I was born with Alopecia areata, an autoimmune hair loss disease. Unfortunately, I have no hair on my body at all. Obviously, dealing with being bald is the hardest part to handle. People stare, people make jokes, people feel bad for me -- it's awkward. Luckily though, I'm not alone. Many women live with the same condition or are bald for other reasons. No one ever said being a 20- year-old bald girl would be easy, but there are a few plus sides to it.
1. You never have a bad hair day.
You don't have any hair to have a bad hair day with! Some women choose to wear wigs. Wigs are often made to be ready to wear, meaning not a whole lot of styling is necessary. Even if it does need styling, it doesn't take nearly as long because there's no blow drying, curling, or straightening.
2. Showers take about one minute.
You don't have to go through the long process of shampooing, rinsing, and conditioning, which saves oodles of time. If you are lucky and have no hair, you never have to shave anything. Which means no prickly legs or razor burn. Instead of all this, you jump in, wash up and jump out. Oh yeah, and your drain literally never gets plugged with hair.
3. You don't get nearly as sweaty when working out.
Ever get done working out and your hair is drenched? When you're bald, this is never an issue. Yes, your head will sweat -- but not nearly as much as if you had a full head of hair sitting on top of it. Some women wear a wig to workout, which makes sweating worse. But for those of us who can work out with nothing on, sweat is a breeze.
4. You don't pay ridiculous amounts of money for hair products and hair cuts.
According to a study done by Tresemme, the average woman spends (wait for it) $50,000 on her hair in her lifetime! In a year, a woman spends about $160 on shampoos and conditioners, $120 for hair products, $520 for hair cuts and styling, and women who color their hair pay about $330 per year. So, you can enjoy your hundreds some other way.
5. You can change up your look whenever you want.
You want to be blonde? Get a blonde wig. The next day you want to be a brunette? Throw on your brown wig. You can even go with a crazy color without having to use chemicals. If you don't feel like having hair, then go bald. The possibilities are endless.
6. Your eyes stand out like CRAZY.
When you don't have hair, your eyes are the main focus of your head. So your eyes really stand out and become one of your defining features. You will probably get a million compliments on how gorgeous your eyes are.
7. You never get too hot.
Usually, you are too cold if anything. In those hot summer months, the weather will be hot, but your head won't be! Much of your heat leaves through your head. Us bald people have nothing insulating their head, so we stay cooler.
8. You can be ready for the day in no time.
You can sleep in! Without washing your hair and worrying about blow drying, straightening, curling, or styling, getting ready is simple. It takes half the time to get ready before class or work. You just put on some quick make up, and off you go.
9. You stand out wherever you go.
Some people might view it as a negative, but I see it as a positive. You always stand out. Being a bald woman isn't something people see every day. People like to ask about it. It's a great conversation starter, and also a great way to spread the word about why you are bald.
10. There is nothing better than coming home and taking your wig off.
Only women who wear a wig can truly understand this feeling. Women with hair should be jealous of never having this feeling. Even with the most comfortable wig in the world, there is nothing better than coming home after a long day and having nothing on your head.
11. You have an amazing support group of bald women everywhere.
From amazing Facebook support groups to actual in person groups, bald women are so supportive of each other. We relate to each other and build each other up; there is nothing like it. Being bald (or balding) lets you into this amazing group of people.
12. You are beautiful in the most unique way.
You are radiant in a way not many people are. Despite hair loss, we are just as beautiful as if we had hair. Though you might not always see it, you are truly beautiful.
