Just wanted to draw your attention to an article in the Daily Mail today that is in the Health section.
In brief the story is about two young girls who are sisters who both have Alopecia. They have both had Alopecia since they were about five years old and this week they have both decided to go to school without their wigs. I am so proud of these little girls and admire their courage. What is even better is that Alopecia has once again hit the headlines making Alopecia even more known about. Now more and more people out there are going to know what Alopecia is. Considering 1 percent of the population will go through Alopecia at some stage in their life more people really do need to know about it.
If you copy the below link and paste in your website finder.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1234122/Young-sisters-lost-hair-cast-wigs-school-bald-time.html
Please Visit my web site -
http://www.alopeciabeautytips.com
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
New Year, New Wig!
I have been wearing wigs since I was 16 years old and I have had so many kinds. I am 27 now so that is 10 years of wig wearing! I can’t quite believe it.
I am in the annoying stage of waiting for a new wig at the moment... My current hair is really not great and I don’t feel at my most confident... I am waiting for my new hair but there has been a typhoon in the Philippines so it has put a huge delay on my order. Sometimes I wonder if they are just fobbing me off with an excuse but I have looked into it and I do believe them this time. I don’t think it will get here until the new year now which I am upset about as for all my Christmas and new year celebrations I will be wearing my old wig.
I normally buy my wigs from Hudsons in Manchester. They are a sister company to Trendco who do provide great wigs. This time round I am buying a wig from an American company called Nu Hair Technology as I fancied a change and thought that the Americans might be able to do it better. So far I am not so sure as it has been a difficult and long process... Their wigs take 4-6 months to order which feels like forever! With them in New York and me in the UK communicating with them has not been easy. Since placing the order I have been talking with Optima hair specialist and Peter Murtha (who is the expert on all things wigs) and he has told me that his wigs take around 6 weeks to be made and he makes the most advance wigs on the market. He looked at my wig and told me it was pre historic! But still I am going to give Nu Hair Technology a chance and will let you know what it is like. If the result is amazing in don't mind waiting for it! I also buy off the peg synthetic wigs too for holidays and weekends when i am beeing lazy... The trouble with me is that I have a small head so in general I need to have them specially made as off the peg wigs are huge on me!
Once I get my wig it will arrive and I will need to take it somewhere to have it cut. I look like a mermaid to start off with as there is always so much hair! I always find it really nerve wracking having it cut. I wait such a long time to have it made and if the style is cut wrong it’s a disaster! My fringe is always something that I have to go back to the salon and have tweaked. Thankfully now Trevor Sorbie’s Charity “My New Hair” has a list of trusted salons I can take my wig to! Want to have a fun hair cut and cut loads out of it but I always hold back from anything too crazy as it is too much of a risk if I don’t end up liking it.
Once my hair is cut/styled and ready for wear there is one last hurdle to get past. New real hair wigs are always really puffy to start off with and they take a month I would say to calm down. The only way you can get them to calm down is by wearing them in and washing them.
So the thought of getting a new wig for me is exciting but at the same time something that can really stress me out. Especially if the wig that I am wearing is deteriorating really fast and I feel like I have hair loss all over again but in my wig! The lesson that i need to learn is to always keep at least 2 wigs in good condition so that if one is off being repaired then i have the other one to rely on. Still working on it!
Just wanted to share with you my wiggy issues as I am sure I am not the only person who goes through this stage.
Please check out my website www.alopeciabeautytips.com
I am in the annoying stage of waiting for a new wig at the moment... My current hair is really not great and I don’t feel at my most confident... I am waiting for my new hair but there has been a typhoon in the Philippines so it has put a huge delay on my order. Sometimes I wonder if they are just fobbing me off with an excuse but I have looked into it and I do believe them this time. I don’t think it will get here until the new year now which I am upset about as for all my Christmas and new year celebrations I will be wearing my old wig.
I normally buy my wigs from Hudsons in Manchester. They are a sister company to Trendco who do provide great wigs. This time round I am buying a wig from an American company called Nu Hair Technology as I fancied a change and thought that the Americans might be able to do it better. So far I am not so sure as it has been a difficult and long process... Their wigs take 4-6 months to order which feels like forever! With them in New York and me in the UK communicating with them has not been easy. Since placing the order I have been talking with Optima hair specialist and Peter Murtha (who is the expert on all things wigs) and he has told me that his wigs take around 6 weeks to be made and he makes the most advance wigs on the market. He looked at my wig and told me it was pre historic! But still I am going to give Nu Hair Technology a chance and will let you know what it is like. If the result is amazing in don't mind waiting for it! I also buy off the peg synthetic wigs too for holidays and weekends when i am beeing lazy... The trouble with me is that I have a small head so in general I need to have them specially made as off the peg wigs are huge on me!
Once I get my wig it will arrive and I will need to take it somewhere to have it cut. I look like a mermaid to start off with as there is always so much hair! I always find it really nerve wracking having it cut. I wait such a long time to have it made and if the style is cut wrong it’s a disaster! My fringe is always something that I have to go back to the salon and have tweaked. Thankfully now Trevor Sorbie’s Charity “My New Hair” has a list of trusted salons I can take my wig to! Want to have a fun hair cut and cut loads out of it but I always hold back from anything too crazy as it is too much of a risk if I don’t end up liking it.
Once my hair is cut/styled and ready for wear there is one last hurdle to get past. New real hair wigs are always really puffy to start off with and they take a month I would say to calm down. The only way you can get them to calm down is by wearing them in and washing them.
So the thought of getting a new wig for me is exciting but at the same time something that can really stress me out. Especially if the wig that I am wearing is deteriorating really fast and I feel like I have hair loss all over again but in my wig! The lesson that i need to learn is to always keep at least 2 wigs in good condition so that if one is off being repaired then i have the other one to rely on. Still working on it!
Just wanted to share with you my wiggy issues as I am sure I am not the only person who goes through this stage.
Please check out my website www.alopeciabeautytips.com
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
My New Hair Charity Launch - Trevor Sorbie
My New Hair Charity Launch
Last week was the Launch of the fantastic Charity My New Hair! I was invited to the Launch in London to represent Alopecia. I met some fantastic people....
LuLu O’Hagan, a stylist who also has Alopecia. We met up in London and went for some dinner and it was so lovely to meet someone else with Alopecia and talk about wigs and the problems we faced. We both had great tips that we could share with one another... I told her all about how to care for her wig as she was quite new to wearing one and she inspired me with how she did not hide behind her wig all the time and just put on a lovely woolie hat sometimes. As she is a stylist she also had some ideas on how I could apply my make up differently too.
Michele Chapman, who is the founder of Alopecia Awareness and helps anyone suffering from the effects of Alopecia. She was such an inspirational person and made me even more determined to get out there and help other women and young girls with alopecia. She has invited me to come and sit in some of her clinics that she works with and to the Browns wig company that she works with and designs wigs for!
Simon Tarplee, the founder of the charity Little Princess Trust. Simon Tarplee provides the best quality made to measure real hair wigs to children suffering from medical hair loss for free! This is such a wonderful charity and I was so excited about meeting Simon as I will be helping make a special DVD for the young girls and boys that the charity helps. Rather than just giving children a wonderful wig to take home with them the child will be given a wig and a DVD that tells them all about how to look after the wig with plenty of tips and lots of support.
The Launch was a fantastic success and Trevor Sorbie and Hilary Blackburn made us all feel very special! He made us all feel like celebrities for the evening and I came away feeling fabulous!
