Yesterday, while my husband and I were out we passed by a Wig store. He swung into the parking lot and asked if I wanted to go in and just look around. I hesitated, but I've been curious so we went in, and ultimately wound up purchasing a wig. WHAT??!! I will probably pick it up next Saturday. First of all..... I want to make this clear that I have been experiencing Hair Loss for 11 years now. I do not want to scare anyone reading this that is thinking of having Gastric Bypass surgery into thinking the same will happen to them. Yes, it is common to experience some hair loss, but not to the extent where one would need a wig. Because my hair was already SO THIN on top, it has pushed me to that point where I think I need one.
I began this blog with the commitment to blog openly and honestly. It is hard to do sometimes, but in honor of that commitment, I am posting pictures of my hair below so you can get an idea of what I'm talking about. I used to wear my hair over to the side and it hid my thinning hair fairly well unless you stood over me in a bright light. But after the past two weeks of losing my hair every time I shower, I have been forced to pull my bangs straight back to try to hide my scalp. But even, that is getting hard.
Here I am last weekend with my hair "styled" in the only way I have found to cover my scalp. As you can see, my hair is really, really thin on top, and no matter how I arrange my hair, I have places where my scalp shows through, in the front, and in the back unless my hair is laying just right.
Please excuse these next two pictures. I wore my hair curly (it's naturally curly) yesterday to try and maybe add volume and help cover my scalp. When I got up this morning and decided to blog about it, I went ahead and snapped two pictures prior to taking a shower. And my hair is WILD (what little you can actually see of hair in this next set). But this is what I am dealing with, and why I have decided to wear a wig.... if I can get up enough courage to actually wear it.
This is the top of my head with my hair parted over to the side like I USED to be able to wear it.
And here is the top of my head with my hair parted straight down the middle, which I never do, but you can see the extent of my hair loss.
I know.
This is extremely embarrassing.
Again... I want to put reiterate, this is NOT the normal.
I was headed to this point, BEFORE the surgery.
So yesterday, I tried two different wigs. I wanted to try to stay within my current length. I LOVED the color and cut of the first wig I tried on (no pictures were allowed in the store), and came VERY close to purchasing that one. It was kind of long on the sides and got a little bit shorter in the back, like that swing bob, or inverted wedge cut that is popular. Super Cute. It was a dark brown which is my natural hair color. But I was a little bothered by the seam down the wig. To me it looked like the hair had been singed. The lady that was helping me said it was a hand tied wig, very durable, and it is just the way they come. She showed me how to adjust the part, zigzagging small pieces of hair to hide it, and it did look better. I then tried on some Lace Front wigs, which gives you a more normal hair line and seam, but she said in all honesty they do not last long and are also more expensive. She said for a first wig, she did not recommend them. Then she said she wanted to try one more on me before we purchased the first one. The next wig she put on me had three different colors and blondish highlights. It looked a little more natural down the seam, partly because it looked like my "roots" were about to come through. My husband (who by the way is EXTREMELY supportive and I could not live without) and the shop lady LOVED the second wig on me. She said it was very flattering on me. The cut is similar to the way I used to have my hair styled about a year ago. I wasn't too sure about the blonde highlights though, and we debated for literally over an hour on different color options. I wanted a dark brown with a lighter brown highlights, so she had me try on other wigs just for a color reference. They were all too brassy, or reddish for my liking. She asked if I wanted to order it in a solid color, but the color on the wig is what MAKES that cut and style so cute. I went back and forth between the two wigs for a long time, trying on both again and again. I ultimately went with their suggestion of the second wig, in the original color because when it comes to myself I am HORRIBLE about being objective. Frankly..... I don't like anything right away, it always takes me a while.
So after next weekend, now that I will have a wig, the next step is finding the courage to wear it. The shop lady said to just be honest with coworkers and friends and tell them It's a wig, because eventually I'll want to get a new one with a different style and length. My husband has suggested wearing it on the weekends, and getting used to it for a while before trying to wear it at work. When I first start wearing it, regardless of where I'm at, I will be uncomfortable and it will feel weird. He said once I get used to the idea of wearing it and feeling more comfortable about it, I will be more
confident wearing it to work and around friends. Hmmm..... we'll see. I guess wearing a wig is better though, than looking bald.
