Fantasia Salon / Spa and Wig Specialists

 A couple weeks ago I wrote “Bald is Beautiful” about a “guy” organization touting the virtues of the bald head.  Now I’ve come across one for the gals.  Cute title for their organization, it’s “Bald Girls Do Lunch” and is based out of New York.

Bald Girls Do Lunch is a non-profit organization, bring women with alopecia together.  According to the founder, Thea Chassin, women yearn to get together and say “I have alopecia -so what!”  The key to living happily is talking openly and feeling in control.  Family and friends mean well, but it’s a relief to talk to someone like yourself who understands the challenges.

According to Chassin, when everyone at the table shares the same condition, strong bonds and self-esteem are built.  The lively discussions cover situations as wide ranging as dating, business meetings, alternatives to wigs and physical activities.  But, the overall goal of the group is promoting individual choice and comfort.  Women of all ages adorned with wigs and hats come to the events and some even debut their bald look.

Bald Girl events are gaining momentum nationwide.  In 28 cities and 14 states, women have gotten together for support by breaking down the taboos surrounding female baldness.  Meeting in public helps counter the belief that every bald woman has cancer, Chassin believes.

Although unable to grow or sustain hair on their scalps and sometimes even eye brows  and eyelashes, people with alopecia areata are actually in good health.

Alopecia areata affects men, women and children of all ages.

Approximately 5 million people in the US are affected.  Characterized by smooth, round bald patches, it can progress to complete hair loss that includes all body hair.  Some treatments work for some people, but there is no cure.  Alopecia areata is highly unpredictable and may have a genetic predisposition.  It can appear at any time of life.

When Thea Chassin, the founder of Bald Girls Do Lunch, saw that women crave fun and stimulating chats over coffee or lunch to share information, she created the uplifting, women-only format for conquering feelings of alone-ness.  For more information about the disease or the organization, visit  www.baldgirlsdolunch.org

Burly men with shiny, slick domes? Who are they? They are the Brotherhood of Bald People! It’s a group of men in the Twin Cities who celebrate baldness.

It started a couple years ago as a website with forums, blogs and pictures celebrating baldness. The founder from Ham Lake, MN, has transformed it into an online support group and a company offering T-shirts, hats and other products sporting messages such as “Hair is so Overrated” and “If you want to rub it, please ask first.” The brotherhood even hosted a “Take Me Out to the Bald Game” night at the Saints game last week.

No matter who you are, you go thought the same thing when you start losing your hair- you think it’s the end of the world. After venting on the website about the difficulties of losing hair, and the negative perceptions about baldness; the founder quickly realized that children, especially young girls with cancer and illnesses that result in hair loss, should be included in the group. So, while it’s pretty much exclusive to men they embrace women and girls who don’t want to wear hats or wigs during their cancer treatments.

With the inclusion of young girls, came a line of T-shirts with the character Princess Jewel, a crown adorning her bald head. These were delivered to Children’s Hospitals and Clinics in Minnesota. The leaders of the site also donate 10% of the proceeds from merchandise sales to charity.

To date, there are about 680 registered users on the site from all over the world. The founder says, “We like to think of ourselves as the anti-Hair Club for Men. I look at the guys that try the com-over or hang on to the last bit of hair and I just want to give them a hug and say, ‘Hey man, let it go’.

The founder says he wanted to create a place where people all over the world could come to share stories. He says his favorite is comparing Benjamin Franklin, who had the guts to go natural, to George Washington who, also bald, was dodging bullets on the battlefield while straightening his wig.

When founder Mike’s hair started receding in his 20’s, his parents tried to get him to do the “comb over”. When his son Tyris was dealing with the same thing, Mike encouraged him to shave his head. Tyris “went under the razor” at the Saints game!

A represetative at Children’s Hospital said the brotherhood T-shirts help the children with cancer feel accepted. People are concerned when they see a child with no hair, but, it they’re wearing a T-shirt that says “I know I’m bald, but you don’t have too worry.”

The brotherhood donated the T-shirts to Children’s Hospital but wants to find a company that will sponsor the line so the shirts can be given out to children all over the country. While the brotherhood may not have hair, there is one thing they have and that is really big hearts!