Please visit my website http://www.alopeciabeautytips.com
Last week was the Launch of the fantastic Charity My New Hair! I was invited to the Launch in London to represent Alopecia. I met some fantastic people....
LuLu O’Hagan, a stylist who also has Alopecia. We met up in London and went for some dinner and it was so lovely to meet someone else with Alopecia and talk about wigs and the problems we faced. We both had great tips that we could share with one another... I told her all about how to care for her wig as she was quite new to wearing one and she inspired me with how she did not hide behind her wig all the time and just put on a lovely woolie hat sometimes. As she is a stylist she also had some ideas on how I could apply my make up differently too.
Michele Chapman, who is the founder of Alopecia Awareness and helps anyone suffering from the effects of Alopecia. She was such an inspirational person and made me even more determined to get out there and help other women and young girls with alopecia. She has invited me to come and sit in some of her clinics that she works with and to the Browns wig company that she works with and designs wigs for!
Simon Tarplee, the founder of the charity Little Princess Trust. Simon Tarplee provides the best quality made to measure real hair wigs to children suffering from medical hair loss for free! This is such a wonderful charity and I was so excited about meeting Simon as I will be helping make a special DVD for the young girls and boys that the charity helps. Rather than just giving children a wonderful wig to take home with them the child will be given a wig and a DVD that tells them all about how to look after the wig with plenty of tips and lots of support.
The Launch was a fantastic success and Trevor Sorbie and Hilary Blackburn made us all feel very special! He made us all feel like celebrities for the evening and I came away feeling fabulous!
Please visit my website http://www.alopeciabeautytips.com
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Little Princess Trust
Little Princess Trust
I went to visit the Little Princess Trust charity at the weekend. www.littleprincesstrust.org.uk
They supply and fully fund the best wigs available from all over the world, especially designed for children. They also provide a personal fitting and styling service to ensure the wig is a great fit. Most children cope remarkably well when their hair falls out. For some children however, this can be very upsetting. This is particularly true of young girls, hence the name, Little Princesses.
Over the years I have found that finding specialist, high quality wigs is very difficult and only after a long search did I find something I was happy with. Now I have found the Little Princess Trust I wish it was a charity that was around when I was a little girl and lost my hair to Alopecia at aged 12.
After having alopecia for 15 years and buying into many different wigs the little princess trust have the best wigs I have ever seen. They work at the forefront of the wig making industry and are by far the most caring honest people I have ever dealt with.
If you are an adult like me don’t worry these fantastic wigs are available to you too! You will have to pay for them but they are fantastic value and much cheaper than many of the real hair custom made wig out there. I use to pay £2000 for each real hair wig that I bought but Optima Hair make far superior wigs than the ones i bought and for the price of one of my old wigs I could have 3 or 4 wigs from Optima Hair! The website address is www.optimahair.co.uk and they are based in Birmingham. If you don’t live near Birmingham it is worth the trip believe me! They are the best wig company I have ever used.
I went to visit the Little Princess Trust charity at the weekend. www.littleprincesstrust.org.uk
They supply and fully fund the best wigs available from all over the world, especially designed for children. They also provide a personal fitting and styling service to ensure the wig is a great fit. Most children cope remarkably well when their hair falls out. For some children however, this can be very upsetting. This is particularly true of young girls, hence the name, Little Princesses.
Over the years I have found that finding specialist, high quality wigs is very difficult and only after a long search did I find something I was happy with. Now I have found the Little Princess Trust I wish it was a charity that was around when I was a little girl and lost my hair to Alopecia at aged 12.
After having alopecia for 15 years and buying into many different wigs the little princess trust have the best wigs I have ever seen. They work at the forefront of the wig making industry and are by far the most caring honest people I have ever dealt with.
If you are an adult like me don’t worry these fantastic wigs are available to you too! You will have to pay for them but they are fantastic value and much cheaper than many of the real hair custom made wig out there. I use to pay £2000 for each real hair wig that I bought but Optima Hair make far superior wigs than the ones i bought and for the price of one of my old wigs I could have 3 or 4 wigs from Optima Hair! The website address is www.optimahair.co.uk and they are based in Birmingham. If you don’t live near Birmingham it is worth the trip believe me! They are the best wig company I have ever used.
Monday, 19 October 2009
My New Hair Trevor Sorbie
I was helping with the newly founded charity organisation My New Hair over the weekend. Trevor Sorbie (very famous hairdresser) is training stylists all over the country to cut and style wigs for women with medical hairloss.
It was a brilliant day and meeting Stephanie, a 12 year old Alopecia sufferer, stirred up a lot of emotions for me. She reminded me of me when I was young and why I have put so much time and effort into making my www.alopeciabeautytips.com website. Her mum told me I changed her life yesterday as I was such a fantastic role model for her, which felt really rewarding and has only confirmed my desire to really help other young girls with medical hair loss.
There is going to be an article in a new magazine called Recognise all about the day with My New Hair. Will let you know when it is out.
For more information please vistit www.mynewhair.org
And please visit me at www.alopeciabeautytips.com
It was a brilliant day and meeting Stephanie, a 12 year old Alopecia sufferer, stirred up a lot of emotions for me. She reminded me of me when I was young and why I have put so much time and effort into making my www.alopeciabeautytips.com website. Her mum told me I changed her life yesterday as I was such a fantastic role model for her, which felt really rewarding and has only confirmed my desire to really help other young girls with medical hair loss.
There is going to be an article in a new magazine called Recognise all about the day with My New Hair. Will let you know when it is out.
For more information please vistit www.mynewhair.org
And please visit me at www.alopeciabeautytips.com
Saturday, 17 October 2009
Fab New Beauty Tips
With the beauty tips i tell you about you are in complete control over how you look and they will always work for you. Hairloss is never easy, but it doesn’t have to destroy your life. I tend to try and always look on the positive side of things, ie…I never have to wax or shave! Some of my friends spend £100's removing facial hair...
My 1st tip - Get rid of any preconceived ideas that you have of wigs as they really are fantastic these days! Seriously... i have wigs that range from £60 to £2000 and they all have their benefits. Now you can buy a wig and have your wig cut by a stylist to suit your face shape and it looks so natural and gorgeous. If you are new to wearing a wig i would just start by wearing one for a few hours at a time and build up to wearing it all day... Eventually you get use to it being there and you do not notice it.
My 2nd tip - Experiment with make up. If like me you have lost your eyebrows and eyelashes don't worry... You can draw in your eyebrows and use lovely eyeliners to create fantastic effects! I dont bother with false eyelashes anymore as they are too time consuming. When i was younger and had more time i wore them everyday. Or you could have Semi Permanent Make-up... This is really fantastic and can save so much time in the morning. My semi permanent make up starts to fade after a year so i like to have it topped up to keep it fresh looking.
My 3rd tip is how to keep your wig tangle free. My hair tangles most at the nape of the neck... i make sure that when i order a human hair wig that i get european hair as this is the best quality, When i am wearing a synthetic wig i keep it away from heat (watch out for patio heaters in the summer!) I do not sleep in my hair but if you need to i suggest sleeping in a old wig that you don't really use anymore. When i wash my real hair wigs i use luke warm water, try to leave my hair to dry naturally, then just run my hair straightners over quickly to get rid of any frizz.
