An eyebrow-raising story! Beauty blunder leaves girl with four eyebrows - how to avoid the same problem

A story doing the rounds in the newspapers this week features the real life story of Delsha Campbell, a girl left with four eyebrows after making the wrong choice when it came to her cosmetic tattooing!

In a bid to make her eyebrows neater and more defined, filling in gaps in her natural brow, Delsha decided to use an online voucher for cosmetic tattooing, having the treatment at a bargain £100 instead of £350. She left her natural eyebrows in place as a guide, and visited the therapist appointed to carry out the work; the therapist outlined the brows, carried out the aesthetic treatment and then waxed off the original brow leaving what should have been a gorgeously shaped brow that's perfectly defined.

At this point, Delsha looked in the mirror and knew something was wrong as she spotted the shadows of her natural brows beneath the tattooed ones. The therapist reassured her that the distortion was a result of the swelling from the treatment and that they would go down. Regrowth of the natural brow three days later showed how wrong this was, as Delsha was left with four eyebrows in place of two, and wobbly, sub-par tattooed eyebrows. The traumatic experience left her in need of counselling and two years on, the eyebrows have yet to fade, despite £400 spent trying to lessen their appearance.

Delsha's 'clown' brows:



Now, despite horror stories like these, cosmetic tattooing or semi-permanent make-up is actually a viable, realistic choice for women, particularly those suffering with hairloss. It's something I personally opted for (as have many people I know) and although I haven't got round to having them redone, it isn't something I've ever regretted - thank god!

Eyebrows have two key functions; first, to keep dust and dirt away from the eyes and second aesthetically they add definition to the face. Whilst cosmetic tattooing cannot help with the former, with the latter its great for those who have little or no eyebrows and want facial definition. What's more, they can look really natural when done by an expert!

So how do you know if you're picking the right expert?

• Do your research - start by researching experts in the field and look for recommendations from others. Good reputations have to come from somewhere and the same with bad reviews. Obviously this won't be definitive, but if you opt to look for an expert, rather than the cheapest price or the best voucher, you're more likely to end up in safe hands. 
• Start with the training - semi-permanent make-up is complicated but safe when carried out by an expert; to become an expert however the therapist needs proper training. Unfortunately, there isn't a definitive list of training courses that people can take (the Government is working on changing this at the moment), so you need to use a little bit of initiative here; ask questions about who they trained with, how long the course was, whether they had to submit case studies, were supervised during training etc. Someone who has done good quality training will be confident talking about their qualifications, will be able to answer your questions and what's more, you'll be able to check out the academy they've trained with. You can also then ask how often they revisit their training to make sure they're keeping up with the latest information and guidelines. Therapists whose training isn't up to standard will most likely struggle to answer your questions, may start to act uncomfortably and won't necessarily check out.
• Ask for testimonials and before & after images - people who've had a good experience will be happy to talk about it, so look around for testimonials, online reviews, ratings etc. and also ask the therapists for their before and after images. If possible, also ask for 'after' shots that are taken after six and 12 months to see how they look and last; not all therapists will have these, but if they do, you have extra reassurance! 
• Consider the price - again, this will require you to make your own judgement, but price should be a factor in your decision! Rather than opt for the cheapest, go for the best value - it's about those that will look after you and understandably, some of the more expensive ones will be better! Now this isn't an exact science, but the price they are charging should be fair and prices should be consistent in the area. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is! Cosmetic Tattooing isn't cheap for a very good reason!
• Ask about insurance - this isn't just something you should ask when it comes to cosmetic tattooing; you should ask about it for any beauty treatment even waxing. Whilst the insurance itself doesn't stop the treatment going wrong a) a professional won't be without it - it's a good sign and b) it will cover you in case of any repair work required.

Once you're happy with all of the above, you should also feel personally comfortable with the treatment and the therapists; there should always be a consultation BEFORE you go ahead and you should be given time to think about it (a few days) before the actual treatment happens. 

What can you expect?

Personally here I can only comment on semi-permanent eyebrows because they're the only thing I've had done; eyeliner, lip liner and other areas of the body may be a bit different!

