When I started my hair replacement practice decades ago, any public mention of hair loss and the hair prosthetics worn to shield it was strictly forbidden. As a woman who’d battled alopecia since childhood, I understood and supported this idea.
Today, however, more women are coming forward to discuss the impact hair loss has had on their lives. When BBC media expert Rowena Kincaid was diagnosed with breast cancer, she took readers on a photo journey as her hair began to thin, noting that “losing your hair is one of the worst things that can happen to you as a woman. It robbed me of my confidence and self-esteem, and when I looked in the mirror I saw someone who looked not like me anymore, but a cancer victim.” Author, advocate, and trichotillomania survivor Sandy Rosenblatt readily admitted that “I have a disorder that an estimated two to four percent of the nation has. Few know about it, and even fewer are willing to talk about it.” These women are fearless and unapologetic, proudly claiming their hair loss journeys and sharing their unique survival stories.
Those of us who’ve suffered with hair loss understand that our hair is a big part of our femininity. Unlike women who wear wigs and hair extensions for fashion or glamour, women who are losing their hair rely on hair prosthetics simply to look and feel normal.
But even in this age of confidently sharing hair loss stories and celebrating the imperfections that come with it, some people still want the choice to keep their hair loss issues private. For celebrities always in the public eye, keeping a hair loss condition private can be even more challenging. I can’t tell you how many times people have asked for pictures of the superstars and luminaries with whom I’ve worked when they learn I’m a celebrity stylist. It seems obvious to me that a professional wouldn’t “out” the medical information she receives in confidence, but apparently, in this age of camera phones and selfies, common sense can sometimes take a back seat.
I recall one event that clearly illustrates this point. Like many celebrities, this performer had a collection of temporary wigs available to help change up her look. Fresh off a major televised event only a week before, I was brought on board to carry over the style she’d worn at the national broadcast.
As I primped and prodded that evening’s wig into place, I expected our discussion would be light, centered around getting her glammed up and ready for her big event. As we worked together, she complimented my styling techniques and asked me questions about my career. When I explained to her that my specialty was custom hair prosthetics, she turned around in the styling chair, looked me straight in the eye, and smiled knowingly. At that point I knew that I’d established enough trust for her to feel comfortable that whatever was revealed during our service appointment would remain confidential. And that’s when she removed the temporary wig we were styling to reveal the large bald patches in her hair. “That’s me,” she said. I knew at that moment I had work to do—not only did I have to ensure she looked the same as she did at the broadcast, I needed to ensure her thin hair would somehow support this temporary wig while she glided across tonight’s stage. More important, I needed her to understand that her secret would never be revealed.
The celebrity hair replacement professional is unique in that she is a staunch protector of confidentiality. Everyone knows that hairstyling and makeup teams have the important job of making a woman in the public eye always look her best, and their celebrity clients are often on board in sharing “glam squad” details across social media.
But the celebrity hair replacement professional goes several steps further. She works in private, quietly recreating and reconstructing her client’s thin hair and compromised scalp into an image of a full flowing head of hair that will withstand her client’s frenzied lifestyle. And more than anything else, she needs to make sure she’s trustworthy. As stylists we have access to information about people that even their closest family members and friends don’t know—it’s up to us to protect that information at all costs.
My clients come to me with high expectations, and it’s my job as their visionary to ensure those expectations are met. Experience has taught me that having talent for hair, wardrobe and makeup design are not the only skills required onset – professionalism and personality are essential tools for completing a great project. But I’m thankful also to be a stylist to special-needs clients—having an intrinsic understanding of what it means to a balding woman helps me make those suffering with hair loss just a little more beautiful.