Every woman has complained of having a bad hair day. But for thousands of women, their bad hair day is every day, because they are suffering hair loss.
It’s a problem that not only affects how they look, but also how they feel about themselves.
A glossy head of hair is something Nancy Bonesteel dreamed of.
About 10 years ago, following cancer surgery on her scalp, she was left with a bald patch.
“In the very beginning in the early years I had enough of my own hair that I could almost do a comb over. That’s what I considered it,” said Bonesteel.
Then, adding insult to injury, genetics kicked in, and like her mom, her hair began to thin.
And she couldn’t hide the bald spot any longer.
“So I put a hat on and I wore a hat for three years,” said Bonesteel.
Bonesteel tried a wig but when it fell off, she knew it was time to do something else.
Her daughter suggested a hairdresser trained in hair restoration.
“We measure the circumference of the hair loss, or where it’s lost. So this is considered the top of the head,” said Beth Puglisi, of DeJoseph Hair Restoration.
That’s just the spot where Nancy’s needed coverage, most.
A graft is created for each client. It’s made from human hair and attached to a special mesh anchor. A medical grade bond is applied and, like liquid skin, the graft is affixed to the client’s head.
“This is gonna stay on their head and it’s not gonna come off until they come in. They come in every 4 to 6 weeks and it’s like – they feel normal again, like they’re having a hair appointment because I can color their hair underneath. I’ll foil it, whatever has to be done. I can style it and cut it to any style they want,” said Puglisi.
“I felt like I was back. I went on vacation the next day and swam, got caught in the wind and everything was fine,” said Bonesteel.
As Bonesteel explains, it’s just not socially acceptable for women to be bald and trying to hide her problem was exhausting.
Now she’s no longer worried, and enjoys a day at the beach, again.
“I feel exactly like me,” said Bonesteel.
Most people lose anywhere from 50 to 100 strands of hair a day – that is normal.
Talk to your doctor if you think you are losing more hair than normal, it could be an indicator of an underlying medical issue.