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Woman whose hair started falling out at age 11 opens up about how it ruined her singing career - and her social life



A woman whose hair started falling out at age 11 has opened up about how her debilitating genetic condition stopped her from following her dreams of becoming a singer.


Lillian White, now a dental hygienist from Massachusetts, studied vocal performance at college but 'never felt comfortable going on stage,' she told ABC. 'I had done plays and worn a wig, but it was terrible and hot.'

The 31-year-old said her hair loss affected her confidence to such a degree that she refused to date boys, abandoned her singing career and slipped into a deep depression.





Debilitating disease: Lillian White said her hair loss affected her confidence to such a degree that she refused to date boys, abandoned her singing career and slipped into a deep depression

'I was just getting into puberty and that awkward phase and my hair started falling out,' she said,

'It was terrible. At slumber parties, we would braid each other's hair with friends and they would ask, "Why are your braids so tiny?"'

And when it came to romantic relationships, Ms White's insecurities completely crippled her.


'Who would want date a girl with thin hair? It was totally detrimental to my self-esteem. I never had any confidence.'




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It is called a 'devastating disease of the spirit' by the American Hair Loss Association - a toll that has a direct impact on health, on top of the disease itself.

Dr. Valerie Callender, associate professor of dermatology at Howard University in Washington, D.C, explained: 'As a dermatologist, the longest office visit I have is when I have a hair loss patient in the room.


'We think of it as our crown and glory. In Western civilization being attractive is having healthy, thick, long hair and when you start losing it, it's devastating.'

Treatments, however, are scarce. Over-the-counter hair products like Rogaine take two to three months for results, and must be used continuously or the hair will fall out again.



'It was totally detrimental to my self-esteem. I never had any confidence'

Hair transplants and low-light laser treatments are another options, which aren't always successful.


Forty-year-old Susan Falcone, a certified personal coach focusing on helping women with hair loss, began losing her hair at age 12 and continued to lose hair through high school into her twenties.


'My mom kept reassuring me everything was fine,' said Ms Falcone from Pennsylvania. 'The strange thing was that my hair was poker straight until I was 14, then it grew in curly and frizzy around the bald patch.


'I remember thinking I would never get married. I fantasized about a husband. I would wear my wig and take it off when I would go to bed.


'A man can still look handsome without hair. But let's be honest. I looked like a 65-year-old man when I was 20-something years old. It was horrible. There is so much shame involved.'


A hair transplant at age 27 was 'a failure' because 'the hair around the transplant fell out,' she said.


By 32, she tried human hair pieces, which 'was an epic failure, as well,' she said.


'It was very painful and expensive. I had to drive hours to the salon -- it wasn't working for me.'


Ms Falcone, who has an adrenal deficiency and polycystic ovarian syndrome that may have contributed to her hereditary condition, experimented with integrated and clip-on hairpieces.


She finally settled on bonded hair replacement systems, which bond hair directly to the scalp with surgical adhesive and can be worn for 10 days.


'It's not going anywhere,' she said. 'I sleep in it and swim in it. I have a normal life.'


Eventually, she partnered with hairdirect.com to 'help women focus on solution rather than problem' - bringing these educational materials to a larger audience, including Ms White.

Today Ms White has the confidence to date and enjoy a full social life.

THE COMMON CAUSES OF HAIR LOSS IN WOMEN:



Hair loss can be heredity, but it can also be caused by allergies - such as hair dye.


The chemicals in hair grooming procedures or treatments are 'the number one reason for an allergic reaction,' said Dr Callender.


The acting ingredient in hair dyes is paraphenylenediamine or PPD, which can also cause angioedema, a swelling that happens just below the surface of the skin, most often around the lips and eyes.


Other reasons for hair loss can be contact dermatitis on the scalp and allergy to fragrances from skin care products, soaps and lotions.


Yeasts and molds that live in the scalp can also cause hair loss, especially when a person doesn't wash their hair regularly.


Irritation and itching, as well as more scratching, can cause a bacterial infection, as well as hair breakage.


An autoimmune response unrelated to irritants, alopecia areata, can also cause hair loss, leading to total baldness.


It usually starts with one or more small, round, smooth patches on the scalp and can progress, sometimes to complete body hair loss. Hair can grow back or fall out again at any time.


The most common form of hair loss, androgenetic alopecia, is caused by aging, where women's hair begins to thin after menopause when they lose their estrogen and progesterone, and the male hormones or androgens become 'unmasked.'


Dr Callender explained: '[Women] lose it not only on their scalp, but on their body and we get hair on our face and chin where we don't like it.'

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