The BeauBeau

It’s finally cooling down here in the sunshine state, to the point that those early morning runs feel good - still sweaty, but not gasping. Thank goodness. I need all the inspiration I can get to stick with it sometimes. It’s all about getting past that energetic ditch, but hair loss is one of those factors that can make getting over that ditch akin to getting out of neck-deep quicksand. Even if we do get out, we’re way too exhausted to think about going for a run.

After years of coaching tennis, competing in marathons, semi-pro golfing, and maintaining a solid swim schedule, my life as a fit and active woman was completely derailed by Alopecia Universalis - hair loss that is. I was suddenly bald and I was devastated, depressed and just wanted to hide. On the rare occasion I emerged from my closet, I hid my hair loss under a wig. Exercise had always been the one emotional pickup I could count on through thick or thin. I was (and am) an exercise endorphin junky, but once I lost my hair, my exercise rhythm came to a fast halt. This is Florida, where running, swimming, and playing tennis in a hot, scratchy wig is about as inspiring as struggling my way out of neck-deep quicksand before my morning run. Once I lost my hair, my running shoes, my tennis rackets, the golf clubs and my swimsuit all started collecting dust.

As the story goes, I eventually came up with a headwear option I could not just live with, but feel good in. I started out with rayons and silks, fabulous for day wear but not so suitable for sweating. I had adjusted enough to my hair loss to not let it stop me from getting my exercise endorphin highs. After all, I desperately needed those endorphins to keep my head above the hair loss despair! But no way was I going to trot the steaming streets or sunny beaches of Florida in a sweltering wig. I relied on baseball caps. They did their job of protecting my bald head from the sun, but I sure did feel conspicuous and masculine.

Not one to settle, I elaborated on my beaubeau design. Now no one - not me, not you - can use hair loss as an excuse not to exercise. Exercise is just too important, and if you find your hair loss is adding to your reasons not to get out and get moving, I really encourage you to check out our exercise beaubeaus. We may not have control over the factors causing our hair loss, but we do have control over our responses to it. Exercise builds and nurture our bodies while raising our spirits. Buy an exercise beaubeau and make it your excuse to get up and get moving.

Susan Beausang, 4Women.com