You can find all my Beauty Tips at www.alopeciabeautytips.com
Friday, 16 October 2009
My New Hair Trevor Sorbie
This weekend I am going to London to help the organisation ‘My New Hair’ make a DVD that brings awareness to this pioneering new charity, headed up by Trevor Sorbie.
I will let you know all about how I got on next week!
'My New Hair' helps women with hair loss and provides support, helping them to get a professional wig personalised just for them.
They can:
• Offer advice on choosing a wig.
• Help you choose the right wig for you.
• Find your most local My New Hair salon.
• Provide you with a wig personalisation service.
• Offer you support and aftercare.
Their promise is to make the service accessible to people across the UK and long term, across the world. Many stylists share in this belief and want to help overcome the preconceptions around wearing a wig. It is there ultimate goal to make this a part of the best standard of care available to people with medical hair loss. They are working nationally to achieve this aim with healthcare organisations and other charitable initiatives.
Their aim over the next 3 years is to connect with over 400 salons across the country.
Please look at my website too...
http://www.alopeciabeautytips.com
I have featured in the daily mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1210383/I-started-going-bald-12-I-want-world-women-hair-loss-ashamed-of.html
I have also featured in on GMTV with Lorraine Kelly! What me on this you tube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-phsUBb-ivU
I will let you know all about how I got on next week!
'My New Hair' helps women with hair loss and provides support, helping them to get a professional wig personalised just for them.
They can:
• Offer advice on choosing a wig.
• Help you choose the right wig for you.
• Find your most local My New Hair salon.
• Provide you with a wig personalisation service.
• Offer you support and aftercare.
Their promise is to make the service accessible to people across the UK and long term, across the world. Many stylists share in this belief and want to help overcome the preconceptions around wearing a wig. It is there ultimate goal to make this a part of the best standard of care available to people with medical hair loss. They are working nationally to achieve this aim with healthcare organisations and other charitable initiatives.
Their aim over the next 3 years is to connect with over 400 salons across the country.
Please look at my website too...
http://www.alopeciabeautytips.com
I have featured in the daily mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1210383/I-started-going-bald-12-I-want-world-women-hair-loss-ashamed-of.html
I have also featured in on GMTV with Lorraine Kelly! What me on this you tube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-phsUBb-ivU
Thursday, 8 October 2009
GMTV Interview with Lorraine Kelly and my 2nd Top Tip on Semi Permanent Make-Up
The second question that I get asked most in your e-mails is “where did I get my Semi Permanent Make-Up done” Well......!
I was recently asked about Semi Permanent Make-Up by Lorraine Kelly when I was on GMTV. You can see the you tube video of this if you click on the link below... Lorraine was admiring my natural looking brows so I told her all about them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-phsUBb-ivU
Also make sure you check out my website www.alopeciabeautytips.com
I use to spend ages getting ready every morning.... I had to draw in my eyebrows and put thick eyeliner on to add the much needed definition to my eyes... Most of time time I got them looking right the 1st time and I would be off out the door with all the practice I had, but it would be always when I was in a hurry that one eye would look perfect and the other would look so wrong! Also the amount of times I have poked myself in the eye with my liner brush cause I was rushing was too many to count and I would worry about touching my face throughout the day in case I smudged my make up. Something had to be done!
My 1st shot at semi permanent make up was with my wig company Hudsons in Manchester. The lady who provided the service also worked with the wigs too so basically she did not do it that often so was a bit unpractised. She was very neat but it look ages while she tattooed each individual hair into my skin... Yes OUCH! 2nd time I found a salon where she was a bit more use to doing it but I had to travel quite far to go and see her. At the time I was using the company Razzar and thought that they were the only people who did semi permanent make up who I could trust. When you have tattoos done on your face you don’t want to take the risk. I went there for a few years and in that time Semi Permanent make up really took off... The good news is now you can get it done in loads of place!. ‘Micro Pigmentation’ is fast becoming the must have treatment for the Millenium, not just for people with Alopecia, it can also be used to camouflage scars and also everyday women like to have make up when they wake up to defining brows eyes and lips.
As the service was now far more popular I thought there must be somewhere closer to have this done.... So I did a bit of research and found a lady called Gail Proudman. Turns out that she travels around the country teaching people how to do semi permanent make-up so that they can perform this beauty treatment in their own salons. Gail was doing semi permanent make-up day so I thought she must be good! My experience of her was that she was so lovely, fast, painless (helped by the anaesthetic!) and provided fantastic results.
Www.spmubygail.co.uk
As eyebrows are suppose to have a natural hairy look about them Gail would just quickly tattoo lots of little hairs that gave them such a realistic effect.
As my trust in Gail was sky high I decided to go for it with the tattoo eyeliner. This really was the bain of my life putting on eyeliner every morning still and I really felt I looked awful with out that definition around my eyes. I had poked my self in the eye one too many times so I went for it! I was really scared and I thought that it was going to be the most painful thing ever but it was not too bad! She had a great technique of pulling my eye really tight while I held my eyes closed. She also uses anaesthetics here too which really numb the eye lid and help with any discomfort. I wont lie to you... I really did look like I had been crying for hours afterwards... My lids really swelled up but oh my god it is totally worth it! I love my eyeliner its amazing. I think that if my hair grew back I would still have it done as it just look fantastic and you don’t need to waste you time in the morning with make up. I tend to add a little bit more eyeliner to my eyes for a more dramatic effect and after a few 6 months I use a bit of eye pencil too as it starts to fade a little. I think a top up once every 9months to a year is probably what you need.
The procedure can be expensive... Eyebrow are about £300 and the eyeliner is about £250. Gail will give you a discount thought if you go keep going back to her though which is really helpful.
Hopefully this will really help some of you out!
I was recently asked about Semi Permanent Make-Up by Lorraine Kelly when I was on GMTV. You can see the you tube video of this if you click on the link below... Lorraine was admiring my natural looking brows so I told her all about them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-phsUBb-ivU
Also make sure you check out my website www.alopeciabeautytips.com
I use to spend ages getting ready every morning.... I had to draw in my eyebrows and put thick eyeliner on to add the much needed definition to my eyes... Most of time time I got them looking right the 1st time and I would be off out the door with all the practice I had, but it would be always when I was in a hurry that one eye would look perfect and the other would look so wrong! Also the amount of times I have poked myself in the eye with my liner brush cause I was rushing was too many to count and I would worry about touching my face throughout the day in case I smudged my make up. Something had to be done!
My 1st shot at semi permanent make up was with my wig company Hudsons in Manchester. The lady who provided the service also worked with the wigs too so basically she did not do it that often so was a bit unpractised. She was very neat but it look ages while she tattooed each individual hair into my skin... Yes OUCH! 2nd time I found a salon where she was a bit more use to doing it but I had to travel quite far to go and see her. At the time I was using the company Razzar and thought that they were the only people who did semi permanent make up who I could trust. When you have tattoos done on your face you don’t want to take the risk. I went there for a few years and in that time Semi Permanent make up really took off... The good news is now you can get it done in loads of place!. ‘Micro Pigmentation’ is fast becoming the must have treatment for the Millenium, not just for people with Alopecia, it can also be used to camouflage scars and also everyday women like to have make up when they wake up to defining brows eyes and lips.
As the service was now far more popular I thought there must be somewhere closer to have this done.... So I did a bit of research and found a lady called Gail Proudman. Turns out that she travels around the country teaching people how to do semi permanent make-up so that they can perform this beauty treatment in their own salons. Gail was doing semi permanent make-up day so I thought she must be good! My experience of her was that she was so lovely, fast, painless (helped by the anaesthetic!) and provided fantastic results.
