We joke a lot about strong edges being hard to come by, but the truth is traction alopecia is no laughing matter for the large percentage of women whose hair line has been robbed by the #BunLife. But the good news is the damage can be fixed– if you’re willing to go under the knife.
Meet Diva Hollands, a 22-year-old UK woman who started losing her edges around the age of 13. Hollands, a ballerina who began dancing at the age of 3, told The Daily Mail: “My mum tied my hair up really tight from when I was really little, and looking back at pictures you can see it started having an effect on my hairline.”
Hollands continued training with the Royal Ballet School before quitting dancing at the age of 18, but by then her receding hairline had had a profound effect on her self-esteem, and her romantic life. Hollands said she was teased in school for her hair loss and she was afraid to wear her hair in any other style but down when she first met her fiancé.
“When I met David I didn’t let him see me with my hair back for six months. I then explained it to him and he was really understanding. For me, it’s something that is very personal.
“After I had children I experienced further hair loss. That’s when I decided to do something about it and get the procedure done.”
The procedure was a Follicular Unit Transplantation which involves removing a thin strip of skin at the back of the scalp where hair grows and transplanting it to an area of hair loss, like the hairline, top of the head, or even eyebrows. The procedure took eight hours and the only post-surgery restriction was Hollands couldn’t touch her hair for a week. Within months her hairline started to grow back.
“I really do think there’s a taboo when it comes to women’s hair loss. I was so embarrassed about it,” Hollands said. “It’s why I’m sharing my story – there might be other women out there in the same situation. It can happen to anyone and it’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
And the results of the procedure are actually quite remarkable. According to WebMD, the cost of a hair transplant can range from $4,000-$15,000, depending on how much hair is removed. And though most insurance plans don’t cover the procedure, the money could be a small price to pay to restore your confidence.
