Certain medications prescribed for aspergillosis may cause some hair loss. Losing your hair can be very difficult, and can affect your self-esteem; unfortunately there is a social stigma attached to hair loss and this can affect many people’s confidence, but there are ways to cope.
Join a support group:
Joining a support group is a great way to meet other people going through the same experiences as you, and to share tips and coping skills with one another.
- Local support groups: Alopecia UK has several local support groups based around the UK. Click here to find your closest meeting.
- Online support groups: If you are unable to attend a local meeting, or you’d just prefer to find support online there are Facebook support groups for the UK and worldwide community: Alopecia UK Facebook group and World Alopecia Community. Here you can ask questions and share your experiences with others who suffer from hair loss. You can also use the aspergillosis support groups on Facebook to talk to others also coping with aspergillosis and associated problems: Aspergillosis Support (Private) and Aspergillosis Support
Talk about it:
Hair loss can hugely affect your confidence and self-esteem. Talking about it with your family and friends can help them understand what support you need from them, and help you to understand that they don’t see you any differently.
If you are really struggling, you might want to seek help from your doctor. The lack of control over this sudden change in your appearance (as well as coping with a chronic illness) can make people very vulnerable to mental illnesses. It is important to try and recognise this and tackle it as early as possible – for more information on recognising and avoiding depression, click here.
Cover up:
There are several different ways to cover up hair loss, from small bald patches to more severe cases. More detailed information on the tips listed below can be found here.
- Haircuts and hairstyles: smaller bald patches can often be hidden with the right hairstyle. An experienced hairdresser will be able to help you choose the best haircut to cover up patches. If you’re worried about going into a salon, find a hairdresser who does home-visits. There are also many videos on YouTube that show you tips and tricks to style your hair over patches
- Wigs: With more severe hair loss, you might want to try a wig. There are many different types out there, so Alopecia UK has put together a detailed guide to choosing a wig.
- Head coverings: Headscarves, hats, head tattoos and camouflage products are all good and fairly cheap ways to cover up hair loss. These can be very individual and allow you to be flexible with your appearance.
- Make up: Losing eyebrow and eyelash hair can change your appearance more than you think, which can be upsetting. Make up tips, such as wearing fake eyelashes or drawing eyebrows on with a pencil can help disguise facial hair loss. There are also more permanent options, such as eyebrow tattoos, that can help you achieve a more natural look.
However you choose to deal with hair loss, there is plenty of support, tips and advice out there for you to access!