Www.spmubygail.co.uk
As eyebrows are suppose to have a natural hairy look about them Gail would just quickly tattoo lots of little hairs that gave them such a realistic effect.
As my trust in Gail was sky high I decided to go for it with the tattoo eyeliner. This really was the bain of my life putting on eyeliner every morning still and I really felt I looked awful with out that definition around my eyes. I had poked my self in the eye one too many times so I went for it! I was really scared and I thought that it was going to be the most painful thing ever but it was not too bad! She had a great technique of pulling my eye really tight while I held my eyes closed. She also uses anaesthetics here too which really numb the eye lid and help with any discomfort. I wont lie to you... I really did look like I had been crying for hours afterwards... My lids really swelled up but oh my god it is totally worth it! I love my eyeliner its amazing. I think that if my hair grew back I would still have it done as it just look fantastic and you don’t need to waste you time in the morning with make up. I tend to add a little bit more eyeliner to my eyes for a more dramatic effect and after a few 6 months I use a bit of eye pencil too as it starts to fade a little. I think a top up once every 9months to a year is probably what you need.
The procedure can be expensive... Eyebrow are about £300 and the eyeliner is about £250. Gail will give you a discount thought if you go keep going back to her though which is really helpful.
Hopefully this will really help some of you out!
Thursday, 1 October 2009
Alopecia Beauty Tips Top Ten
Ever since my article came out in the Daily Mail/Marie Clare last month and my apearance on GMTV with Lorraine Kelly i have had such a fantastic response from hundreds of women. I just wanted let you know how amazed i was at the number of women out there with Alopecia. Lorraine Kelly said that 1 millon women in the country are effected by Alopecia at some stage in their lives but i think that this could easily be more! I use to think that very few women had Alopecia but it turns out that i was very wrong.
Many of the women who have contacted me are amazing, they have found their own way of coping with alopecia and they have not let it take over their lives in a negative way at all!
Years ago the thought of going to an Alopecia awareness evening to chat to other women about alopecia was not something i would have wanted to do as i thought it would be lots of women being depressed about having alopecia. As i just wanted to get on with my live it was not somewhere i could imagaine my self going... but turns out i was very wrong again, these evenings were probably full of women who are positive and wanted to help other women who were recently suffering with the effects of alopecia.
I think that eventually we all find our own way of coping, but the people that i would like to help are the women who are new to our alopecia club and don't know where to turn or the 1st thing about wigs. Many of the women who have contacted me say they wish they had my website to turn to when they found out they had alopecia. My site is purly base on what i would have loved as a 15 year old girl as i was when Alopecia really started to play a big part in my life. Of course the website is for everyone but my experience has played a huge part in how i put it together.
I have responded to every single e-mail with as much infomation that i can think of but often i am asked the same questions so i am going to give you my top 5 answers to your most popular questions in all the e-mails that i have been sent....
Where did i get my wig from???
Oh wigs, wigs, wigs, they can be your bestfriend or worst enemy! haha. I've had 13 years experimenting with wigs so I think I've got quite a good eye at knowing what looks like a wig and how to make something unnatural look natural, I prefer that hint of 'bed-hair'.
Isn't it frustrating how much wigs costs? and that the nhs will only provide synthetic wigs. I find that for human hair wigs www.wigsworld.co.uk are very good because they are all handtied so I don't have to worry about hair moving a little to expose my scalp which can happen in left-weft/machine made wigs. HOWEVER because their prices have almost doubled you can get the same synthetic wigs at www.contrastwigs.co.uk for under less than half the price! I also go on ebay but I'm dubious about the quality, but you can find some bargins.
The wigs i use on a daily basis really do cost so much.. My most recent purchase has been just over £2000 and what is worse is that it arrived and I was not happy with it so it has gone back to be re-made. I ordered it this time last year and I still don’t have it. Such a waiting game for a custom made wig but hopefully it will be worth it. I have bought this wig from Nu Hair Technology as they have a slightly different method than the wigs that I usually buy from Trendco. I normally buy the custom made ultra lights. They cost just under £2000 but this would be less if i got shorter hair. Also look out for autum sales... my wig salon Husons in manchester offer a buy one get one free every year! My wigs last a few years but every 6 months I send them in to have maintenance done on them... have more hair added and died as the colour will have lightened from the sunlight. I live in Manchester and because of my postcode I am not entitled to a real hair wig! If I lived 5 miles down the road I would but I like where I live. What to do!? I have a different wig for the gym and holidays too as bad to do all the straightening and washing too often... I try to just wash my hair main hair once a week to extend the life and I never sleep in them. Dry shampoo in a can is great for just improving the fringe and just giving you one more wear out of it.
As I said the 1st wig I had was really awful and put me off synthetic wigs for many years and I thought that the only option for me was to spend large amount of money on my wigs... I have recently found out that this is not the case and in fact some synthetic wigs are really fantastic. Especially for holidays as they just dry in the style that they are made into. It was a life saver on my month long honeymoon where were travelled around the world. My real hair custom made wigs require all the faff of styling and drying them. When I was younger and had more time as a single lady I would be happy to spend the evening beautifying myself but now as a married lady with a husband and a dog to run around after I have less time for myself, so these wigs are very appealing!
Now that Trevor Sorbie is training hairdressers to style wigs you will be able to get that really tailored look from a much cheaper synthetic off the peg wig. Please see my article in Marie Claire ... I went to the Trevor Sorbie salon in London and he cut a cute little bob for me out of an off the peg synthetic wig and it looked fantastic! I am more use to the customised fit of an ultra light type of wig but it was still so much fun trying lots of different styles on. I had a ball! The article is about how Trevor Sorbie offers this service to women who wear wigs. I will keep you up dated as to what Trevor is doing and you can see for yourselfs by looking at www.mynewhair.org
The next wig on my shopping list is the vital wig by Trendco
Vital Hair is the latest addition to our custom made range and is the new generation of hair. Vital stands for Vitality, Innovation, Touch & Feel, Accuracy, and Longevity. It is a revolutionary product which looks feels and behaves just like real hair with all the benefits of artificial hair. Like real hair with Vital Hair you can swim, shower and sauna, wash, blow dry and heat style. Unlike real hair Vital Hair is durable, soft, colour constant and easy to care for, its stronger, lighter and more heat resistant than real hair. The unique quality of Vital Hair is that once you have created the hair-style you want it will stay that way no matter how many times you wash it! As with all our custom made pieces Vital Hair is specially designed just for you.
This sounds too good to be true but will let you know when or if i buy it.
Right that is all i can think of about wigs at the moment... The next blog will be about eyelashes!
Will post this tomorrow though as i need to go to sleep.
Aimee xxx
Many of the women who have contacted me are amazing, they have found their own way of coping with alopecia and they have not let it take over their lives in a negative way at all!
Years ago the thought of going to an Alopecia awareness evening to chat to other women about alopecia was not something i would have wanted to do as i thought it would be lots of women being depressed about having alopecia. As i just wanted to get on with my live it was not somewhere i could imagaine my self going... but turns out i was very wrong again, these evenings were probably full of women who are positive and wanted to help other women who were recently suffering with the effects of alopecia.