Once you've chosen your artist, you'll be given two appointments (for eyebrows), usually two weeks apart. You'll have a consultation and 'before' pictures taken. You'll chat through the options and what you are specifically hoping to achieve; I opted for a 'feathered' look where individual strokes are used to create the appearance of individual hairs, rather than a block colour approach for really defined brows. You'll also discuss size and shape at this point. (For a guide, don't forget to read up on how to measure your brows).

Numbing cream will be applied in advance to help lessen the pain in the area and then the tattooing will be carried out, with cosmetic-specific pigments. The second treatment will be used to fill-in any gaps, darken the pigment and make any small changes. Personally, as a result of my alopecia and the effect it has on my skin, it actually took a third application in a few spaces, but that's a personal experience!

I hope this helps. If you do have any questions you want us to get answered, please email or tweet us and we'll be happy to answer them or get a reputed expert to help with any technical bits. If you've had semi-permanent make-up done, please send us your pics and we'll share them and add them to the blog!

Victoria x 

www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald

How a $10,000 wig helps save this TV programme money...

About a year ago, I discovered the addictive TV series that is 'The Good Wife'; an engaging blend of American politics and law, following Alicia Florrick as she is forced to re-enter the world of work, juggling being a lawyer with family life and a politician husband in prison! I could NOT stop watching it and was uber overexcited to find they'd added Season Five to Netflix about three weeks ago! I devoured it and then to my delight discovered they're showing Series Six on TV at the moment! Cue record!

Core character Alicia Florrick is played by Actor Julianna Margulies' who I must say sports the classiest, most gorgeous hairstyles ever! She's like the Princess Kate of the legal world and I've often envied her perfectly coiffed tresses!

Alicia Florrick:



Anyway, a few days ago, during an interview on CBS on The Late Show with David Letterman, Julianna revealed that her luscious locks are in fact a wig... a $10,000 wig! Not only that, but she has more than one of them, changing her style each season and keeping the others 'on file' for flashbacks. Her natural hair is more naturally curly and the Directors wanted to achieve, sleeker, more refined look.

The wig is beautiful, human hair and clearly has a lace front to keep the hairline as natural as possible. In fact, each one is perfectly measured and created for her by hand, For £10,000 it should be! Apparently, this investment does save the show thousands of dollars each series in hairstylist time, but it's still pretty bonkers!

In the interview, she does have some odd opinions on 'cheap' wigs - by that we presume she means anything up to $9,999  - but it's pretty funny! We've added it to the TV / Documentaries playlist on our Youtube channel or you can watch it here...



Victoria x

www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald

#100HairFreeDays Summary Part 1

Last Sunday (1st March), I started my #100HairFreeDays challenge, trying to list all the positives about losing my hair (which I know might sound counter-intuitive!). You can read more about it here...

As promised, here is the first summary of my #100HairFreeDays Challenge, including the first seven reasons...

#100HairFreeDays:

• means no more waxing or shaving
• requires a lot less shampoo and conditioner - only 1-2 bottles a year
• spend a lot less time getting ready - a pre-styled wig means a lot less time in front of the mirror
• has introduced me to a lot of new people that I'd never have met otherwise
• gives the option to change hairstyle on a whim; long, short, straight, curly, blonde (not really), brown, pixie... The possibilities are endless!
• provides perfect extra ventilation on a hot day (I told you they got obscure)
• an escape from water running down your neck off wet hair! Just change it and pop on another one

I told you they'd be a little strange some of them, and you might not agree with them all, but they were important for keeping me positive!

Got a suggestion? Tweet or email us and let us know if you have any suggestions!

Victoria x

www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald

It's ok to be angry

Alopecia is a funny condition. It can come on suddenly and for the most part doesn't hurt.
And yet emotionally it can be awful.
I've had so so many days where i have sat and cried and got angry and frustrated. This has been because of a mix of things from just wanting my hair back, not feeling confident in a wig or not being able to draw my eyebrows on properly (i spent an hour once trying one time).

