Life with Alopecia: My Makeup Routine

Happy #transformationtuesday
In a quest for authenticity in a world full of filters and special effects, I present to you today my makeup routine (before and after). This is how I do my makeup any time I leave the house other than to go to the gym or run errands (during which I don’t mind being seen au naturel). It’s in essence a makeover on a daily basis, although for my mental health, I try to build in a few days a week during which I go makeup free and accept the person in the mirror without any modifications.

A little background: It’s been nearly 20 years since I lost my hair to Alopecia Universalis. It began in spring 2002… I had a moderate to severe case of acne, mainly affecting my chin and jawline. The acne problem was painful, and I couldn’t mask it with makeup, so under a dermatologist’s care, I began a treatment of antibiotics. The drug regimen worked, but eventually I reacted to the drug I was taking (minocycline). I was admitted to the hospital in July and misdiagnosed with Lyme disease. The physician to which I was assigned prescribed doxycycline, and I was given it intravenously, which ultimately led to a more severe reaction. Once the IV was removed, I recovered almost immediately, and after another week, I was released from the hospital.

Three months later (October), I noticed the hair on my arm was missing, and then a few days later, my eyebrows and eyelashes started to shed. Eventually, the hair on my head began to fall out and by Christmas there was hardly anything left.

Links to the makeup and hair piece I used in the video:

Acne Safe Priia Stick Foundation

Acne Safe Liquid Foundation

Acne Safe Powder Foundation

Setting Powder

Setting Spray

Eyebrow Pencil

Eyebrow Paint

Eyebrow Hairs

Eyeliner

Eye Shadow

Lashes

Lash Glue

Lip Liner

Lip Gloss

Hairpiece