It is time to make public a topic that impacts many but few
openly acknowledge. Hair is one of those silent subjects
that are rarely spoken about. In order to still feel
beautiful, it helps to know that you are not alone and that
as you have aged, you are probably one of the many women or
men who have lost and grown hair in all the wrong places.

No one ever told us that part of becoming fifty and
furthermore means having parts of us vegetate like a garden
that has spread out of control or like being overtaken by
troops invading enemy territory. With age, our hormones
shift and so does our hair placement. Some of us lose our
once-fabulous manes. The result is endless hours and
usually secret glances in the mirror checking out our
receding hairlines and resulting newly-shaped, higher
foreheads or the bald patches that begin to look like
barren landing strips amidst perfectly normal foliage.

I don’t recall ever hearing a woman discuss the fact that
as her legs lose hair and the problem of keeping them
smooth and sexy dissipates, the battle is replaced by an
upward advancement that can appear on one’s chest, over
one’s lip, and on one’s chin, eyebrows and all over the
face that meets the world. Men (and a few women) grow what
looks like bean sprouts from their ears and nose. Once
perfectly shaped eyebrows need constant tending so that
they don’t grow into an arch like those of the artist Frida
Kahlo. And has anyone ever wondered why the refrain in the
fairy tale The Three Little Pigs, "Not by the hair of my
chinny chin chin,” comes to mind as we age? Years ago, I
had a once-beautiful client who, as she aged and became
physically infirm, extracted a final promise from her
family. She made them swear to tweeze every last hair from
her chin or wherever on her face the errant growth
appeared.

For women, facial hair is an especially embarrassing and
perplexing situation. Imagine dating a new potential lover
and wondering if he will see your peach fuzz or while
dancing cheek-to-cheek feel the remnants of your own five
o’clock shadow? Even though there are more hair removal
gizmos around than one can count on both hands, both sexes
tend to suffer in silence as they are too embarrassed to
openly discuss their particular vanity. For instance, did
anyone ever tell you your pubic area would probably grey
and shed and even become barren? All that money so many
younger women spend on Brazilian bikini waxes is no longer
needed. It falls out by itself!

And then there’s the more-talked about issue of hair color.
Since most of us grey, often only our hairdresser knows for
sure what our real color is. (Anyone remember Katie Couric
as a brunette? Seems to me almost all of TV has become the
battle of the blonds.) Whether it’s drugstore home remedies
or more expensive visits to the hair salon, America’s
obsession with hair color has spawned a multi-billion
dollar industry.

It’s time to stop the silence regarding hair woes. Below
you will find remedies for those who want more hair, as
well as for those who want less.

For those worried about balding, there are toupees, wigs,
hair plugs and creative hair styles such as the comb-over.

For those who want less hair, the methods and costs are
varied, confusing and seemingly endless. Ask your friends,
your dermatologist (be careful not to become another
patient feeding your doctor’s pocket book), your mother and
your significant other what he or she has used. Chances are
you will be surprised by their response and by the array of
answers you will receive. The rule of thumb is the more
permanent the solution, the more expensive the procedure.

Some possibilities include the following:
*Waxing
*Bleaching
*Cordless hair remover items (Nose and ear trimmers)
*Depilatories
*Electrolysis
*Various laser treatments and even more recent heat methods
*Coils
*Electric or standard blade razors

As always, heredity, nutrition, environment, diet and
exercise, medication, and that ubiquitous health harmer
stress can make a difference too. Ladies and gentlemen
unite. Stop being shy - tell us what you use and how you
coped. Women, join your men in admitting this is a hassle
of aging and it is not one of the more joyous aspects of
saging. Take care of your outer and inner-self.


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