I’m writing this and showing my scalp for one reason: to spare women the anguish I’ve experienced. Alopecia Areata may have increased my sensitivity, but it drained me emotionally. About six years ago, I decided I had had enough: No more shots or chemicals. No more strangers’ rude stares, no more expensive hairpieces painfully snapped onto very thin hair. No more obvious wigs.

I was referred to Ruth Regina in Miami six years ago and I’ve been wearing her Carasette since. (It’s on my head in my photograph.) It slips over my head, stays put without clips, and is so lightweight that I don’t feel it. My hair comes and goes, but my Carasettes consistently work.

I know that not everyone’s hair loss looks like mine. I was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata, an autoimmune disorder, when I was 9, and my hair has come and gone in unique patterns.  If I went through so much anguish trying to find comfortable hair that looked like it was growing from my scalp, I know I’m not alone. Many women experiencing hair loss – autoimmune or genetic, or from medication, surgery or chemotherapy – probably understand.  What has changed is how I feel about myself. I have “my old hair” back, and as my confidence has increased, I’ve asked Ruth Regina to make Carasettes in different colors and lengths. Because she uses gorgeous Italian human hair, and the colors blend so perfectly, I’ve been blonde, dark brown and even red.

In the five years I’ve known Ruth Regina, we’ve grown very close, and she’s much more to me than “the woman who handles my hair needs.” I trust her completely, and that’s a big part of the reason I’ve been able to move beyond hair loss. By the way, no one asked me to write this. I insisted, because I believe so strongly in both Ruth Regina and her Carasette.