I think that eventually we all find our own way of coping, but the people that i would like to help are the women who are new to our alopecia club and don't know where to turn or the 1st thing about wigs. Many of the women who have contacted me say they wish they had my website to turn to when they found out they had alopecia. My site is purly base on what i would have loved as a 15 year old girl as i was when Alopecia really started to play a big part in my life. Of course the website is for everyone but my experience has played a huge part in how i put it together.
I have responded to every single e-mail with as much infomation that i can think of but often i am asked the same questions so i am going to give you my top 5 answers to your most popular questions in all the e-mails that i have been sent....
Where did i get my wig from???
Oh wigs, wigs, wigs, they can be your bestfriend or worst enemy! haha. I've had 13 years experimenting with wigs so I think I've got quite a good eye at knowing what looks like a wig and how to make something unnatural look natural, I prefer that hint of 'bed-hair'.
Isn't it frustrating how much wigs costs? and that the nhs will only provide synthetic wigs. I find that for human hair wigs www.wigsworld.co.uk are very good because they are all handtied so I don't have to worry about hair moving a little to expose my scalp which can happen in left-weft/machine made wigs. HOWEVER because their prices have almost doubled you can get the same synthetic wigs at www.contrastwigs.co.uk for under less than half the price! I also go on ebay but I'm dubious about the quality, but you can find some bargins.
The wigs i use on a daily basis really do cost so much.. My most recent purchase has been just over £2000 and what is worse is that it arrived and I was not happy with it so it has gone back to be re-made. I ordered it this time last year and I still don’t have it. Such a waiting game for a custom made wig but hopefully it will be worth it. I have bought this wig from Nu Hair Technology as they have a slightly different method than the wigs that I usually buy from Trendco. I normally buy the custom made ultra lights. They cost just under £2000 but this would be less if i got shorter hair. Also look out for autum sales... my wig salon Husons in manchester offer a buy one get one free every year! My wigs last a few years but every 6 months I send them in to have maintenance done on them... have more hair added and died as the colour will have lightened from the sunlight. I live in Manchester and because of my postcode I am not entitled to a real hair wig! If I lived 5 miles down the road I would but I like where I live. What to do!? I have a different wig for the gym and holidays too as bad to do all the straightening and washing too often... I try to just wash my hair main hair once a week to extend the life and I never sleep in them. Dry shampoo in a can is great for just improving the fringe and just giving you one more wear out of it.
As I said the 1st wig I had was really awful and put me off synthetic wigs for many years and I thought that the only option for me was to spend large amount of money on my wigs... I have recently found out that this is not the case and in fact some synthetic wigs are really fantastic. Especially for holidays as they just dry in the style that they are made into. It was a life saver on my month long honeymoon where were travelled around the world. My real hair custom made wigs require all the faff of styling and drying them. When I was younger and had more time as a single lady I would be happy to spend the evening beautifying myself but now as a married lady with a husband and a dog to run around after I have less time for myself, so these wigs are very appealing!
Now that Trevor Sorbie is training hairdressers to style wigs you will be able to get that really tailored look from a much cheaper synthetic off the peg wig. Please see my article in Marie Claire ... I went to the Trevor Sorbie salon in London and he cut a cute little bob for me out of an off the peg synthetic wig and it looked fantastic! I am more use to the customised fit of an ultra light type of wig but it was still so much fun trying lots of different styles on. I had a ball! The article is about how Trevor Sorbie offers this service to women who wear wigs. I will keep you up dated as to what Trevor is doing and you can see for yourselfs by looking at www.mynewhair.org
The next wig on my shopping list is the vital wig by Trendco
Vital Hair is the latest addition to our custom made range and is the new generation of hair. Vital stands for Vitality, Innovation, Touch & Feel, Accuracy, and Longevity. It is a revolutionary product which looks feels and behaves just like real hair with all the benefits of artificial hair. Like real hair with Vital Hair you can swim, shower and sauna, wash, blow dry and heat style. Unlike real hair Vital Hair is durable, soft, colour constant and easy to care for, its stronger, lighter and more heat resistant than real hair. The unique quality of Vital Hair is that once you have created the hair-style you want it will stay that way no matter how many times you wash it! As with all our custom made pieces Vital Hair is specially designed just for you.
This sounds too good to be true but will let you know when or if i buy it.
Right that is all i can think of about wigs at the moment... The next blog will be about eyelashes!
Will post this tomorrow though as i need to go to sleep.
Aimee xxx
Wigs Wigs and more Wigs
I just found this really great article by Trevor Sorbie and thought i would share with you. You can never know too much about wigs i say! :o) I spoke about Trevor Sorbie when i was on GMTV so please do look up what he is doing. www.mynewhair.org. You can find loads of other useful links on my website www.alopeciabeautytips.com.
Need advice on getting the perfect wig? Get Trevor Sorbie's top advice and information here
About wigs
The single most important thing about making a wig look real is to ensure that the wig is customised to suit your face shape- in my experience you don't need to have a real hair wig to make it look real.
It's about getting the right advice and having the wig cut and shaped to suit your face. Also you don't need to pay a fortune. Most wig suppliers can fit and customise a wig from around £70.00. As I write these words technology is advancing and the quality and variety of wigs that are available increases all the time.
If you just walk into a wig shop and try on a wig it will normally not suit you immediately. This is because colour choice, customising of the wig, and correct product usage are essential for the most effective finished result.
There are many different types of wig but here is a brief explanation of what is most commonly available.
- Synthetic hair wigs
Synthetic hair wigs are made from a fibre - much like clothing fabric. But believe me once the wig has been customised and styling product added it looks incredibly real, and is, in fact, my favourite choice. Synthetic wigs are easy to take care of and you can wash the wig in warm water - condition it (using a fabric conditioner) and then as it dries it will re form its shape - this makes it very easy to take care of especially if you are feeling unwell. - Real hair wigs
These are made from 100% human hair - generally speaking this hair comes from Asian countries where it is accepted practice for women to sell their hair. This hair is then cleansed, chemically treated, coloured and made into a wig. You need to take good care of a real hair wig and remember that just like real hair; it has to be blow-dried into style after each shampoo. A real hair wig is more expensive then a synthetic hair wig and requires more care. - Made-to-measure
I don't recommend this service as a made-to-measure wig can take up to two months to make and will normally not be ready before your treatment begins. Made-to-measure wigs are normally worn by people who suffer from "alopecia" which is permanent hair loss. - Customise or ready-to-wear
It really comes down to availability and suitability. You can buy some wigs that you can wear immediately but, in my experience, most wigs look more life-like when they have been trimmed to suit your face shape. Many wigs have over 40% too much hair in them and need to be thinned down to look more natural. Also, just as when cutting real hair, a wig should be customised to the individual. For example, layering around the face, or cutting a fringe - it really does make a big difference and with a wig the this is what makes it look real.
Products and care
It is extremely important to take good care of your wig. To wash and clean regularly and to understand what type of products you can and can't use.
For example, a synthetic wig is not real hair so you can't use tongs or straightening irons on these as they may melt the hair! However, you can use hair serum to make the wig shiner and more life-like. Generally speaking each wig will come with a care and advice label to tell you how to maintain the condition.
Trevor Sorbies - Wig head check list
Before looking through this check list I really recommend that you have spoken to your Consultant and know what is available to you from the NHS.
