“Throughout the course of history attitudes towards baldness have been overwhelmingly negative.”

In today’s society, nothing much has changed in the thousands of years since The Silent Woman was written.

The emotional stress of losing your hair is challenging, to say the least. But it is substantially more devastating to women to lose their hair. In our society hair is the sign of youth and beauty. What woman wants to see that fly out the window? Unfortunately, a large part of the medical community looks at hair loss as an unimportant phenomena, and ignores the stress experienced by the patient.  The stigma which society deems upon this situation for women is so great that many women avoid looking for treatment. Instead they hope that nobody will notice.

It has been recommended that women experiencing hair loss should reach out to other women who have been through the same thing. These support groups can help a woman develop coping strategies. Because, while a hair loss professional can help these women and their self-image, the support group can help women in accepting the fact that their identity is not tied to their hair.

Below is a list of 11 affects hair loss incurs as listed by eMed Expert:

1. The end of youth. It is this simple formula that society dictates – Loss of hair = Loss of youth = Inevitable aging.

2. The inability to style one’s hair. It becomes more and more difficult to camouflage thinning hair and to achieve a style that is acceptable.

3. Dissatisfaction with appearance and body image. The hair loss can change a person’s look and lead to feelings of insecurity.

4. Low self-esteem. Face it, in today’s society physical beauty is a cornerstone of self-worth.

5. Loss of personal attractiveness and fear of not looking attractive to others. Hair has become a way of expressing individuality and determining attractiveness.

6. Embarrassment, loss of confidence, shyness. Statistics on this issue are almost impossible to compile because women hide a condition that they feel stigmatized by. But, we all know that a beautiful head of hair doesn’t automatically guarantee self-confidence.

7. Social teasing and humiliation. Society loves to tease and scorn a person who is different.

8. Feelings of depression and introversion. In some extreme cases the distress over hair loss can lead to depression.

9. Subconscious emotions of envy and jealousy. It is not uncommon for a woman experiencing hair loss to envy women with heads of thick hair.

10. Work-related problems. Women who have public careers that place them in front of the camera are likely to be more affected than women who are not.

11. Negative effects on social life. Hair loss sometimes leads to a reduction of social activities. EMed Expert goes on to explain, “Hair loss may cause the person to limit social activities. Some people avoid seeing friends and stop going out except to work.  Surveys have shown that around 40% of women with alopecia have had marital problems, and around 63% claimed to have career related problems.”

In conclusion, it is apparent that the stigma of hair loss, and the embarrassment felt by hair loss sufferers is a major problem facing many women today. But, there are solutions.  Women no longer need to suffer in silence.  Call Hairline Clinic 1.800.322.1237 for an appointment and consultation to discuss what we can do for you.