Before I wrote this post, I had to give serious thought to what is actually inspirational.

That’s because I read stories like Sanah Jivani’s in this publication. Sanah set up the nonprofit Love your Natural Self Foundation at the tender age of 17. If life were not tough enough for young Sanah, who suffered from Alopecia Universalis from the age of 12, she was also subjected to bullying because of her condition.

It saddens and sickens me to know that I am of the same species as the person that left a note in Sanah’s school locker entitled ‘50 Ways to Kill Yourself.’

I wonder what action would have been taken against that human being had Sanah taken that monstrous advice.



Photo Credit: Lingua Franca, Pamela Hanson Photography

Self-love to combat hair loss

Sanah didn’t though. She instead stopped talking to herself like her bullies did. Filled with hate and self-loathing, she started a journey towards self-love. The work Sanah does by championing kindness and anti-bullying in schools by giving empowerment speeches is by my definition, inspirational.

While Sanah gives speeches at youth organizations and schools, she has learned and tells a message that is beyond her years. It’s one that many of us three times her age, could well do with hearing and taking on board.

Age-related hair loss

Sadly we live in a society that judges us so much by our looks. As such, we learn to judge ourselves by that standard, too. As we age, that is a recipe for self-hatred and condemnation, as it is just simple physiology, that from the age of 25, we are all slowly dying. What we see in the mirror is not what we used to see, it’s not as good as it was, and therefore, we can be consumed by grief at the loss of our looks.

It’s not just our face, that is a source of concern. Many women lose their hair to a highly visible degree from their youth. By the age of fifty, around half of women have thinning hair where the scalp can be seen. This is known as androgenetic alopecia or female pattern baldness.

As women lose their hair, there’s a sense of shame. There is a social stigma attached to hair loss in women. Because it is not spoken about, women live in their individual secretive and painful bubble.

Speaking out about hair loss

In an attempt to bring attention to this very common issue suffered by millions of women and men, August is National Hair Loss Awareness Month.

In terms of inspirational female hair loss stories, there are several to pick from in Inspirational Unlimited Mag. Of course, there is Sanah, and there are also many others. Some have donated their hair or chosen to shave their hair and live bald to learn self-love and to be in comradeship with cancer-sufferers.

Any women speaking out about this secretive shame should be applauded, and there are some in the public eye that deserve a mention. In the UK, British TV host and journalist, Nadia Sawalha has spoken out (often in tears, but that’s okay) about her genetic hair loss.

Kayla Itsines, an Australian fitness star, has also spoken out about her genetically thin hair. Even at the age of 26, the star says she has noticed her hair getting even thinner, and notes that most of her family, including her mother and grandmother, have fine hair. But, she refuses to let it rule her life, she has shared with her seven million Instagram followers.

Kaylaitsines.com

Exploring treatments and self-love

Nadia has spoken about the fact that her Loose Women hairdressers use various products to help her naturally curly hair look full of volume. Which work!

And Kayla describes how her naturally thin hair is short and tied in a ponytail. To this, she then clips in a thick glossy hair extension ponytail.

There are other options, too. After seeing a doctor and a specialist, topical treatment such as minoxidil could help to reduce further hair loss. And, speaking to a therapist can also help women gain perspective and self-love like Sanah.

There are also procedures that can help, such as PRP. This is where platelet-rich plasma is injected into the area of hair loss to help reduce further loss of hair. In many cases, women can undergo a hair transplant by using bio fibers, since there is unlikely to be any hair follicles to move from a dense area. While extremely expensive in North America, the UK, and parts of Europe, a hair transplant in Turkey is inexpensive and worth exploring.

A bio fiber treatment does have its disadvantages in that the procedure is semi-permanent as the implanted fibers will fall out. However, Turkey has a vast wealth of expertise in hair transplantation for women. And because return flights often cost less than £100, it’s easy to return for repeat treatments. And finally, an excellent place to start would be a quick Ted Talk with Sanah if you need to make peace with yourself. Best of luck!