- Locate a local salon or wig suppliers that can offer you advice
- Think about what type of style you would like - just like a normal visit to the salon, take some pictures from magazines and think about what style you would like - have fun here, it's a chance to change your looks if you wish
- If you have already lost your hair then take along a picture of how your natural hair used to look
- Decide whether you want a real hair or synthetic wig
- Ensure that you have spoken to your Consultant to see if you are eligible for an NHS prescription towards your wig. When contacting your wig supplier ensure that they can process this for you and that they are able to explain how the process works
- If you are buying a wig for medical reasons and are not using a NHS prescription then you can claim back the VAT. Ask your wig supplier for a VAT exemption form
- Prior to your treatment I recommend that you have your own hair cut into a shorter style so that if you do lose your hair it is not such a shock.
- Call around to local salons and wig suppliers - ask if you can talk to someone on the phone or go in and have a consultation
- Make sure that you budget for your wig and know all of the expenses involved.
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
GMTV with Lorraine Kelly - Bad Hair Day!
If you had told me just over 24 hours ago that this morning i would be sat on the GMTV sofa with Lorraine Kelly i would not have believed you. At about 10 am yesterday morning i got a phone call asking me to come on the show to raise awareness for Alopecia. To say that i was excited would be an understatement! The show would be talking about Bad Hair Day....
Bad Hair Day urges the UK to be brave for one day of the year, September 29th, and go out into the world with Bad Hair in an effort to raise awareness for Alopecia.
Bad Hair Day is the first national day of awareness for the condition Alopecia.
Taking place during Alopecia Awareness Month, September 29th will
see thousands of people in the UK forget their daily routine of styling
their hair in the morning and go out into the world with Bad Hair.
How we as human beings wear our hair is representative of our
individuality, our personality, and ultimately our identity. How would
you feel if that was taken away from you?
By participating in a Bad Hair Day, you are helping to raise awareness
for Alopecia - thinking about those who do not have the option to
style their hair in the morning, those of us who the term 'bad hair day'
means something a lot more personal and emotional.
So, put down the hairbrush, walk away from the wax, and drop those
GHD's for BHD 2009 - do you dare to have bad hair?
I got the train to London that afternoon and was put up in a lovely hotel and even had a driver waiting for me at the train station! So far GMTV were making me feel very special.
Everyone kept asking me if i was nervous but i was more worried about what i was going to wear in front of millions of viewers... I could talk about Alopecia for hours and hours as i feel i have such a lot to say. I have been working on my Alopecia Beauty Tips website for over 6 months and its a subject that i am hugely passionate about and i knew i would not be short of a few things to say! However i was nervous as i felt a great sense of responsibility to do all the millions of people who have alopecia proud of what i said on the show and proud of what i brought to Alopecia Awareness and Bad Hair Day.
Lorraine says to me "you don't usually let people see you without your wig do you?" I said "No, I am not ashamed of Alopecia but i prefer to wear a wig as i don't want Alopecia to define who i am, but as today is Bad Hair Day i want to show the world the real me and help bring positive awareness to help other young women like me". While saying this i took off my wig in front of the cameras! Everyone was very excited and said how beautiful i was with and without my wig. It was a very invigorating moment!
Friday, 25 September 2009
Wig Worries
Over the years i have been able to cope with lots of wig associated problems... Roller Coster rides, big gusts of wind, driving along in a convertible car... The answer to these problems has been wig tape! I have gone through rolls and rolls of the stuff over the years as i never ever wanted to have an embarrassing moment of chasing after my wig down the street! I read a story about that happening to one women and i vowed right then and there, that second ,that it would never ever happen to me. So far so good!
Other wig related problems that i have come across are oh god the telling people that you wear a wig... Even if i am fine with the situation it is very difficult just saying one day to a friend who you have had a few hair related conversations with that you quickly change the subject on! By the way i wear a wig cause i have alopecia. Not the easiest thing to drop into conversation. Sometimes i wish i just said right from the beginning. The longer you go on the harder it is to tell someone. Its a tricky one. My way was going on a national newspaper... now everyone knows for now and it feels great. But in life i am always going to be faced with when to tell new friends that i make. The issue that i have is that because i wear such a fantastic wig, people would never know so that choice of telling people is up to you. The most worrying person off all to tell is a love interest! You think they are just going to get up and run away from you but i can honestly say that the reaction from guys has always been great. People always think of the worst that could happen in these situations but the most likely situation is that they will just admire you for this hard thing you have had to go through. But also chose to tell people after a few dates first! :o)
The other wig problems i have had over the years is going on a beach holiday or even just a city break holiday! At home i have my getting ready routine down to a fine art but taking that routine to a hotel room can sometimes be a right pain. That matched with a sandy beach and sizzling temperatures can be a bit daunting. You don't want to spend half your holiday in the hotel room getting ready either... enjoy yourself! Have a week or two off from the beauty routine. So you have a few options. You are in a foreign country no-one knows you. You could a. get your head out in the sun and be free of your wig. or b. ( this is my option cause i prefer to wear a wig) Get yourself some holiday hair! Leave your expensive hair real hair wig at home and get yourself an off the peg synthetic wig that when you wash it remembers the style. It dries in minutes! I go for the really short Posh Becks doo, get myself some big stylish sunglasses and that is all you need. I keep a can of cooling spray in my hand bag that i can spray on my head if needed (Magicool is a really good make that you can pick up from Boots). Also to make life even easier i have semi permanent make up for my eyebrows and eyeliner. This is great for saving so much time for holidays and everyday life!
For years i have messed about with taking my real hair wigs on holiday and wasted so much time and been so unhappy with how i looked. Now i just pop on my fab little bob hair style and i am out the door! Now i get ready faster than my Husband :o)
Monday, 14 September 2009
Lulu O'Hagan
Just wanted to make sure you all checked out if you have not seen already Lulu O'Hagen's article in the Times. Lulu has Alopecia too and her story is fantastic. It is written like lots of diary entry's over the time her hair fell out. It brought back a lot of memories for me. My hair fell out such a long time ago that I sometimes find it hard to tell people about it cause I can’t remember!? Crazy as it sounds now. She is also in Top Sante magazine this month. Good to see another women with Alopecia speaking out!
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6632321.ece
She has some great tips on for any woman with Alopecia...
DO
1. Try to keep the panic to a minimum - I would never say don't panic as it is impossible !
2. Book in with your doctors, so that they see the start of it.
3. Have all the relevant blood test checks. B12, Ferritin (stored iron), perimenopausal (if you are that kind of age), Thyroid.
4. Ask for a referral to a dermatologist - they also cover hair loss. They can usually give you an NHS presciption for wigs.
5. Go and see a Trichologist too - if you can afford it.
6. Allow yourself to grieve the loss of your hair even though it may come back.
7. Remember you are still you, on the planet, alive, even without hair.
8. Make sure you try NHS wig suggestions first - they are much better than you would think. They are sold in various shops. Mine was from a shop in Notting Hill, London, where Lily Allen gets hers! They last for around 3 months so give you time to breathe and think about other options.
9. If you choose real hair wigs - for long hair especially don't use Indian hair - they mat dreadfully, go for European/ American/ Chinese hair.
10. Always ask the salon what kind of hair they use!!
DON'T
1. Turn into a panic-stricken headless chicken like I did!
2. Spend a fortune on supplements at the health shop.
3. Go to the first wig-making salon that look like they can help. Deep breaths and research first.
4. Feel guilty that you are so upset without being diagnosed with cancer. Cancer patients have written to me that facing losing their hair was almost worse than facing losing a breast. Each person is entitled to deal with such a shock in their own way.
