Work Reaction

Not having a wig and tired of hiding my balding, I went to work with a baseball cap over my freshly shaven head. The first person to see me had once lost her hair from cancer. The sincere caring response kept me brave. The rest of the day was spent answering questions. Someone asked a neat question, “Who did you shave your head for?” I would like to think that I would shave my head in support of a friend. That one question really put everything in perspective for me. My change in appearance was nothing compared to those battling with terminal illnesses.

As the months went on, some still did not understand the concept of Alopecia Areata. Questions like “When are you going to grow your hair back?” were sometimes asked. My response was usually a smile and a simple, “When I can.” Others would ask me to take my cap off and say, “That is so cool.” Since I’ve chosen not to wear a wig, I sometimes wonder if new employees assume I’m battling cancer or if they ask others to find out my true condition. A neat part about my company is that although I do work with the public no one in management has ever hinted for or asked me to wear a wig or cover my baldness.