July 31, 2023
"A Twist in the Mane Event"
Hey, hair warriors and hair wannabes!
It's time for another chapter in the great follicular saga. In this part, some more data came to light that helped me piece it all together. This was the information that triggered my understanding that this was not just some hormonal shift that kicked off a mild case of hair loss and all would return to normal soon. It was right after this weekend that I knew in my soul (somehow) that I was going to end up being very “hair challenged” for the foreseeable future. I never fathomed it would be 100% completely hairless across my entire body, but yet, here we are...
Let’s rewind to sweltering July in South Florida
At this point in South Florida's never ending summer, the heat and humidity had turned us all into walking puddles of sweat, desperate to escape mother nature’s sticky embrace. In an effort to regain my bodily hydration and actually enjoy some summer fun, I decided to jet back home to my Michigan, where summer actually embraces you with blue skies and a cool breeze. I was looking to get back to my roots for a bestie-cation and time with lifelong friends.
Enter Blog Left: Heather
So I went to visit Heather, my high school bestie and soul sister with the thickest blonde hair of any human you’ve ever met. (Seriously, girl deserves a shampoo sponsorship). She’s a truth teller extraordinaire, can get me out on the dance floor faster than you can say “Baby Got Back”, and is a medical professional to boot.
I showed up at her doorstep and, in typical form, we caught up on the hometown gossip, went shopping, and then out to eat. In typical form, we found ourselves in the middle of a band setting up as we were finishing dinner. In typical form, we knew the band members. In typical form, we ended up out on the dance floor. And in a glorious turn of events, I met a hottie to spice up my summer. It was that scene-stealing-hometown-Hallmark-Hunk type that you spot from across the room and can’t believe when he walks over to talk to (gasp!) YOU.** Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome made my little heart go a' flutter there on that dance floor listening to "I Melt With You". I chalk that up to the Hallmark Channel Gods paying me back for the hours I've spent watching their one storyline on repeat.
The next morning, Heather and I were having our Keurig-sponsored morning-after debrief, laughing at the absurdity of stumbling into that band the night before and ending up on yet another dance floor together. She noticed me collecting all my wayward hair from her couch, so I told her about how crazy my hair loss had been recently and apologized in advance for all my hair she would surely find around the house when I left. And then it hit - the ah-ha moment - when Heather dropped a bomb, "Girl, I get it! My hair’s been doing that same thing!”
Not a Solo Act
Turns out, my horrific hair loss wasn't a solo act! Heather works at a hospital where women our age were whispering about their hair loss in alarming numbers. After enough conversations and data points though, the nurses were able to piece it together, and guess what the surprise guest star of this follicular horror show was? You guessed it – COVID! “Soooo,” Heather said, eyeing my shedding with newfound suspicion. "You had a rendezvous with the 'Rona a while back, didn't you?" I meekly nodded yes. Heather’s eyes narrowed with newfound suspicion:
“Hairpocalypse confirmed, babe,” she declared, “and get ready for a four-to-six-month follicular farewell.”
Say what? SIX MONTHS OF LOSING MY HAIR? My chill Michigan vacation of Hallmark hunks, poolside margaritas, and hometown magic just did a swan dive into Googleville. "Post-viral hair loss," I typed, heart sinking. "COVID and Autoimmune Disorder," followed. The amount of hits I got confirmed that this wasn't some isolated incident. And it turns out Alyssa Milano's post-COVID brush-full-of-hair video wasn't just Hollywood drama. Apparently, serious hair loss really is a thing that many people have experienced after COVID, and it's amplified if you're plagued with an autoimmune condition like me… and like Heather. Light bulb moment - now two factors to take into consideration!!
Enter Blog Right: Hair Products
Panic mode engaged.
Texted my hairdresser.
“Nioxin, stat.”
Little did I know this was the beginning of the "I'll sell my soul for some strands of hair" hair loss product journey. In case you forgot my beginning page already (I almost have) the number of serums and shampoos I've tried is staggering, as is the bill for my credit card. Part of the reason I write this blog, fellow hair loss friends, is so you can spend that hard-earned money only on products that actually work (well, for me at least).
Back to my Regularly Scheduled Vacation
It is time now for less Googling and more Vacationing. Since I had more information to digest, more pieces of the puzzle, and some Nioxin on the way, it was time now to get what I came for: some serious friend therapy. Cue mani-pedis, poolside gossip, and reunions with fierce friends like the Hermes-belted badass Arlene who reignited my inner warrior to fight whatever this was that I had. After a whirlwind of laughter, sunshine, and soul-filling connection, my Michigan vacation ended, but my spirit soared. I found a crucial piece of the hairpocalypse puzzle, recharged my batteries with bestie power, and rediscovered the fire in my belly to figure out this follicular foe.
So keep reading - it’s now “game on” in the fight to save my locks! And we'll tackle this together, one sassy strand at a time.
(**Editors note upon request of readers: No, I did not quit my high paying, big city job to move home and help him run his family apple orchard business.)
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