FINDING YOUR STYLE
Women with alopecia areata deserve to look and feel great all year long. Let's talk about Alopecia Style™. The end-of-year season is the ideal time to re-assess and get new ideas for old habits. Sound familiar? Stuck in a rut? Women often resist change, feeling secure in monotony. However, in actuality resisting change can bring on sadness, anxiety and worsen self-consciousness. Changes that flatter you will bring compliments and that will feel great!
Earlier, we refreshed with our alopecia makeup tricks, our inspiring beauty advice from Carly and now....
New Tips For the New Year
- The Color Benefits
- New Year - New Reasons
- Confidence Boosters
Colors that Work for You
There is no such thing as a bad color, pattern or texture. But, there are some that are bad for you.Consider:
- Certain colors, color shade or color saturation near your face make you look healthier
- Some outfits routinely provide compliments from other people
- A professional color stylist can demonstrate colors that compliment your skin and/or hair
- That you feel instinctively more confident in some colors, while in others you feel blah.
- It is not always the color itself. It may be the "value" or "saturation" of the color. In Thea's photo below even with almost no makeup, the colors of the outfit work for her.
- An Investment in timeless wardrobe neutrals and accents with accessories in your colors save money and build confidence.
Experiment
Use the holidays and the new year as an excuse to try something new. Everyone can relate to a friend who says, 'I just need a change to feel recharged and refreshed." You might be surprised at how much you enjoy the option of a no hair/no wig day.
- Bring pashmina or large scarves on vacation for a no hair /no wig day. From the Caribbean to the Rocky Mountains, bring a large scarf or two for a beautiful and comfortable headwrap.
- Use thicker scarves, folded over to build volume on your head. Nothing telegraphs "cancer" more than a teeny weeny thin bandana.
- Away from family and friends? Perfect! Try some new looks while out of town.
- December features online lists of Beauty Editor's "Best of 2014" new products. Very often these are excellent sources for new concealers, lid primers, mascaras and lipsticks that are improvements over prior formulas. Try a new one!
Confidence Boosters
Resist the self-imposed pressure to make many changes at once. Don't give up! Try one new thing because each small improvement will help you feel more in control of the losses (hair, brows, lashes).
- Don't be shy. When you see someone whose makeup you admire, ask her how she did.
- Intimidated by the retail makeup counters? Look around for an artist whose makeup style looks like how you want to look. Then ask her advice.
- Remember, makeup artists (MUA) have seen it all and then some. Your wig is nothing new. Savor being special.
- Use the holidays to recharge with a massage. Like MUA, massage therapists are unphased by your lack of normal hair. Just mention "Oh, I don't grow hair. I have alopecia. Don't worry I'm not sick." With a lighthearted and casual approach, use this opportunity to practice a confident voice this season.
So Remember...
- Love yourself and tell the face in the mirror that you deserve to be comfortable and confident every day of the year. Everyone, alopecia or not, has something they feel self-conscious about.
- Use this season to play with new ways to boost your best assets and enjoy your new found confidence and compliments!
Got one of your own tips to share? We'd love to hear them in the comments below!