The Death-Defying Hairdo That's Lasted Since 1984 and Other Hair-Raising Tales
Photo: George Chinsee/The Bald Mermaid
PAGE 5
The reason she really loved her hair
It represented the untamable me.
And how she lost it
When I was 38, two tiny bald patches on the back of my head led to a diagnosis of alopecia areata.
What prompted her to shave her head
It was a fuck you to the universe. My hair was falling out, and I thought if I shaved my head I would feel as if I were taking back some power.
How that allowed her to move on
I did feel empowered, but I also felt grief. And when I allowed myself to feel the grief, I just knew that it wouldn't last forever.
Why wigs aren't for her
I was never the kind of person who spent a lot of time on her hair. I play tennis in the heat, I ride a horse, and I will not be tucking a wig under my helmet. I don't knock other people if they want to wear a wig, but for me, it didn't make me comfortable with who I saw in the mirror.
Sexy, feminine and bald?
Yes, I think so!
Sheila Bridges's memoir, The Bald Mermaid (Pointed Leaf), explores issues of identity, femininity, and success.
Next: The hardships of the female crew cut
It represented the untamable me.
And how she lost it
When I was 38, two tiny bald patches on the back of my head led to a diagnosis of alopecia areata.
What prompted her to shave her head
It was a fuck you to the universe. My hair was falling out, and I thought if I shaved my head I would feel as if I were taking back some power.
How that allowed her to move on
I did feel empowered, but I also felt grief. And when I allowed myself to feel the grief, I just knew that it wouldn't last forever.
Why wigs aren't for her
I was never the kind of person who spent a lot of time on her hair. I play tennis in the heat, I ride a horse, and I will not be tucking a wig under my helmet. I don't knock other people if they want to wear a wig, but for me, it didn't make me comfortable with who I saw in the mirror.
Sexy, feminine and bald?
Yes, I think so!
Sheila Bridges's memoir, The Bald Mermaid (Pointed Leaf), explores issues of identity, femininity, and success.
Next: The hardships of the female crew cut
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