5. Get too annoyed with people who say "wish I could just take off my hair and wash it", think of all the hairdressing bills you are saving" etc, etc. they are just trying to be positive / helpful!"
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6632321.ece
She has some great tips on for any woman with Alopecia...
DO
1. Try to keep the panic to a minimum - I would never say don't panic as it is impossible !
2. Book in with your doctors, so that they see the start of it.
3. Have all the relevant blood test checks. B12, Ferritin (stored iron), perimenopausal (if you are that kind of age), Thyroid.
4. Ask for a referral to a dermatologist - they also cover hair loss. They can usually give you an NHS presciption for wigs.
5. Go and see a Trichologist too - if you can afford it.
6. Allow yourself to grieve the loss of your hair even though it may come back.
7. Remember you are still you, on the planet, alive, even without hair.
8. Make sure you try NHS wig suggestions first - they are much better than you would think. They are sold in various shops. Mine was from a shop in Notting Hill, London, where Lily Allen gets hers! They last for around 3 months so give you time to breathe and think about other options.
9. If you choose real hair wigs - for long hair especially don't use Indian hair - they mat dreadfully, go for European/ American/ Chinese hair.
10. Always ask the salon what kind of hair they use!!
DON'T
1. Turn into a panic-stricken headless chicken like I did!
2. Spend a fortune on supplements at the health shop.
3. Go to the first wig-making salon that look like they can help. Deep breaths and research first.
4. Feel guilty that you are so upset without being diagnosed with cancer. Cancer patients have written to me that facing losing their hair was almost worse than facing losing a breast. Each person is entitled to deal with such a shock in their own way.
5. Get too annoyed with people who say "wish I could just take off my hair and wash it", think of all the hairdressing bills you are saving" etc, etc. they are just trying to be positive / helpful!"
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Eye Lashes
Hello out there again. Just want to thank everyone for the continued support and for all the amazingly kind messages! I am so pleased that AOL posted my story on their website for even more of you to see.
I just recieved a fantastic offer from the bald girls do lunch! http://www.baldgirlsdolunch.org/ They are a fabulous bunch of women who have alopecia and encourage other women with alopecia to meet up and talk to each other. I have watched a few interviews with them and they are great fun.
Anyhow on to the offer that they told me about....
If you buy from falseeyelashesstore.com and use code BGDL at checkout they will give 15% off their already amazing prices. We're delighted to have this online store as one of our supporters because we really like their products and that they are an exceptional value. Some companies like to put the words :" for alopecia" in their marketing materials and charge three times the normal price. So we like to look for companies that are more fair and respectful.
I used to wear false eyelashes every day! I got such a good knack that i could put them on in seconds... i found the best eyelash glue that made them stay on all day and tried loads of different eye lashes and found some nice natural ones. The ones i wore were just some that i picked up from the local chemist. They would last me about a week. Blinkies also make some good eyelashes http://www.blinkiesonline.com/ . Some lashes can be a bit too much for eveyday so you just have to try a few different and see what works for you. Eyelashes can help to really transform the way that you look. So its fun to give them a go. see my free video clip
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAL7GkBrduE
After a few years of wearing them everyday i just got fed up to be honest with you :o) and i started to be a bit lazy and not bother unless i was going out. I find that using a nice eyeliner is just as effective and much more comfortable. I get a little pot of eyeliner from http://www.bobbibrown.com and apply the liner neatly to add definition to my eye. Also http://www.cheryn.com/ is also a great website for make up products for women with alopecia. Cheryn does a great little demonstration video and i also go into great detail on my DVD as to how i apply my eye make up. But it's down to you how you would like to apply your own make up. It just takes lots of practice! Good luck and let me know if you need any further infomation.
Aimee xxx
I just recieved a fantastic offer from the bald girls do lunch! http://www.baldgirlsdolunch.org/ They are a fabulous bunch of women who have alopecia and encourage other women with alopecia to meet up and talk to each other. I have watched a few interviews with them and they are great fun.
Anyhow on to the offer that they told me about....
If you buy from falseeyelashesstore.com and use code BGDL at checkout they will give 15% off their already amazing prices. We're delighted to have this online store as one of our supporters because we really like their products and that they are an exceptional value. Some companies like to put the words :" for alopecia" in their marketing materials and charge three times the normal price. So we like to look for companies that are more fair and respectful.
I used to wear false eyelashes every day! I got such a good knack that i could put them on in seconds... i found the best eyelash glue that made them stay on all day and tried loads of different eye lashes and found some nice natural ones. The ones i wore were just some that i picked up from the local chemist. They would last me about a week. Blinkies also make some good eyelashes http://www.blinkiesonline.com/ . Some lashes can be a bit too much for eveyday so you just have to try a few different and see what works for you. Eyelashes can help to really transform the way that you look. So its fun to give them a go. see my free video clip
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAL7GkBrduE
After a few years of wearing them everyday i just got fed up to be honest with you :o) and i started to be a bit lazy and not bother unless i was going out. I find that using a nice eyeliner is just as effective and much more comfortable. I get a little pot of eyeliner from http://www.bobbibrown.com and apply the liner neatly to add definition to my eye. Also http://www.cheryn.com/ is also a great website for make up products for women with alopecia. Cheryn does a great little demonstration video and i also go into great detail on my DVD as to how i apply my eye make up. But it's down to you how you would like to apply your own make up. It just takes lots of practice! Good luck and let me know if you need any further infomation.
Aimee xxx
Sunday, 6 September 2009
A week after the Daily Mail Article
So it has been about a week since my article in the Daily Mail came out... It has been rather busy!
My husband was driving me to work that morning and we popped into the shop to see if the article was in the Daily Mail... All I knew was that is was going to be in on a Tuesday. The Tuesday before was a no show so i was half expecting it not to be there until i saw my great big picture looking at me! Wow to say i was nervous going into work was an understatement. I sloped in and sat down thinking OMG everyone knows this big secret that i have been trying to cover up all this time and that feeling was extraordinary... It was actually quite envigorating! Throughout the day i was getting little messages from work collegues saying how amazing i was and brave. I felt much better and really felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders.
That evening i got home and opened up my e-mail and wow what a response! I had litiraly hundreds of supportive messages and instantly i knew that i had done the right thing. Messages from fellow women with Alopecia who had similar stories to me and people just offering their support, Radio show broadcasters inviting me on to their shows for a chat and even GMTV had been in touch! Earlier that day i felt a little exposed as all my work collegues knew this very intimate detail about me... i had no hair all over my body! But all those feelings had disapeared the minute my inbox went ping ping ping ping ping!!!
First of all i was called up by Talk Radio Europe
www.talkradioeurope.com Spain´s largest English speaking radio network, broadcasting to approx a million listeners. They rang me while i was in work and i ran outsite to talk... I work right next door to Manchester Airport and while i was talking on the radio planes kept flying over heat! What a nightmare.
Then i was talking to BBC Radio Leeds who rang me at about 10pm... this was much more relaxed as i was in my own home and could hear myself think!
Then i went into the BBC Studio in Manchester and was interviewed there by Heather Stott.... You can listen to this here...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0046t48/Heather_Stott_04_09_2009/
I am on about half way through the show after Abba... It was so exciting being in the actual studio and Heather was great fun and so easy to talk to.