At the time i had a counsellor who had been seeing me for years and was still seeing me when i lost my hair. I would get so wound up in sessions as i felt bad about being angry.
You see i had been told so many times that it was only hair and it could be a lot worse by so many people. People would make jokes,  not in a horrible way but a way to lighten the mood i guess.  During all of that i guess what happened was that i became conditioned to feel that way.
My counsellor would tell me it was like a grieving process and i never really understood it.
It was only when i was in a lecture at uni and we were talking about the grief process i understood it all.
I had every single textbook stages of grief except for the acceptance.
From that moment i let myself be upset, angry and everything else inbetween. I had lost a huge part of me and especially for women it's a huge thing.

Now I'm not too bad. I have my days but they are far a few between. The key is to let yourself grieve for what you have lost.

And remember we are all gorgeous no matter if we have hair or not!

Jenny x

#FoodForThought - Foods that might help or hinder hairloss!

I'll start this blog post by confirming I AM NOT A NUTRITIONIST - I'm not qualified in this stuff, I don't know a lot about diets and nutrition and I'm not about to claim I can help reverse your hairloss! If I could, I wouldn't still be bald, and those who are trained would have cured all baldness too!

What I am however going to do, is look at some of the foods which will apparently help reverse hairloss, and those that apparently cause it! Of course, they could do nothing at all, but as we're going all natural here folks, they're not likely to hurt you either!

Over the coming weeks, I'll reveal some of the things I've read in my own research, and I figure even though they haven't necessarily helped me, they might help others - every one of us is slightly different and what doesn't work for one person, might work for another!

If you try eating any of these foods, and see anything change, please email us and let me know!

Victoria x

www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald

Strength in Numbers

Often when going through a hidden condition, like hair loss, we can feel isolated, paranoid and embarrassed. From my own personal experience when I lost all of my head hair to alopecia, I felt all of these emotions. I was too embarrassed to speak to my friends about losing my hair, I was paranoid that everyone knew I was becoming bald and in turn I felt isolated from those around me, as I thought nobody could or would understand what I was going through.

A turning point for me was attending the first annual BeBold conference in Durham in 2012 and meeting lots of others with alopecia. Having kept my secret for so long, it was amazing to finally feel at ease with those around me – I didn’t even have to explain anything, they knew what I was going through. Since that date, and meeting people I now consider good friends, I've gotten involved with many Alopecia UK awareness events, reached out to other alopecia sufferers via social media and, most importantly, opened up to friends and my wider family about the condition. I'm not afraid.

With this in mind, I urge anybody suffering in silence to do the same. I know it's a scary HUGE step but it's one that could change your life forever, for the better! The more people who know about your condition, the more that can support you, and the bigger the weight that is lifted from your shoulders. You're never alone – there's strength in numbers!

One thing I always found awkward while I was "in hiding" was invites to theme parks! What did I say?! I LOVE adventure parks and the like but I couldn't risk it as my wig would most definitely fly off.

Alopecia UK solved that for me when last year they hosted their first day out in Alton Towers. Surrounded by others with the condition, I felt I was comfortable enough to bare all in the theme park and enjoy a fantastic day out free from the worry that wearing wigs can bring. I cannot describe the feeling of freedom you get from being around those who know your struggle. I was in my element.

The charity are hosting this event again this Spring and will be heading to Alton Towers on Saturday 11 April 2015 – and I strongly urge you all to join us! Whether it be your first meeting or you're a seasoned AUKer (do you think that'll stick?) it is a guaranteed BLAST!

So, head over to http://www.alopeciaonline.org.uk/altontowers.asp and check out the details. Sign up to the Alopecia UK newsletter so you are never out of the loop (doing this can also help you access discounted tickets for Alton Towers!) and I'll see you on the Smiler ;)

Much Love, Kay x

www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald

Too Ugly For Love? Or is it a happy ending?

