My Uplifting Alopecia Story | Encelia Hair Founder's Story

My hope is that this blog post will inspire other women with alopecia or hair loss to share their journeys in an uplifting way. Please find your way to share your journey via posts/videos/pictures any and all welcomed/needed to help others along their journeys. This is a quick overview of the last three years of my life as a bald women. Yes, some of it is sad and heartbreaking but I hope the end lives you feeling a bit inspired & empowered! This is my uplifting alopecia story and the creation of Encelia Hair.

XOXO,

Allison

The Beginning | Bald, Pregnant & Alone

My hair loss story began in 2018, when my life changed unexpectedly, during the eighth month of my second pregnancy, when I developed Alopecia Universalis - total hair loss. I ended up having the flu, losing 15lbs in two weeks and then out of nowhere, I started losing my hair.  My hair loss was rapid - I lost over 75% of it in 30 days. 

My Hair Before The Loss (last vacation & french braid with my real hair)

The Loss

It's hard to explain the mindset that I was in when the loss first started happening.  It's safe to say that I felt completely alone & I literally couldn't look at myself in the mirror. The only thing going through my head was, this can not be happening to me. I am healthy, young, and kind so why is this happening.  In the beginning, I couldn't come to terms with my new reality - I recall saying, no f** way is this happening to me.  I was in complete denial. Here is the thing about hair loss - you don't get to control it. Let's right, it's completely out of your control. It didn't help that my doctors had no clue what was going on with me. 

Honestly, my focus was on having a healthy baby boy, who's weight fell just below 10% because of the weight I lost from having the flu. I was being monitored every other day and trying to decide if we should have the baby early or not because we were so worried about brain development.  

My First Hairpiece - Human Hair Topper

The term "wig" was not something that I could even begin to fathom wearing. My vision of a wig was something out of the Golden Girls tv show. I discovered toppers and thought I would give it a try.  Like so many women who lose their hair - I chopped off my long hair to make my hair look fuller.  This never works and it's the wrong time to rock a new hair style because your confidence level is an all time low.  In any case, I wore a hat 90% of the time because my loss was so rapid I was worried that the topper wouldn't stay on ( I didn't know anything about tape or glue).

Four Months Post Pregnancy - Complete Hair Loss (No Eyelashes & No Eyebrows)

My hair loss didn't sink in until four months post pregnancy when, within a week, I lost all my eyelashes and eyebrows. Losing my eyelashes and brows were by far the hardest part for me because it drastically changes your look.  Research shows that the first thing someone looks at when they look at you is your eyes and eyebrows & then we look at the hairline. I was in complete shock with my new look. I recall searching for women like me, I went on YouTube and searched bald women, women hair loss, young bald women.  I found a few gems but the vast majority was of content was anything but uplifting. This time for me was extremely hard for me.  I was worried about losing everything I have every worked for - I was worried that my husband would leave me, I was worried about my kids, I was worried about income because I worked in beauty and who would work with someone like me.  

My 1st Wig | Shopping for a wig

I recall my mother in law saying, you need a wig. I didn't want one and I didn't go "shopping" for hair when I was coping with the loss of my own.  It didn't help that I had a newborn at home and I was completely overwhelmed with everything. Shopping for a wig was awful - the average wig boutique just didn't provide me with the support, knowledge, and I didn't really understand what made a wig great or not.  Because I cut my hair, I thought I need to keep the style consistent so people didn't know that I lost all my hair. I wish I would have followed my gut and found a wig that reflected how I looked before the loss.  I will say this, wigs can be incredibly power or soul sucking. My 1st wig was a soul sucker - it was so so itchy, the lace front was awful, the fiber was stiff, dense and didn't move at all.  I remember being outside when it as raining - I was completely soaked but my hair was dry as a bone.  I remember this because I thought, wow, I am trying to look "normal" but this is wig so fake.

Finding A Wig That I Loved 

It took me another four months before finding a wig that I actually loved. Deciding to go blonde was a last minute decision because to this day, I believe that the lace fronts darker wigs do not look as realistic as blonde wigs.  The knotting (even if it's single hand tied) on darker wigs is still visible.  Because my 1st lace front was so awful, lace fronts continue to be my main pain point with wigs.

Launching Social Wig Co.

I became so obsessed with the making of a great wig that I decided to open a wig consulting business in the bay area, called Social Wig Co.

For two years, I met so many women like me who couldn't find hair/wigs that they loved. They just wanted to regain a sense of normalcy and feel like they used to do before the loss. I noticed that they started "messing out" or they "stoping participating" in things that they used to do. For some it was dating, others it was swimming, and for many it was just everyday normal things that they just stopped doing because they didn't want to deal with the wig or they didn't want to feel different (odd ball out). It was at this time that I met a mother, who after dealing with hair loss for over 20 years, finally decided to buy a wig that made her feel stunning. When she tried her new on the wig for the first time, she cried.  She cried because she felt amazing but she was incredibly sad & had a lot of regret because there were so many moments that she missed out on because of her hair loss. I recall her mentioning a wedding that she didn't go to and the dating the she stopped doing. This was such a defining moment for me because I realized that I was also slowly saying no to things. I had stopped working out, stopped lifting weight, stopped swimming (long story there), etc.  I realized that I had to gain the strength to live my life without hair. 

Life As A Bald Women

Wearing a wig all day is tough & good wigs are expensive - even the most comfortable wig in the world feels like a wig. Like many women, when I get home, I want to take my wig off - I needed a break from the wig. If I didn't wear a turban or hat, I had to be bald. I made a consistent effort to be bald throughout the day. I refused to let my hair loss define me. I started working out bald and living my life. At times, I felt powerful and most of the time I felt like an outsider. It just wasn't me - I just couldn't identify with myself as a bald but I would not let my hair loss stop me. 

Wigs & Vacation 

There isn't anything like vacation to help you realize somethings need to change.  You know what I mean - you try on the dress that you want to wear and it's too snug. Or that swim suit you want to wear and just doesn't look right.  For me, it was the wig.. I had my everyday/evening wig but during the day, when I wanted to have hair and not be bald, I used Jon Renau's Julianne wig.

I was planning on being hot and uncomfortable during the day but the temperate in Mexico was going to be 85% humidity and 95 degrees. I remember saying to my husband that I might be bald on vacation because I am just going to be so freaking uncomfortable. He looked at me and said, there isn't anything else that you can wear. You are just not going to feel at ease being bald at the resort. I couldn't help but agreeing with him. 

The Birth Of Encelia 

I had seen a lot of influencers on Instagram wearing headbands to cover fake looking lace fronts or to secure the wig. I thought it looked sporty.  I had an old headband and wide extension so I decided to find a seamstress who would help me make something that I could wear during the day while on vacation. 

It wasn't perfect by any stretch but it was incredibly comfortable and easy to wear. I was obsessed and thought this is exactly what my clients need.

A Year In The Making

I made this my side hassle; I became completely obsessed with the cap and making it the most comfortable hairpiece EVER.  I tested multiple suppliers and tested out dozens of headbands. At times it felt impossible and silly but I knew what I couldn't be the only bald women in the world wanted to wear hair while being active and comfortable.  It took a year for me to fine tune the details of the Encelia Active - The Original Workout wig but I am so happy to say that is literally the most comfortable, secure and realistic active wig on the market! 

I believe women with hair loss deserve more than one option (the standard wig). My promise is to create high-quality, multifunctional wigs that empower women with hair loss to live their best lives without hair!  This is only the beginning and the start of something amazing!