can limit this affect by shaving frequently.  As your current hairstyle is annoying it seems a good idea to start thinking about other options. Why not write a list of all the pros and cons of each option and see which one seems best. 

Ali-P.