At the beginning of January, you may have seen our post about TLC television programme 'Too Ugly For Love?' and our take on the controversial title! The programme, which features Alopecia UK Charity Manager, followed ten singletons as they embarked on dating adventures, all the while hiding secret medical conditions. For Jen, this was Alopecia Universalis, the hairloss condition which means she has no hair anywhere. Jen appears in Episodes 1, 2 and 4 alongside others, telling her very personal story!

Many people have mentioned the fact that unfortunately, they didn't have access to the TLC channel to watch the programme, so for ease we've added Jen's excerpts to our YouTube channel for you to watch! Don't forget to subscribe to the channel!

Episode 1:



Episode 2:



Episode 4:



Victoria x

P.S. Sorry the recordings aren't perfect!



www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald

#StopThePress Cheryl Fernandez-Versini has a brave?! new haircut... Open letter to the press

#StopThePress, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini has opted for a '70s inspired 'lop' in what's being described as a brave haircut.

Credit to Cheryl, as always she looks gorgeous and her latest hairstyle is as stunning as you'd expect...



What I'd like to take a minute to do is write a post for the wonderful UK Print and Broadcast Media who are describing this move as brave?!?! True, it's an unexpected change, but is that really the same as being brave?

To me, when it comes to hair, brave is...

• the six-year-old girl I met who gets up and goes to school everyday without hair because an under-researched condition made all her hair fall out. Even braver is that she goes with a smile, despite being teased for her lack of locks
• the ten year old lad who shaved all his hair off to support his friend with cancer
• the lady climbing a massive mountain to raise money for AlopeciaUK specifically because she struggled to cope when her own hair fell out through Chemo.

Brave is not shortening your hair by ten inches knowing that even if it goes wrong, it'll still grow back!

Sorry guys, but it's sloppy articles like these where the focus is on the appearance and not on the person, and which link changes to that appearance with an act of courage, that means we have teenagers in this country battling to overcome anxieties about their appearance, with their body confidence at absolute rock bottom! It's articles like these that lead us to define a person by what they look like and not what they can do or achieve! It's exactly why brands like Dove seek to redress the balance with Real Beauty Stories, and Sport England are forced to create an emotive and can-do advert with the hashtag #ThisGirlCan. 

Reading an American article the other day I was dismayed and disappointed to spot that in a survey conducted at the end of last year, 57% of the teenage girls and 44% of the adult women questioned said that their hair defines who they are. Not just contributes to their confidence, but actually defines who they are. Does that somehow mean that because I personally have no hair, I'm somehow worth less or should believe I am worth less than those who have it?

I understand people consume this kind of story and that to an extent it's born from our society attitudes, but come on guys, please opt for a word other than brave! It's a thoughtless and demoralising choice of words for many people and really, you can do better!

Victoria 

www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald

Meet Miss March #PrettyBald #Calendar #NudeBald

This is the 'model' intro I have been dreading writing since I started this blog, simply because Miss March in the calendar - well it's me! I've already told some of my story on this blog, plus there is a whole profile of me on the website, so what can I say that's interesting...?

I guess instead of telling more about my story (I've written up all the good bits), I'll tell you instead about the calendar...

For me, the calendar represents and opportunity to educate the public and change perceptions of the 'right' body image, as well as fundraising for a cause close to my heart! It was an incredible learning experience for me, not least on the organisational front where everything took twice as long as expected! I always said it would be a one-off; just one year, to make an impact and create a difference; then... I got the bug and now I'm looking at doing it again this year, but totally differently!

We will be looking for people to take part and whilst this isn't the official shout-out, if you do want to do it (no nudity this year), please send us an email...

Next month's profile will be a proper profile, but that's because you probably haven't met Miss April yet!

Victoria x

www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald

Pro wigs.Co.UK reveiw.

Welcome one and all !!

On January the 30th , I took the plunge and decided, right let's get me a wig !

Now, as anyone who knows, the process of actually loosing your hair and watchin each strand  fall out is very distressing, as it was for me. I became desperate. I didn't want anyone to find out. I just wanted to get a wig and cover up my balding head.

After googleing and searching the Internet I came across a website called
PRO WIGS.CO.UK.
I looked at all the reviews and they were all fantastic !
So, I searched as hard as I could to find a wig that mimicked my natural hair and colour . I had found the perfect wig. Or had I ?

