Do you know female baldness isn't always related to cancer?
When I started on this journey to create I Am More Than My Hair, a photography book and documentary film, I thought it would be smooth sailing. I assumed I could simply call various cancer organizations, and they would excitedly support my mission to emphasize that with or without hair, a woman is still beautiful. What I didn’t know then was that I was just as ignorant about hair loss as the audience with whom I wanted to share this story.
It's typical to make this assumption, unless you personally know a woman who's been affected by hair loss. The medical term "alopecia" simply means "the partial or complete absence of hair from areas of the body where it normally grows; baldness". A bald woman may have a cancer diagnosis, but it's not necessarily always the case.
A woman will most likely lose her hair as a side effect of chemotherapy treatment (also alopecia), but the main reason is due to stress, hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiency or autoimmune diseases.
The women I've met and interviewed for the film are very dear to me. Some are like family. They trusted me to not only tell me their stories but to also share it with the world. I feel honored to provide the platform. Here are a few pictures from the book and a trailer. I hope you've learned something new!
More info: Alyscia.com
Victoria
"My journey with alopecia began when I was 12, the age when I was just discovering who I was and what beauty meant to me. Because of the beauty standards I absorbed growing up, I believed that my bald patches meant I could never be beautiful. Eventually, I realized the harmful toll that beauty standards had taken on my mental health. I discovered my power and intrinsic worth. I realized I had always been beautiful and that self-love should not be a radical act."
Tamela
"My journey with alopecia has allowed me to come to the realization that I am more than my hair and that true, God-given beauty always comes from within. An epiphany that solidified my understanding of God's purpose for my journey is that the real secret to finding true, incontestable affirmations about oneself is to never look for it outward." ~Tamela
Serene
"Conformity to conventional expectations of feminine beauty comes with a certain burden upon women to constantly manipulate consuming props of long locks. The simplicity of a shaven, unadorned crown can have the surprising power to more authentically connect a woman to her core sense of femininity."
Sala
"Although I find a mirror in the eyes of others, I have learned that what I think of myself informs that reflection more than anything else. I seek out loving spaces and choose not to linger in places that do not support who I am or what I aspire to be."
Mumbi
"My experiences as a bald woman have been very positive. At first, I was worried that people would only see my bald head. But people always see me, which has helped me to see myself. I have learned that you are judged by what’s in your head, not what’s on it. This has confirmed for me that I am more than my hair."
Jameelah
"This journey to self-acceptance led me to start a support group in Washington, DC for women with alopecia, Sisters With Alopecia Group (SWAG). The beautiful bald women in this support group gave me the power to take off my wig and come out of hiding by helping me to cultivate a deeper spirit of self-acceptance, self-love, and self-confidence. They have helped me to see myself as beautiful with or without hair."
Amy
"Losing my hair has taught me to be a stronger, more confident woman, and I know I can handle whatever curve ball life sends my way! I am more than my hair because my external appearance does not represent all I have to offer on the inside." “Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.” —Maya Angelou