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Motherhood can do a number on a woman\u2019s hair. Sure, it starts out great with the hormone boost during pregnancy \u2013 it\u2019s thicker, fuller and shinier. Once baby arrives, though, it can change significantly in its texture, curl and volume. You might remember some post-baby showers when your once-glorious hair came out in handfuls and went down the drain (along with your hopes of a Pantene endorsement deal).<\/p>\n
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During the early days, weeks and months of parenthood, you\u2019re tending to your baby so much that your own hair care needs inevitably fall to the wayside. You barely have time to set foot in the shower for basic hygiene, let alone turn on a blow dryer, curling iron, or straightener. A greasy ponytail becomes your must-have look (as in, you\u2019re not thrilled with having it, but you must, at least for now). You\u2019ve got a tiny living being depending on you for its very survival \u2013 you simply don\u2019t have the time or energy to invest in frivolous cosmetic tasks. In fact, you\u2019re so delirious from lack of sleep that an ultra-short \u201cmom haircut\u201d (the kind you swore you\u2019d never have) starts to sound like a good idea.<\/p>\n
For a little perspective at times like these, imagine what it\u2019s like to be a mom with no hair at all. Julie Sadler lives it every day. Julie has alopecia, an autoimmune disease that causes her hair follicles to be dormant. Although she is in perfect health, she doesn\u2019t have any hair on her head, her eyebrows, or anywhere on her body.<\/p>\n
Julie lost her hair in high school and wore a wig until she was in university. When she\u2019s out and about, she wraps her head in a bandanna (or wears a toque in the winter). At home, she leaves her head uncovered, likening it to coming home after a long day and wanting to remove any uncomfortable or restrictive clothing.<\/p>\n
While she now talks openly about her condition and her experiences, she admits it has been a long journey to self-acceptance. \u201cIt\u2019s so easy to be wrapped up in what other people think about you, especially when you physically don\u2019t fit in,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Julie\u2019s husband and two school-aged children have only ever known her without hair. She says her daughter is very matter-of-fact when speaking about it to peers, while her son is more likely to get defensive. \u201cWe always have conversations about \u2018we are what we are,\u2019\u201d Julie says. \u201cMy son has moles he doesn\u2019t like, and he wants them to be removed. I often say to him: \u2018Well, I don\u2019t have hair, and that\u2019s not a choice, it\u2019s just the way I am. You\u2019re going to find somebody who loves you. You\u2019re going to find friends. Your appearance doesn\u2019t make you who you are.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
In her job as an Early Childhood Educator, Julie experiences unconditional acceptance from her kindergarten students on a daily basis. She notes that in over five years in her current job, she has only ever had a few children ask why she covers her head or if she has hair under her bandanna. \u201cThat\u2019s the great thing about kids at that age \u2013 they don\u2019t notice or care,\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n
There have been misunderstandings with adults, some of whom approach Julie assuming she is ill and has undergone chemotherapy. She says she tries to graciously explain her situation and share advice as best she can. \u201cOften the people who want to talk to me are cancer survivors, and hair loss has been traumatic for them,\u201d she explains. \u201cI\u2019ve taken off my bandanna in the middle of a store to teach a woman how to tie it, because she just couldn\u2019t master it.\u201d<\/p>\n