I purchased the wig then and there. According to the website I would see my wig in a week and a half, so I was relieved and very excited!
The website also had a tracker , which let you follow were your wig was , for example when it was being sent to quality control and when it was sent to a courier.

When my wig had passed 'being made' and 'quality Control' it then told me  'sent to courier , you will be sent the tracking Imfomation soon' in under a  week . This was great, I fully believed my wig would be here in under two weeks .

Three weeks had past since my purchased. I patiently waited, but I was getting desperate . I emailed the company , i searched and searched on their website but there Was no contact number to ring . It turns out the company is actually based in China.
3 long days later, I received a blunt and frankly very unkind emailed stating that there 'system' was down and that my wig is still undergoing process. Whatever that means. I was getting very upset,they were quick enough to take my money, but couldn't inform me about there, apparent system failure. 
I was beginning to get stressed and worried, because I thought that I had been scammed.
I continued to email the company everyday asking 'were is my wig!' With no reply.
Eventually over a month later ( after given up and assuming I'd lost money to a scam) my wig turned up .

It was awful ,it did not look anything like the picture presented . The tracks were so thin , and there was hardly any hair on them .
I had ordered the colour to be a 28r , which is a slightly auburn colour. The ends of the wig were purple and there were patches all over the wig were it was missing colour .
Overall this wig was a mess , there was no shape ( like the picture) and the quality of the hair (human hair) was dry .
The wig also shedded alot, there wasnt alot of hair on the tracks anyway it was NOT good.

I emailed the company demanding a refund because the quality was shocking . Iv emailed everyday with no reply . I am still in process of trying to get my money back.

Overall , if you are searching for a wig!  
I do not recommend this site at all .
Avoid prowigs.co.uk at all costs.

Till next time
Danielle x

An inspiration?

'Inspiration' and 'Inspire' are words we see more and more regularly nowadays, as the internet puts us in touch with unique, interesting and wonderful stories of people helping people. In a country where 'love thy neighbour' was an everyday mainstay of post-war society and saw people helping people, it is somewhat odd to see us heralding an individual giving a sandwich to homeless person (and filming themselves while doing it), or girls posting make-up free pictures as an excuse to give to charity!

Now don't get me wrong here, I am not meaning to sound scathing of charity giving or to diminish the importance of these philanthropic acts; in fact the aforementioned #NoMakeUpSelfie raised big bucks for charity and was a phenomenal mechanism for engaging people all around the world! My purpose isn't to decry those who need to be inspired to do something, what I am pondering is when I personally consider someone or something an inspiration?

What prompted this reflection? An email or two which described ME as an 'inspiration' - probably the thing I least expected! Four years ago, I unsuspectingly entered a client meeting where I ran my fingers through my hair, starting a domino chain of events that would temporarily collapse my world! At that point, I never thought I'd get through what was happening to me, let alone come to terms with it, but with the help and support of friends, family and from those who understood the condition first hand, I came to terms with my situation enough to start helping and supporting others. Now, I'm happy in my own skin and as a result I opted, in turn, to help and support those going through the same things I did. To me, that decision wasn't one I made to purposely inspire people or to gain acclaim for my philanthropy but was made because I wanted to give to others what others gave to me - a support network and a bucket-load of experiential sympathy!

As you might have spotted, this month I feature in Cosmopolitan magazine, talking body confidence and helping to explain and educate about my hair loss condition. I didn't do this to inspire but probably the single most common comment that I have received states what an 'inspiration' I am; both from sufferers and non-sufferers. Now I'm going to be honest here, I loved the comments and they were great to receive but in a bid to stop my shiny cranium becoming enormous, I've tried not to re-read them too much! In fact, whilst it's been nice to think that I have inspired people, it isn't something I feel totally comfortable with and here's why...

