I went to work without the wig

Dear Delyara, Alopecia took most of my hair over three years. I wore wigs to work and kept one beside the bed in case someone knocked unexpectedly. Heat, headaches, and the constant fear of the wig shifting became part of every day. Therapy and an alopecia support group helped me separate privacy from shame. I began going without it around close family, then during early walks. Today, I entered the office bareheaded. In the car park, I nearly turned back. A colleague asked whether I had changed my style. I said, “I have alopecia, and this is my head.” She nodded and asked about the meeting. Two people stared; most adjusted quickly. At lunch, cool air from the fan moved across my scalp, and I realised how much physical discomfort I had accepted to protect strangers from seeing the truth. Self-esteem did not make me love every reflection. It allowed me to stop treating my natural appearance as an emergency that had to be covered before anyone else entered the room.