Hopefully i will be going on GMTV in the next few weeks and i am keeping everything crossed as i really feel like i am on a role now and i really dont want this awarness that i am creating to die down!
The next exciting part of the week was when the Marie Claire Article i was in came out. This came out on Thursday i think... well thats when i found it in my local Sainsburys! About 2 months before i had applied to an advert for a women with Alopecia to have a wig cut by none other than theeeee Trevor Sorbie! A Marie Claire jounalist and a photographer would be there to document all the on goings in the salon... They phoned me up and actually picked me! It was very exciting and i could not believe i was going to be in Marie Claire raising awareness for Alopecia.
I am guessing that next week I will not have quite such a high profile but the most important thing about the article is that i have got in touch with so many women with Alopecia! It has given me even more drive than i have ever had before to help and chat to you all about Alopecia Beauty Tips. What i would love is if we all get our tips together and put them all on this Blog!? As much as i have quite a few tricks up my sleeve i am sure you all have your own way of coping with Alopecia as much as i have.
My husband was driving me to work that morning and we popped into the shop to see if the article was in the Daily Mail... All I knew was that is was going to be in on a Tuesday. The Tuesday before was a no show so i was half expecting it not to be there until i saw my great big picture looking at me! Wow to say i was nervous going into work was an understatement. I sloped in and sat down thinking OMG everyone knows this big secret that i have been trying to cover up all this time and that feeling was extraordinary... It was actually quite envigorating! Throughout the day i was getting little messages from work collegues saying how amazing i was and brave. I felt much better and really felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders.
That evening i got home and opened up my e-mail and wow what a response! I had litiraly hundreds of supportive messages and instantly i knew that i had done the right thing. Messages from fellow women with Alopecia who had similar stories to me and people just offering their support, Radio show broadcasters inviting me on to their shows for a chat and even GMTV had been in touch! Earlier that day i felt a little exposed as all my work collegues knew this very intimate detail about me... i had no hair all over my body! But all those feelings had disapeared the minute my inbox went ping ping ping ping ping!!!
First of all i was called up by Talk Radio Europe
www.talkradioeurope.com Spain´s largest English speaking radio network, broadcasting to approx a million listeners. They rang me while i was in work and i ran outsite to talk... I work right next door to Manchester Airport and while i was talking on the radio planes kept flying over heat! What a nightmare.
Then i was talking to BBC Radio Leeds who rang me at about 10pm... this was much more relaxed as i was in my own home and could hear myself think!
Then i went into the BBC Studio in Manchester and was interviewed there by Heather Stott.... You can listen to this here...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0046t48/Heather_Stott_04_09_2009/
I am on about half way through the show after Abba... It was so exciting being in the actual studio and Heather was great fun and so easy to talk to.
Hopefully i will be going on GMTV in the next few weeks and i am keeping everything crossed as i really feel like i am on a role now and i really dont want this awarness that i am creating to die down!
The next exciting part of the week was when the Marie Claire Article i was in came out. This came out on Thursday i think... well thats when i found it in my local Sainsburys! About 2 months before i had applied to an advert for a women with Alopecia to have a wig cut by none other than theeeee Trevor Sorbie! A Marie Claire jounalist and a photographer would be there to document all the on goings in the salon... They phoned me up and actually picked me! It was very exciting and i could not believe i was going to be in Marie Claire raising awareness for Alopecia.
I am guessing that next week I will not have quite such a high profile but the most important thing about the article is that i have got in touch with so many women with Alopecia! It has given me even more drive than i have ever had before to help and chat to you all about Alopecia Beauty Tips. What i would love is if we all get our tips together and put them all on this Blog!? As much as i have quite a few tricks up my sleeve i am sure you all have your own way of coping with Alopecia as much as i have.
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
Daily Mail
Hello Everyone!
You are probably reading this Blog of mine because you will have just read the article that was written about me in the Daily Mail today. I thought you might like to hear the story of how I ended up there!
I have had Alopecia since i was 12 years old and all the advise that i was ever offered on Alopecia was all doom and gloom! Soooo depressing. Over the years i have come to terms with Alopecia and got rather good at looking good with Alopecia. My Husband who is a huge inspiration to me and who constantly tells me how great i look suggested that i start a website giving other women with Alopecia tips on how i look good with Alopecia. Tips on wigs, make up and just general tips on life with Alopecia.
That was all about 6 months ago and in that time i have put together a great website with my Husbands help and filmed myself, with just little old me talking to the camera and revealing all my tips! It was a big job all by myself with all the editing it needed... lets just say i was not a natural to begin with! :o) But i got there in the end with a DVD that i am very proud of.
After i finished my Website and DVD my then boyfriend asked me to marry him and i started to plan my wedding! I now have a zillion other tips about how to look great for your wedding day that you can use for your wedding or just when you want to really look your absolute best!
My Story ended up in the Daily Mail because my Sister, who works in PR, was talking to a Journalist who was looking for a really inspirational piece and my sister told her all about my story and how i was setting up my website. So here i am!
I really hope that i have brought some great, fresh new awareness to Alopecia!
Please keep a look out for my Blog updates as i am sure that now this article is out i will be creating a lot more awareness.
Things i will be letting you know more about are...
My GMTV appearance
Being interview for Marie Clarie
Meeting Celebrity Hairdresser Trevor Sorbie and how he has given me an amazing hair cut from an inexpensive off the peg wig.
Being interviewed for BBC radio stations
Let me know if there is anything that you would like me to write about... I have had loads of questions about my wigs and i will go through in detail about the best wigs to buy whether you can spend £100 or £1000!
Will update again soon.
Aimee xx
You are probably reading this Blog of mine because you will have just read the article that was written about me in the Daily Mail today. I thought you might like to hear the story of how I ended up there!
I have had Alopecia since i was 12 years old and all the advise that i was ever offered on Alopecia was all doom and gloom! Soooo depressing. Over the years i have come to terms with Alopecia and got rather good at looking good with Alopecia. My Husband who is a huge inspiration to me and who constantly tells me how great i look suggested that i start a website giving other women with Alopecia tips on how i look good with Alopecia. Tips on wigs, make up and just general tips on life with Alopecia.
That was all about 6 months ago and in that time i have put together a great website with my Husbands help and filmed myself, with just little old me talking to the camera and revealing all my tips! It was a big job all by myself with all the editing it needed... lets just say i was not a natural to begin with! :o) But i got there in the end with a DVD that i am very proud of.
After i finished my Website and DVD my then boyfriend asked me to marry him and i started to plan my wedding! I now have a zillion other tips about how to look great for your wedding day that you can use for your wedding or just when you want to really look your absolute best!
My Story ended up in the Daily Mail because my Sister, who works in PR, was talking to a Journalist who was looking for a really inspirational piece and my sister told her all about my story and how i was setting up my website. So here i am!
I really hope that i have brought some great, fresh new awareness to Alopecia!
Please keep a look out for my Blog updates as i am sure that now this article is out i will be creating a lot more awareness.
Things i will be letting you know more about are...
My GMTV appearance
Being interview for Marie Clarie
Meeting Celebrity Hairdresser Trevor Sorbie and how he has given me an amazing hair cut from an inexpensive off the peg wig.
Being interviewed for BBC radio stations
Let me know if there is anything that you would like me to write about... I have had loads of questions about my wigs and i will go through in detail about the best wigs to buy whether you can spend £100 or £1000!
Will update again soon.
Aimee xx
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