When I was offered the chance to take part in the magazine shoot (thanks Alopecia UK), I had three main goals 1) to raise awareness, 2) to educate and 3) to enjoy myself - because it's not everyday you get to do something like this! I was treated like a princess, thoroughly enjoyed every minute and very selfishly would have point blank refused to switch places with someone else! Yes, I did it for others in my position but I also did it for myself too and it would be wrong to claim otherwise! When I first started receiving comments about inspiring people (particularly when they came from people I'd never met), I felt a little like a fraud - I almost felt they must be talking to someone else. Do I really consider myself someone 'able to fill others with the urge to do something' when actually it was simply the telling of my story? No I don't! Yet do I feel pleased that people see me that way, that telling my story has helped people on some level? Absolutely!

Tto say it hasn't inflated my ego would be a lie, so please excuse and indulge me as I sound like a big-head! Here's some of my favourite comments I was sent:

"Wowsers! Where are your trousers?"

"Wow! She makes Alopecia sexy!"

and finally...

"How cool is this. Splendid!"

 (sorry if I sound like a big-head picking those ones but they each made me chuckle!)

I'm a pretty blunt, stubborn and opinionated person and I used to be fairly scathing of those who threw themselves in the limelight for their 'charitable' acts. Yet now the boot is on the other foot and I'm in a tiny spotlight, I can definitely say this experience has helped change me and make me a more tolerant, empathetic person! It's made me realise the importance of doing things like this and whether a person chooses to be anonymous or blatant in the way they do things, any method is fine as long as the end result is the same! Reflecting personally, I'm proud to have inspired people and urge other people to do something, anything, which can make a difference, even if it is just for one person! Go inspire!

To finish, I'll say this blog post is really important to me, so please let me know what you think! I hope you enjoyed the read.

Victoria x

www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald

Having a BALL !

Welcome one and all !!

On Saturday the 28th of February , I was invited to a very classy charity ball by my partner, whose sister had worked very hard in organising.
So, a charity ball means looking your best. Beautiful dresses , fabulous stillettos, flawless makeup and the perfect  hair.......Oh boy.

Not only did I have to look the part, but it was the first time meeting a lot of friends/family of my other half's. So looking good was important ..... no pressure then.

At this point all I was concerned about was my hair,well lack of it. When I had my own locks, I would of most likely, flipped and clipped and curled and twirled it everywhere . But now ... I'v got a standard brown wig to play with. Yay.

To start with ,i was lucky enough to get myself a hair cut by my boyfriends mother. She cut me a stylish fringe and then thinned out the ends of the hair , to make it less wig like and more like real hair.
After, I took the straightners and started going over the hair to defrizz the synthetic curls. (Which were not attractive) making sure Im flicking the ends to shape my face.
As someone who absolutely hates having hair in their face, I pulled back a few strands of hair from the front and clipped them to the side . Given me ,what I like to call , my ethereal look . ( don't ask.)
Feeling pretty proud of myself , I looked in the mirror ...... 'This still looks like a wig' I moan to partner in frustration.

Kieran, who is my partner, being the clever man he is ,came up with the idea of trying to create a parten! 'Yes!' I squealed. Using a concealer stick , he parted the hair to the side , (how I like it). He then dabbed a few spots of concealer on to the lace which was now on veiw. Then, using only his fingers, blended the concealer onto the lace and the hair line, creating  a realistic parten........It worked ! It looked so much better.

Knowing I had the hair just the way I wanted ( with what I had. ) I felt confident to walk down the stairs and show of my look with a smile !

I will add a tutorial soon .

Danielle x

Challenge yourself to change your perspectives...

Our perceptions of things is formed over time as we grow, develop and experience things. In fact, we'll start to categorise things from a young age, based on experiences, simply to enable us to make decisions faster and more efficiently. Many archaeology-anthropologists will argue that it's a safety mechanism evolved to protect us in potentially dangerous situations; it's why many people (wrongly) have an ingrained wariness and suspicion of anyone who is 'different' to them, born of a deep, ingrained perception or pre-conception.

These perceptions are influenced and changed by a number of factors, from our environment to our experiences, to our culture and our parents. In fact, so strongly can our own perceptions be influenced by others, we'll adopt them despite no first-hand experience; this makes considering another point of view totally alien. To give you an example, when doing my degree, we did a small amount of Anthropology, which is the study of humans and their behaviours in societies; one example which really illustrates the point I am making and has stuck with me since then is when you considered the eating habits of Romany Gypsies. According to a research study, the average white, middle-class person would never consider eating without a knife and fork, and except in socially accepted scenarios (like eating a burger), will never opt to use their hands / fingers to consume food. In fact, the majority will consider the germs on their hands and rule eating with their hands as dirty. Turn instead to the historic Romany Gypsy, and they consumed all of their food using their hands and fingers! Sounds madness, but in their culture, eating implements are considered dirty as it is unclear where they have been, whereas their hands are considered preferable as they can be assured of their cleanliness. Now, when you look at it this way, their logic is sound, meaning neither option is wrong, simply different.

I promise there is a point to this rambling, but these thoughts were prompted when cruising through one of the Facebook communities. I came across a post from a gorgeous lady called Summer from Oregan, USA. She posted "my daughter just turned three, two weeks ago and has really started noticing that others are different from me. I always thought I would end up having the "why does Mommy not have hair like everyone else" talk, however it has turned into, "why do others have hair". I never realised how normal it was to her for me to be bald, as I lost all of my hair to AU when she was a year old. She has never asked me why I am different, but wants to know why others are different. This really made me grin, I never realised before just how perfect we are to our children."

You know that saying "Out of the mouths of babes" which assures us that children can be bluntly and brutally honest? Yep! At times, it can be harsh, like the moment I was asked why I had massive red dots on my face (massive acne break-out), but it also has a fabulous side - that moment when they say something which stops you in your tracks and which you know must be true and heartfelt because they don't say things any other way? That statement from Summer's daughter is just that!

For me, what this prompted me to think about most is that whilst we each judge ourselves by our own standards, we shouldn't automatically expect those same judgements from others. They will have their own thoughts and opinions (and not all of them will be nice), but I think there's a lesson in here for us all - let's challenge ourselves to look at things differently every once in a while and see if there's a way we can make everything more positive! After all, I expected everyone to stare, laugh and point at me the first time I went out without a wig, but it simply didn't happen! In fact, the worst I got was a sympathetic look, and there was nothing at all that could be classed as upsetting; in this case, it was totally my level of expectation and my own expectations and perceptions almost made me stick to hiding beneath a wig!

Victoria x

www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald

The daffodils are out, and it is the first of March, which can only mean one thing...

So it's too late for a pinch and a punch; I got a bit overexcited this morning and ended up posting this story of Anthony Carrigan instead! Still it was worth it!

It would be wrong however to let today pass by without a little reminder that it's the first of March and that can only mean one thing! Goodbye bathtub picture and hello stylish hats!

To give you a bit of history of the inspiration behind this picture, I'll have to introduce my friend! Fern Bereen is quite possibly one of the most casually creative people you will ever meet! Training in costume and set design at University, Fern is a milliner (making hats) by trade and also has the ability to whip up and style almost anything; it's safe to say if I attempted the same, the decor would look like I dropped it from a great height, whereas Fern gives it a stylish purpose! Anyway, in a moment of panic about how we'd actually get the shots to look nice, AND make sure no boobs, nipples or other bits were on show, I rang Fern! She chatted to me in calm tones and promised to support me on the shoot! Out of the cupboards at her workshop came wedding crockery, afternoon tea sets, dresses, and hats, and she willing transported everything on to set in all manner of trunks and suitcases!

It was then that the girls discovered Fern's inspired hat collection, made from anything she can get her hands on including old broken jewellery, raffia table mats and even dried flowers! They couldn't stop putting them on and so a new picture was born - one which took advantage of the gorgeous colour and structures of the hats and showcased them against the cream background of the traditional Cotswold stone! They looked gorgeous!

The reason that this picture was selected for March? Unless you are one of my Cheltenham buddies, something which you may not know is that Cheltenham is often referred to as the 'home of horseracing'. Every March, there is one of the most coveted prizes of the sport up for grabs - the Gold Cup - and whilst more 'country' than Ascot, the event still features big hats and a best dressed competition! I personally go to these races often and in fact have worn one of Fern's creations, so it seemed only fitting to pop this one into March, a month known locally to me for its big hat occasion!

Fern makes affordable hats for any occasion, from the traditionally stylish to the statement flambouyant. To find out more, you can visit her website, or like her on Facebook, either of which will be appreciated! You can also buy one of the very styles we wear, if any of them take your fancy!

Happy page changing!

Victoria x

www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald

Don't let #Alopecia or #Hairloss hold you back! Gotham actor Anthony Carrigan certainly didn't!

If you didn't catch the Channel 5 series Gotham, then you really missed out! It tells the story of comic book town Gotham, before Batman came along, featuring a young Bruce Wayne and Catwoman, in the years before they became famous! You get to meet Penguin, Fish and The Riddler and it's engaging, exciting and a great way to spend an hour!

As part of the storyline, Actor Anthony Carrigan plays bad guy Victor Zsasz, a supervillain and future arch-enemy of Batman, who features a knife obsession. The character is part of the 'skinhead subculture' and many would say Carrigan, who suffers in reality from alopecia, was born to play the part!

In an exclusive interview with BuzzFeed, Carrigan talks honestly about his Alopecia, how it affects his acting career, and how he found body confidence! It's safe to say that despite suffering from total hairloss (including eyelashes and eyebrows), Carrigan is a superb actor, has found his own confidence and does not let his hairloss hold him back!



You can read the full interview here, but some of my favourite parts of the interview include:

"There was one point where I was doing a job and we had millions of viewers every week, it was a TV job, and I lost half my scalp and both eyebrows and the majority of my eyelashes. I was covering up in order to look like this character. It was pretty terrifying to have to keep that secret and pretend like I looked this way, that I looked normal when I just didn’t. I was doing red carpet events and putting on my eyebrows before going out there and hoping that no one would notice. It’s a really weird thing to be seen while trying not to be seen. It’s a very strange thing."

Speaking of accepting his Alopecia:

"There was one point where I was doing a job and we had millions of viewers every week, it was a TV job, and I lost half my scalp and both eyebrows and the majority of my eyelashes. I was covering up in order to look like this character. It was pretty terrifying to have to keep that secret and pretend like I looked this way, that I looked normal when I just didn’t. I was doing red carpet events and putting on my eyebrows before going out there and hoping that no one would notice. It’s a really weird thing to be seen while trying not to be seen. It’s a very strange thing."

Speaking of body confidence:

"I think there’s always the opportunity to accept yourself exactly where you are. I think a lot of people feel that they will accept themselves as soon as they go to the gym, as soon as they clear up their skin, as soon as they address a certain issue, then they’ll feel OK about themselves. I think they can always accept themselves exactly the way they are and that’s a practice. In each moment you have a choice where you can build yourself up or tear yourself down, and choosing to build yourself up is always within your power."

"I think that our culture is so obsessed with body image and with being this completely unrealistic ideal, and that ideal looks different to every single person. It’s in their head as what they should be or should look like, this ideal. Ultimately, isn’t it better to just feel good about yourself, than to try to look good first and feel better that way?"

I really enjoyed reading this article and believe it demonstrates that noone should feel ashamed of who they are or how they look! I know many alopecians / baldies struggle with adapting to their new identities, but it shouldn't really change anything, and it certainly shouldn't hold you back!

If I'd been in charge of the interview, here's a few questions I would like to have asked Carrigan... If he does manage to read this interview, then maybe he'll tweet us the answers @PrettyBald ;-)

• Has your alopecia ever lost you an acting part, or even resulted in you being cast for a different part to the one you auditioned for?
• If a miracle cure existed (one that had no side effects), would you opt to have your hair back?
• Karen Gillan had to shave her head to suit her new role; have you ever been approached to act a part simply because of your unique look?
• We've launched our #100HairFreeDays challenge; if you could share one positive of your hairloss, what would it be?

Victoria x

www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald