Time: 11 am sharp
Where: Bertucci Restaurant, 2929 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT
Cost: $35 includes lunch

REGISTER HERE

Our event is generously supported by Laura Hathaway, Freedom Wig’s newest independent representative for the CT, RI and metro-NYC region. 

• * Camaraderie, networking, and meeting your local alopecia “sisters” for friendship and information you’ll use right away.

•  * We’re giving away a gift certificate from Fortune Wigs  to one very lucky attendee.  (monofilament top comfort wig).
  One ticket for the Fortune drawing is included with your registration. Additional wig tickets may be purchased when you register for the lunch.  Winner must be present to win.
• * Bald Girls Do Lunch brow make up for demo and purchase. Plus, a new, patented self-tie headwrap, very comfy sleep hats and lots of other cool stuff.

Join our list to get updates directly to your inbox.  Email thea@baldgirlsdolunch.org or call 800.578.5332

Joining us in Florida this weekend?

Click for the invite and the details.

Links to RSVP:

Orlando January 21 - Lunch

Saratosa January 22 - Dinner

Tampa January 23 - Dinner

Lunch in Connecticut with make-up ,wig advice and awesome camaraderie

11 am sharp
RSVP required
Bertucci Restaurant, 2929 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT
$40 pp includes meal

Send an email if you’re interested in attending.

More details will be sent directly to you. Not on our list? Join here.

And be sure to do your best no-snow dance!

The first BGDL nationwide survey will close January 31, 2012. To all who have participated, thank you again for your candor and incredibly valuable feedback.

This is the last chance to participate in this particular survey.

The results will be posted in our Winter E-Newsletter, Virtual Lunch

 Click here to take the 2011 survey.

Click here to join our list and receive future surveys and newsletters.

Here’s your own copy of the Bald Girls Do Lunch event invitation for January and February 2012 in Florida.

http://conta.cc/BGDLinFlorida

To get your event info first hand directly to your inbox, please join our list.

Fantastic idea and sure to be reality one day.

For now? Let Bald Girls Do Lunch help you “doll”ed up or down every day!

Contact us today for support and networking.

RSVP is now open for our three January events in Florida. Click on your preferred city to RSVP.

January 21, 2012 - Orlando

January 22, 2012 - Sarasota

January 23, 2012 - Tampa

Sponsors are welcomed to contact us for details:  info@baldgirlsdolunch.org

Event attendees are 16 and over with any form and any duration of alopecia areata conditions ( areata, totalis, universalis, etc).

Join our list and get additional event information directly to your inbox.

Tweet the short link        http://bitly.com/rVJdeb

#alopeciaareata

Ten more survey responders were randomly picked to receive Starbucks gift cards with our very big thanks!

We want to get input from all of you!

You can still participate in the survey and we’d love it if you do. Click  this link  or copy this URL

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BZY875C to take the survey now.

Post, tweet and send it around to every woman you know with alopecia.

Our ten winners are from southern California (3), New York (2), and one each from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Texas with one unidentified locale.

Bald Girls Do Lunch Events:

Join our List to receive all the details or call 800.578.5332.

Sponsor opportunities available to qualified companies.

November 30: Memphis, TN

December 1: Nashville, TN

December 2: Knoxville, TN

December 8: Sacramento, CA

December 11: San Francisco, CA

December 12: San Jose, CA

Good Hair Day owner and stylist Sandra Christianson (top left) and her gracious staff (clockwise: Maria, Brittany and Staci with Thea Chassin)  hosted the November 4, 2011 Bald Girls Do Lunch evening at their Oak Forest, Illinois salon. Complete with dinner,  door prizes, tryouts of the Hairdanna designed  by Sandra, BGDL make-up, and the EazyBrow , new friends and friendships were made. For one joyful woman who joined in (diagnosed with alopecia at age 4), meeting Thea and the others was her first time up close and personal with other women living with alopecia areata.

We’ve been invited for another event at Good Hair Day, so be sure to join our list to get the details.

Click for complete invitation details.

Registrations and donations are accepted here. Select “Moxie 12/11/11″ as your program designation.

Or, send to PayPal.com for account info@baldgirlsdolunch.org or mail to P O Box 9122, Scarborough, NY 10510

Proceeds benefit the outreach and programs of Bald Girls Do Lunch to give women with alopecia the information and support they need to live well with alopecia.

Hello Chicagoland!  View your invitation here.  

Come to one or all. See invite for rsvp and admission info.

November 4, Oak Forest  - 6:30 pm hosted by Good Hair Day Salon - family, friends and women with alopecia

November 5, Lake Zurich  - 1 pm at Hackney’s Lake Zurich - women with alopecia

November 6, Glenview  - 1 pm at Hackney’s  (Lake Ave. location) - women with alopecia

These events in Illinois are supported by a grant from the Bald Girls Do Lunch Illinois benefit  Bare Necessities.

Copy link for your friends: http://conta.cc/BGDLinIL

Don’t forget to RSVP as soon as possible.

P.S.  ….

Did you get the inaugural issue of Virtual Lunch? - the e-newsletter of Bald Girls Do Lunch.

Be sure you have  thea@baldgirlsdolunch.org and info@baldgirlsdolunch.org in your safe senders and address book. Add them today so you won’t miss any of our communications. We’ll also make sure the first copy gets to you, so update your email.

Read: Bald Women to Support, Learn from each other...

If you missed our stellar event  “Spring in the City” co-hosted and made possible by the generosity of  Alfieri Salon and Fuller Wigs, now you, too, can experience the excitement of Bald Girls Do Lunch. Enjoy!

“Spring in the City” video.

Learn more here.

Click for full invitation (pdf) and event details.

Click to RSVP.

$25 program donation. Food choices on your own.

Sunday, October 23, 2011 at 11:30 am
RiverCity Grille, Cleveland Marriott East
26300 Harvard Rd, Warrensville Heights, OH

Monday, October 24, 2011 at 6 pm
RiverCityGrille, Columbus Airport Marriott
1375 N. Cassady Ave., Columbus, OH

Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 9 am
Courtyard Pittsburgh Airport
450 Cherrington Pkwy, Caraopolis, PA

Still time to take our survey. We really have valuable feedback from early responders and are eager to get more. Your opinions matter.

Didn’t get your own inaugural copy of Virtual Lunch?  Send us an email to info@baldgirlsdolunch.org

or Join Our List.

Click here to take survey

Did you know that BGDL has been selling own line of professional quality brow makeup ( brushes, powders and amazing sealer)?

Request an order from directly from info@baldgirlsdolunch.org

In Rhode Island,  visit Alicia’s Beauty Shop  at 7442 Post Rd, North Kingstown

Online, purchase from Cheryn.com

who completed our survey online for the $10 Starbuck’s gift cards came from all over the US. We’ll hold off on first names or initials for total privacy, but you know who you are so be sure you’ve checked the inbox for your gift.

Within the next round of 100 surveys (from which we’ll draw 10 names randomly), we already have global respondents from Norway, Australia, the UK and beyond. Keep them coming! Responders will be the first to get survey results when tabulated. The 100 mark is close!

The first 15 in order of response are from: Colorado, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Michigan, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, Illinois, Florida, Washington state, California and New York.

Give our survey link to anyone you know. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BGDL

We’ll keep the survey open. Post the link your alopecia world page, facebook and other alopecia social sites, give to friends and family with alopecia. It takes less than 10 minutes to complete. The information is extremely valuable as an aggregate voice for the concerns of today’s women. Your responses are 100% securely private. Results are tabulated in the aggregate and are not personally identifiable.

Background: It was hypothesized by hair biology researchers over the last decades that biologics which were known to be effective in treating some forms of the autoimmune skin disorder, psoriasis, could possibly be effective for some severe forms of the disorder known as alopecia totalis/universalis.

Clinical Trials for four approved-for-use biologics:  etanercept( Enbrel); infliximab (Remicade); efalizumab (Raptiva) and alefacept (Amevive) all proved to have zero affect on alopecia totalis/universalis

Currently, a clinical trial for alopecia totalis/universalis is underway at Columbia University (not yet recruiting participants) using the drug abatacept (Orencia). The drug is FDA approved for use in treating moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis. Progress of the study now in Phase II,  can be followed at clinicaltrials.gov , study identifier # NCT01314495

Here’s a concise summary of abatacept and how it affects T-lymphocytes. T-lymphocytes are the cells observed on microscope to be congregating at the base of hair follicles in persons with alopecia areata.

Your views matter and we’re getting an inbox full of them!      Thank you thank you thank you!

You can still take the survey if you haven’t yet. We’ll leave it open for a while.

We’ll share the survey results with you if you join our list.

And,  joining our list means you get our next newsletter and more surveys directly to your in box.

We’ve already given away  $10 Starbucks gift cards to the first 15 people who responded with lightening speed to the Survey Link in the October inaugural issue of BGDL’s ” Virtual Lunch” e-newsletter. Sign up to get yours today.

And now….we’re giving away another 10 gift cards randomly drawn from the next 100 completed surveys.

Take the survey now.

Have you said: ” I want to feel normal”; ” I want the public to see wigs and bald heads as normal”; “I wish the ‘public’ would know more about alopecia”; “Would be nice to experiment wearing no hair, but just not by myself”?

Here at BGDL we think one of THE best ways to normalize alopecia areata and the women who live with it is to just live, do fun things and demonstrate by how we live that yes, alopecia is just another normal human variation.

What better way to find your other normal than to go out with us Girls and leave your hair at home. Have a nice time perusing the juried and fabulous artisans at the Westchester Fine Craft Show. And oh yeah, you just happen to be going around with a bunch of friends who have no hair…we call it a National Bald Out ™ day.

Awareness? You bet.

Normal? Feels normal pretty quickly

Unnerving? For a nano second.

Educational? No doubt about it. A most practical type public awareness class for medical hair loss.

Fun and Easy? Totally.

So while we’re an organization that fosters all options (and yes, our leader, Thea Chassin, just like you rocks them all: wigs, hats, scarves and her bald look) sometimes you just wanna step out with a bunch of Bald Girls like it’s the most normal thing in the world. Because soon it will be.

Meet Thea and more of us girls
Sunday, October 16, 2011….Another local event of the nationwide BGDL awareness program:
National Bald Out ™

When: 11:45 am  inside the County Center Lobby

Where: Westchester Fine Craft Show: A juried event featuring 100 of the Nation’s Top Contemporary Craft Artists
Westchester County Center
White Plains, NY

Ample parking. Call 914.995.4050 for directions and train access from Metro North
Admission $12. Seniors $11. Not usually suitable for strollers.

Call the BGDL toll free 800.578.5332 line or email info@baldgirlsdolunch.org to learn more.

Yes..that famous Woodstock! ….another National Bald Out ™ event.

In the rolling hills of Bethel, NY in bucolic Sullivan County. Now the site of the state of the art Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.

13th annual Bethel Woods Harvest Festival: Sunday, October 9, 2011.

Gather with Thea and friends of Bald Girls Do Lunch (that means all of you!)  from noon to 4 (festival and craft show open at 11 am)

If you need an invitation to forward to friends…..drop us a line info@baldgirlsdolunch.org

Click here for the complete invite and all the informative details such as “Do I have to show up bald???”

Join our List if your email has changed or you have yet to get our info to your inbox.

We’re also meeting at Bethel Woods as a NY debut venue for our series of National Bald Out(tm) events.  In short, that means come as you are and come as you like: hats, wigs, scarves or bald. We do it all and we foster all choices. So whether to you “Bald Out”  means stamp out bald, go out bald, bald is out or outwardly bald…….join us for a wonderful day of alopecia sisterhood at Bethel Woods.

You’ve asked us to help increase public awareness, have fun and  bring women together. Our answer?  National Bald Out ™ days.

You’ve requested more public venues where women like us who don’t grow hair normally can do fun things, meet others with alopecia, introduce friends and family to others with alopecia and change-up the usual assumption that bald + women always = chemo/cancer.

We’ve chosen the annual Connecticut Women’s Expo as a fun spot for you to meet up with national alopecia spokesperson Thea Chassin, founder of Bald Girls Do Lunch. Bring questions, beauty challenges and learn more about alopecia areata. Network and gain new resources for living beautifully.

And  yes…..wear your favorite scarves, hats and wigs for all-season styling tricks and tips. Thea’s got a luxurious and new, double silk designer scarf you’ll learn to wrap myriad ways.

NEW DATE AND LOCATION: APRIL 28-29, STAMFORD PLAZA HOTEL, STAMFORD, CT

Looking for a reason to feel the breeze on your head? Test drive the bald look?

Have fun and play it safe. While the amusement parks you visit may not have these same rules, still something to consider.

Amusement park bans scarves

Are you receiving our invitations for events in your area?

These steps will ensure you’re always in the loop.

1) Join our list and provide both a postal and an email address.

2) Add info@baldgirlsdolunch.org and thea@baldgirlsdolunch.org to your safe senders list.

Designer Laurie Erickson has a complimentary gift “It’s a Wrap” for you from her Good Wishes program - the nonprofit enterprise of the luxury L Erickson USA accessories line.

View the selection of  It’s a Wrap fabrics  here.   Or, visit franceluxe.com and click on the Good Wishes logo.

“I would like to thank Bald Girls Do Lunch for providing a voice and a home for the Alopecia community and for sharing the Good Wishes program with anyone who is experiencing the thinning or loss of hair. Our goal is to empower those with hair loss through our message of  Strength, Style & Dignity.

To order and read more about the program….

Most hair research is funded and performed outside the USA.

400 dermatologists and non-physician scientists who took part in the four-day 15th Annual Meeting of the European Hair Research Society (EHRS), which convened in Jerusalem recently.

Last revised in 2007, here’s the current TSA statement on wearing head coverings at security checkpoints. Click to view.

This is a large sample demonstrating presence of other atopic and autoimmune conditions in the AA population. Comorbidity profiles among patients with alopecia areata: The importance of onset age, a nationwide population-based study.

Thea Chassin met her husband in The Hamptons. Now another match is on…..bringing women with alopecia together in the same island hamlets. Are you there this summer or after the summer crowds are gone?  Let us know.  Gal Time follows Thea Chassin for the Hamptons and beyond.

A 26 patient study by researchers in Iran (published 2009) comes up with similar results to the UCSF study testing the efficacy of latanoprost (sold under brand name Latisse). Results show no significant regrowth for eyelash loss due to alopecia areata. The suggestion’s  made for further investigation with larger samples and durations.

Lunch in Scottsdale, AZ 2007 was one of the very first Bald Girls Do Lunch events. Generous and spirited local Arizona BG, Yvonne M. King,  did effective and valuable media interviews ensuring that local women would hear of our event. With the success of this lunch, Bald Girls Do Lunch was on its way! Now, Yvonne’s doing more and you can help.

Yvonne has chosen  support for the BGDL Facebook Cause “Stop Hair Loss Shame” as her birthday wish.

Right now, please honor Yvonne, one of our very first Bald Girls with a donation of any size to our Facebook Cause Stop Hair Loss Shame.

Thank you for honoring our friend and sister alopecian Yvonne - THE Arizona alopecia Diva!

CG of upstate New York is our newest New York City lunch raffle winner of a new wig from Fortune Wigs*** . Congratulations and best wishes!

Hats and hair care accessory give-aways were from Alfieri Salon and Hats with Heart.

The workshop portion included demo of the Eazy Brow***, BGDL makeup, Thea’s fashion scarf styling along with tips on finding great scarves at great prices.

*** Use code BGDL at checkout for 10% off when you order from these BGDL sponsors.

Our goal is to provide you with all the information you need but not more than you want.  It can be tricky so we ask for your help. Please update us with your preferences.

For example, if you live in Connecticut, you were recently invited to our NYC “Spring in the City” night  (April 15), our Manhattan lunch (June 4) and our upcoming “Summer Refresh” near Boston, Massachusetts (June 29).

Once a year, when a major BGDL event is scheduled in a tourist destination like New York City, we notify our entire network from coast to coast.  Read more….

RSVP is now open. Click for invitation to “Renew, Refresh, Rejuvenate for Summer”.

Reserve early. Space is limited.

Join our list to get event updates directly to your inbox.  Sign up here.

Are you a vendor or retailer with items for goodie bags or a gift certificate we can raffle off? Contact info@baldgirlsdolunch.org

Join us in welcoming our newest business supporter and sponsor of this week’s event  in Manhattan, Fortune Wigs.  Be sure to explore their site’s many wigs and see their ultra affordable and lightweight wig travel case. Enjoy a 10% discount off your entire purchase with code BGDL at check out.

Craig Butler interviews Thea Chassin:

Finding What Works for Women With Alopecia areata

Enhancing fashion and style sense helps build confidence and self-esteem in women suffering from Alopecia. Read the whole article.

Winner could be you or you or you for a Fortune Comfort Wig (human hair with or without monofilament top).  Winner must be present. No purchase required.

Fortune Wigs (Brooklyn, NY)  and co-owners Esther and Alan Tobias, generous sponsors of our event are donating a wig gift certificate to one lucky attendee. Drawing to be held at lunch June 4th in Manhattan with wig selected later on.

” Never underestimate the human brain. When we put in our brain optimistic and positive thoughts, like a GPS, our mind will lead us to our goals. Look good and feel good about yourself and allow your body to heal.” - Esther and Alan Tobias

Be sure to RSVP before June 1. No walk ins.

Goodie bags for this event are provided by Alfieri Salon of Manhattan.

Logistics got you baffled? We’ve got answers to make it easy.  We’ve made certain that our lunch location at the The Terrace Club is close to major subway stops at Rockefeller Center and is a short taxi ride from the LIRR, Amtrak, Metro-North and New Jersey Transit trains and buses. (Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal)

Driving in from the north? Parking is free all weekend anywhere along the Metro-North train lines going into Manhattan.

Neighborhood parking will be discounted and validated at the club. Details and other directions here.

Need help picking a station parking lot that’s convenient from your direction?   We love to help. Just ask.

Today we read a posting by a national alopecia research-funding foundation that states in referring to awareness for alopecia areata: “….to get the message out about the most common autoimmune disease.”

The most common?

More common than diabetes. rheumatoid arthritis,  fibromyalgia, Sjogren’s Syndrome, Raynaud’s Phenomenon, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (and other thyroid conditions), Graves’ Disease, Celiac Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome , etc? There are approx 80 known autoimmune diseases. And we’re #1?

While we’re on the subject, for a good resource and a little refresher about autoimmunity and women, visit WomensHealth.gov.

If you can locate reliable stats on the ranking of AA among all autoimmune diseases, please share by sending reference links to thea@baldgirlsdolunch.org and we’ll post them.

Please join us in welcoming Eazy Brow created by Wendy McGee of Dallas, Texas as our newest Bald Girls Do Lunch Special Friend.  Use code BGDL at Eazy Brow check out and Wendy will generously make a donation to BGDL with each purchase and YOU will get 10% off your first order. 

Eazy Brow is easily our newest favorite product. Eazy Brow is a hands free, adjustable eyebrow mask. You can very quickly and consistently create eyebrows, shape existing eyebrows and define sparse or light colored eyebrows.

If you use our BGDL brow powders and sealer you’re going to love love love the added convenience of the Eazy Brow for perfect placement every time.  Need a  BGDL powder and sealer order form? info@baldgirlsdolunch.org

Please join us in welcoming Eazy Brow created by Wendy McGee of Dallas, Texas as our newest Bald Girls Do Lunch Special Friend.  Use code BGDL at Eazy Brow check out and Wendy will generously make a donation to BGDL with each purchase and YOU will get 10% off your first order. 

Eazy Brow is easily our newest favorite product. Eazy Brow is a hands free, adjustable eyebrow mask. You can very quickly and consistently create eyebrows, shape existing eyebrows and define sparse or light colored eyebrows.

If you use our BGDL brow powders and sealer you’re going to love love love the added convenience of the Eazy Brow for perfect placement every time.  Need a  BGDL powder and sealer order form? info@baldgirlsdolunch.org

It’s email and phone support with a woman struggling with a new diagnosis in Holland.
“I am so pleased that there is a connection now. It is hard to describe….you’re “exporting” a lot of positive energy.”

It’s reassuring parents that hairless children do have successful lives and loving partners.

It’s emailing women in every state and every province of Canada, UK, Australia and beyond with personal advice for feeling great, feeling whole and reassurance: you’re not alone.

And responding directly to the concerns and needs of women wherever their travels take them:

“Dear Ladies of BGDL,

I am a 76 year old lady and have had alopecia universalis since I was 3 years old. I wear a wig and have since I was in the second grade. Read more…

Join us Saturday, June 4, 2011 for lunch and a beauty workshop in the private dining room of the private Terrace Club overlooking Rockefeller Center. “An exceptional oasis in the center of town.”

Invitation and RSVP info.

We know  the things that matter most to women with alopecia. Experience first-hand why women at our events call Thea’s BGDL format  : warm, friendly, informative, up-to-date, inspirational and much much more.

For details and updates: 800.578.5332 or thea@baldgirlsdolunch.org

Carly Severn, EyelineHer blogger,  put our signature Bald Girls Do Lunch brow sealer through the paces as your alopecia perfect brow product. The result?  “Kudos, BGDL”

Read the EyelineHer product review here.

As Carly notes in the lovely review, our online marketplace is under construction.

However, word of mouth sales are soaring. Get your order form by requesting it from info@baldgirlsdolunch.org

Join Thea Chassin for her uplifting and practical talk at the table. RSVP today.

Provo, Utah...May 7, 2011
Salt Lake City, Utah…May 9, 2011
Denver, Colorado…May 11, 2011

RSVP required. Sign up today. Use the drop down menu to designate your city.

Send your name now so when we announce the venue, you’ll be the first to know all the details. This will be a meet and greet with BGDL founder Thea Chassin for you, your friends and family.

“Spring in the City” held last night at the beautiful Alfieri Salon in New York City brought women and alopecia supporters from as far away as Richmond, Virginia and San Francisco, California.

Congratulations to the winners of the two luxury wigs, both New Yorkers:

On a ticket purchased by a mother for her adult daughter of Yonkers, NY, Elizabeth K. is  the owner of a new Follea from the Alfieri Salon.

On a ticket purchased by another mother for her 17 year old daughter near Rochester, NY, Collette will have her choice of a new Iwig or a deep discount off a Freedom Wig both donated by Fuller Hair.

Best wishes to our winners! Thank you to everyone of Alfieri  and  Fuller Hair .

Special thanks to stellar, celebrity make up artists Marianne Horvath and Barbara Kelly.

And last but not least, to each and every one of our attendees who packed the salon with joy and expanded the beauty, camaraderie and strength of the BGDL network.

 Trifecta of Beauty, Wig Raffle and best network for women!

Announcing: Celebrity makeup pro Barbara Kelly (daughter of renown wig maker and makeup line owner, Bob Kelly) joins artist Marianne Horvath to help our women at April’s “Spring in the City” .  Thanks Barb and Marianne!

And…When your friends and family make donations to BGDL in your honor between now and April 14, they can designate it for our Spring in the City night in Manhattan. Every ticket in your honor is another luxury wig ticket for you!

Heads Up Arizona!  Bald Girls Do Lunch Brings Support.

Joining Thea Chassin at  the BGDL lunch in  Phoenix, March 26,  is Candace Hoffman, author of Breaking the Silence on Women’s Hair Loss.

“When I was writing my book, the most heartbreaking interviews were those I did with young women with alopecia areata. Thea’s work is important and inspirational. I am anxious to finally meet her and these beautiful, brave women next Saturday.”  - Candace Hoffman

Reservations are open for Phoenix and Tucson brunches on March 26 and 27.

It’s a whole new experience talking about alopecia. Like many women, you might not know what to expect. We know just how women feel in these situations. Contact us any time.

Do you know a woman in the Houston area who would like to attend our lunch but requires financial assistance to attend? Please email info@baldgirlsdolunch.org or call 800.578.5332

An engaging and important lesson for women with alopecia; whether it’s the doctor’s office or the wig salon, you have rights and a right to know.

Speak UP! A valuable reminder from The Joint Commission for all patients.

Watch SPEAK UP on youtube.

Kim Karacz, Texas and southwest dealer for Freedom Wigs of New Zealand, is a generous sponsor of the March 12, 2011 BGDL lunch in Houston, Texas. At the conclusion of our intimate lunch and support/beauty discussions, Kim will show us the features of the newest Freedom wigs (cranial prostheses), versatile styling options and answer lifestyle questions about wearing wigs,  pros/cons of cap types, maintenance and hair origin/quality.

Thea will demo and have Bald Girls Do Lunch brow makeup on hand.

Sign up for updates about this event.

RSVP today. 

Who loves making alopecia women feel special and look great! We do! Here you go! Download the flyer and return the form at bottom. And if you’ll be in Manhattan with us on April 15, so much the better! Need more? contact info@baldgirlsdolunch.org

Don’t forget to post, tweet and involve all  your friends.

All tickets will be entered. Attendance not required, but we sure hope to meet you.

Did you know that most women coming to our lunches are meeting others with alopecia for the very first time? You’ll feel welcomed, comfortable and fit in easily if it’s your first time, too. Our format is friendly and casual -  not at all like any “old style traditional” meeting.  More quick facts.

See. Touch. Experience.

The newest 2011 wig products and fit technology in one night:  laser scanner, stretch lace grip caps, cyberhair, thin silicone vacuum fit and more.

April 15, 2011:  New York City

info@baldgirlsdolunch.org to get the invitation to your inbox or mailbox.

Sponsors: Alfieri Salon, NYC and Fuller-Hair.com with proceeds to benefit Bald Girls Do Lunch.

Tell your network: please tweet, post and buzz this post for our stellar Spring 2011 night  in Manhattan.

Stunning  head model for the February 21, 2011 cover of TIME is our good friend, Margaret H Baker.  Congratulations Margaret.

Today we received payment for our Houston lunch (March 12) from a member of our Texas community who cannot be at the lunch herself.  She has donated her payment to benefit women in need who can use financial assistance to attend.

You can do the same thing at anytime. Make a donation today. Tell us how you want it to be used.

Thank you in advance!

Presentation at the 10th Annual Caribbean Dermatology Symposium, January 2011  by
Charles N. Ellis, MD - Associate Director Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School as reported in  Internal Medicine News : Despite Concerns, Calcineurin Inhibitors Remain Useful

Thea Chassin leads her uplifting and inspirational program at the table at Panolivio  - French restaurant in the heart of the California central coastal wine county.

Very special thank you to the Akin family and the S.O.A.P (Sisters of Alopecia Project) for everything you do to bring BGDL to Paso Robles.

Dinner Details.

Not only do we have Origins donating goodie bags for everyone at our Indian Wells dinner, we’re also giving away a Facial Peel gift certificate (value $300) donated by Cosmetic Enhancement of El Paseo.  in addition to the door prizes posted below.

Kindly rsvp by 2/18.

Everyone who comes to our private home BGDL dinner in Indian Wells, California on February  21, 2011 will be automatically entered in our drawing that evening for wonderful prizes including:

• Dinner for two at the Lantana Restaurant, Grand Hyatt Hotel, Indian Wells
• Gift Certificate for facial at the Jay Russell Salon, Palm Desert

RSVP for our dinner today.

Though written for the mental health community, there’s much in this article to help the alopecia areata community better understand the relevance and real limitations of genetics.

We support research efforts.  However,  we want our community to be better equipped to read media reports with healthy skepticism and not default to the loudest media megaphones on “alopecia research”.

As one respondent replied: “….The thing to keep in mind is that genetics is often just a predisposition to a problem, not a 100% indicator that something will develop. It’s good that some scientists are trying to isolate genes….especially interesting is the possibility (as with some research on autism and fever) that genes that get switched in one direction can reverse direction during the lifespan.”

If you remember anything….genes are ‘fickle’ and unstable.

Informative, friendly, inspiring.  Your time with Thea Chassin.

February 20, 2011   - restaurant lunch, San Diego, California

February 21, 2011  - private home, catered dinner, Indian Wells, California

February 25, 2011 - restaurant dinner, Paso Robles, California

Sign up today.

“…heartfelt ‘thank you’ for the online presence you guys have. The first time I discovered your site (and saw the name) I smiled until I thought my face would crack - up until then I hadn’t seen any groups or sites with such a positive outlook. So, thank you for all the work you do!

Carly, who blogs about hair-loss beauty as EyelineHer
Cambridge, United Kingdom

Read more.

Baltimore, MD - February 4

Arlington, VA - February 5

Richmond, VA - February 6

YES…bald is in our name, but bald heads are never required at any BGDL event. With us, your personal options and comfort matter most. Join Thea for the latest in women’s alopecia style and strategies for living a beautiful life. Learn the myths and facts about treatment and research. Scarf tying, BGDL make-up and more.

Check each invitation link for time, place and other details.

For up-to-the-minute updates and last minute meet-ups follow BGDL:   @alopecia

Tweet our event calendar and cities to women with alopecia.

Contact us  to be a lunch sponsor.

22 year old Kayla Martell, beauty queen and the reigning Miss Delaware competes this weekend for the Miss America 2011 crown. We wish her all the best in her pageant contests and hope she’s the winner. Kayla, like many women across America (and the world) has a patchy form of alopecia areata. Currently, her hair is in a stage of re-growth, while during half of her life (since age 11) it’s come and gone.

In the numerous news articles about Kayla, as quoted by her and by other sources, we’ll continue to see the misleading “fact” that 5 million Americans “have alopecia areata”. As mentioned many times in this blog, the number 5 million is the number you get if you take the lifetime risk to the current US population (approx 2% are at risk) but you erroneously report it as if that number of people currently have the disease. They don’t. Five million people have a risk. Five million people do not currently have the disease. Dr. Bergfeld of the Cleveland clinic explains.

January 15th is National Hat Day. The Headwear Association will be announcing the winner of the Hat Person of the Year on January 15th.

Dozens of queries were sent from across the country to the New York Times’ online blog “Consults: Experts on the Front Lines of Medicine” last summer.   Dr. Wilma Bergfeld of the Cleveland Clinic responds to the question posed by Thea Chassin on one of her favorite topics: life-time risk vs prevalence.

Scroll down to the third question.

Oh, the places to go and people to bring together…When the 2011 Bald Girls Calendar goes live January 10, 2011 you’ll want to be the first to know what’s going on.

Please take a moment to update your info here and please include your full mailing address.  Also, remember to add info@baldgirlsdolunch.org to your contact list and/or safe email list - thank you!

Happiest of holidays to you and yours, and best wishes for a spectacular New Year.

From celebrities Salma Hayak and Kate Moss to designer Patricia Field’s stunning costuming for Sex and the City 2, the headwrap is in in in!

Read more and see photos.

The emotional scars of bullying last well beyond childhood. Ask any man or woman who lost his or her hair to alopecia areata in childhood. New Jersey Governor Christie has the “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights”  passed by both the NJ Senate and Assembly (S-2392/A-3466) on his desk.

Please join BGDL, CAP (Children’s Alopecia Project), the New Jersey Education Association and other caring organizations in supporting this bill.

Recap of the Wigs 101 Workshop benefit for BGDL at the Shevy Salon, November 14, 2011.

Event photos

The feature article.

The BGDL response:

Comment

The travesty is that while this coveted blond hair goes into hair extensions, women and girls with autoimmune conditions like alopecia areata who cannot grow hair at all are now priced out of the market for the full head wigs (cranial prostheses) they need so badly. There’s something wrong when a high quality, long-haired wig costs about $4,000 retail.

Women and children with no hair at all deserve to step out every day and feel normal. Until the extensions craze ends, the unprocessed, blond hair they want will be financially out of reach.

Health insurance in the USA reimburses generously for temporary wigs for chemotherapy patients, but in most cases designates hair for alopecia areata patients as “purely cosmetic” and an unnecessary expense. How wrong they are. -

Thea Chassin, founder Bald Girls Do Lunch

Other Times readers’ comments.

Buying a new wig? Cute video reminder. A scheitel is a wig worn by married Jewish orthodox women for modesty head covering.

Dear Thea and Bald Girls Do Lunch:

It was an honor and privilege to be able to be able to work with your organization.  We felt inspired by the women and their courage.

Lunch was fun, meeting Antonio was helpful and inspirational. The eyebrow and makeup demo really completed the makeover options.

For our company, it was an opportunity to do what we do best  - make people feel good about themselves. We look forward to having the opportunity to working with you on future projects.

Elon and Shevy Emanuel
Shevys.com and ShevyPro.com

Event Photos.

GoodShop and GoodSearch are hitting the airwaves this week all over the USA. Because helping your favorite causes like BGDL doesn’t cost you anything, but we get a donation. So get a jump on the holiday shopping. Support our cause when you search or shop online! Download the new GoodSearch/GoodShop toolbar at http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/bald-girls-do-lunch

Shop now while all the stores are having excellent promos.

when health reimbursements are pretty much standard for chemo wigs,  while full alopecia wigs (cranial prostheses) are routinely denied as ‘only cosmetic’.

so always make GoodShop.com your first stop. Honest, it only takes a few seconds. Keep Bald Girls Do Lunch as YOUR CHARITY selection and help raise our earnings. So far, in 2010, your shopping raised our earnings 6 times over our 2009 level. If it took a long time or was just a pain in the you know what,  we would not urge you to use goodshop. But it is so easy you won’t believe it. Every major retailer and many boutique shops are in on the secret. Click here for our unique GoodShop.com toolbar - the same we use on the BGDL computers.

Send, tweet and forward it to all your friends and colleagues today. Thank you!

..when a beautifully bald woman is scolded by the boss: cover your head or you’ll scare the customers.

Park in the designated spaces for Shevy right behind their building. Or, park in Staples lot on the adjacent block.

Get ready for a phenomenal day! Our guests are coming from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

…to get in your rsvp for Sunday’s Wigs 101 workshop with Shevy Emanuel and Antonio Diaz. And if you don’t wear wigs, come for the camaraderie. Meet the other women. Support our cause with your fully tax deductible admission. Includes brunch, beverages, raffles, goody bags  and more!

Or, make a donation of any size in support of our mission - - - with your support we can create more events in more places more often.

Read more. Two days left to sign up.

Become a lunch sponsor like Kim Karacz of www.2ndNatureHair.com who assisted  our Dallas, TX lunch meet up. Kim shared her personal search for the wigs that best suit her lifestyle,  tips for wearing and accessorizing wigs along with her first-hand knowledge of the suction wig product which she now sells throughout Texas for Freedom Wig of New Zealand. View the lunch photos.

We’re interested in hearing from beauty experts who have a track record of knowledge and experience beyond sales. We’re unable to accommodate requests from “permanent” make-up artists.

To learn more, contact thea@baldgirlsdolunch.org

..into the specialized and professional world of European human hair products and processes at the Shevy Salon. Photos here.

Advance rsvp required. Deadline extended to November 12. Please take advantage of programs like ours to learn more and meet other women like yourself.

Remember, no funds that you send to support research bring you programs like our upcoming at Shevy. No research funders will bring you an individual consultation with a star stylist like Antonio Diaz.

Ladies….you need excellent resources today! This is for you!

Don’t miss out on this incredibly valuable opportunity to bring your style, cut and color questions to our expert stylist of the rich and famous: Antonio Diaz  

“Antonio Diaz began his career in the beauty industry two decades ago. He has coiffed the tresses of many A-list celebrities, including Julia Roberts, Christina Applegate, Susan Sarandon and Alicia Silverstone. His exceptional talent has caught the attention of major advertisers such as Rolex and Ebel for whom he has created the looks for major advertising campaigns. Antonio’s artistry has also been featured in the pages of Vogue, Elle and Cosmopolitan. He has taught his unique cutting techniques to students at prestigious beauty schools throughout the world. Antonio has also developed an extensive client base for his unique techniques in cutting and styling wigs.

The level of expertise and professionalism he brings to each client is unsurpassed. He is constantly evolving as an artist and as a result he is known in the industry as a “style maker”. Antonio is truly an iconic figure in the world of beauty.”

“Masterful! My best wig cut ever!” says Thea Chassin of her recent wig restyling with Antonio. “Truly, this is the closest I’ve ever felt in a wig to looking and feeling like my old self - a newer improved (and younger) version too.”

Late getting your rsvp in? No worries. Our RSVP deadline has been extended, but you must purchase your admission in advance. Read more.

RSVP now with our Donate Now button which accepts donations & event registrations.

And if just cannot be with us, we’ll miss you; but please consider a donor gift of any size ….. so we can continue to offer the events that make BGDL the most progressive resource for women with alopecia. Click here to support our vital cause.

Hopefully, you’ve seen the invitation for our one-of-a-kind event next Sunday, November 14 in Brooklyn, NY. You might even have mistakenly assumed that Shevy Salon it’s just another (yawn) store selling wigs.

That would be a huge understatement.

The Shevy Salon is 4,000 sq feet of wig specialization and professionalism on steroids.  Wow! says it all.  You will see, touch, try on and get familiar with some of the most exquisite hair you’ve ever seen. You’ve not seen a stunning wig styling until you’ve seen wigs cut by Antonio Diaz. Shevy is our hostess for the day and will be answering every question you’ve ever had about fit, hair, buying, maintaining and enjoying your own wigs or a Shevy wig. And if you don’t wear wigs, it makes no difference.  Please join us for a fun-filled afternoon of good food and camaraderie. Your admission ticket is a tax deductible donation to further our cause and help us provide more programs like this one.

This week there’s a black/white/ yarn/textured cabby hat with visor in wool blend in Dress Barn stores. Caught our attention peering through the window. So random yet so fashionable. Sits deep over the head and covers the occipital area too. Tag says “one size fits all” but this hat will never fit a normal adult head with hair. It fits a tiny adult head with no hair perfectly (approx. 19-20″ circumference).Lined. Covered stretch elastic within back band. And, much prettier than the plum cabby hat on their website.

You deserve to look and feel fantastic!  Meet us November 14 in New York City.  Here’s how.

Read the Press Release, Tweet and Buzz it!

Come “play dress up” and try on stunningly, beautiful wigs cut by celebrity stylist, Antonio Diaz.

Come brunch, relax and savor the expertise of colorist, hair dresser and wig pro Shevy Emanuel.

Where else can you meet one on one with a professional make up artist and learn your best brow shape wit the BGDL signature brow products designed by Thea Chassin?

Where else can you hang out with no hair, some hair or all your hair and well….just be you!

You deserve to feel normal and “like yourself” every day of every  year. Start with us November 14th.

If you have “jitters” about meeting other people with alopecia and that holds you back from sending your rsvp…trust me, I understand. I know what you’re thinking.  No question or concern is too small. If anything about attending is overwhelming or confusing to you, please call or email me today.  I’m an expert on alopecia support for women ( and parents of girls with alopecia) and I’d love to talk to you! - Thea Chassin

To make sure you have fun on the way to, from and not just at our Shevy event, ride our private shuttle from Manhattan.

Sign up for the van with info@shevys.com after your RSVP for the event is complete.

Please reserve early so we’ll know the most convenient pick-up locations in Manhattan.

To calculate the event cost for you and your friends ($10 off each friend ticket), view your invite here.

Are you bringing your personal entourage or support group of 5 or more? Contact us for group discount.

Shevy Emanuel , owner of Shevy Wigs in Brooklyn, NY  will share her vast experience and expertise with us in her Brooklyn salon 11/14/10.

But you don’t need to wear a wig or even own a wig to attend. But if you do, meeting Shevy and learning about products is simply invaluable.

Come for the fun and support our cause. Meet other people who have alopecias. Food, drink, door prizes and much more. Click here for the invitation.  Bring a friend and enjoy discounted ticketing.

Bring your daughters and meet role models of all ages with alopecia. Get makeup advice and try the newest BGDL brow powder and sealer.

Need more?  800.578.5332 or info@baldgirlsdolunch.org

….people want to know more.

Like the generous employees at Burton Real Estate in Concord, California (East Bay/SF region) . The day they had their head shots photographed by Kristie Akin, they got into talking about not yet having a charity in mind for their 2010 charitable giving season. Having just spoken to BGDL in regard to a family member, Kristie told them all about our cause.  Thank you Kristie and Burton Real Estate for making us part of your concern for women.

Your company can donate securely online any time here. Or use postal mail to p o box 9122, Scarborough, NY 10510. Be sure to inquire about matching funds and send us the forms.

One lucky attendee at our Fort Worth, TX lunch on Sunday, Oct. 17 will win the drawing and take home the gift certificate for a free human hair wig from the Comfort Line of FortuneWigs.com. Winner must be present to win.  Advance reservations for the lunch are required on or before October 16 online or via paypal.  Invitation details are here.

RSVP with our Donate Button here.

Welcome and thank you to Kim Karacz, the newest Freedom Wigs of New Zealand dealer in the US. for being a sponsor for our Texas lunch, October 17.
Kim’s territory is Texas and the Southwest. Join us for lunch in Fort Worth, TX  to meet Kim in person or reach her at 800.978.1852

when this year’s promotion for an annual (November 2010) fundraiser in the state of New Jersey to benefit alopecia research states : “there are over 5 million children, teens and adults affected by alopecia” ? The reason this statement may not is because it’s misleading. It gives the impression that there are that number of people in the USA with the condition today…. now.  Big numbers sound great and encourage fund raising, but numbers can be misused if not qualified accurately. Research is important, but accuracy is equally important.

There is a lifetime risk to 1.7% of the population. USA population today x 1.7% is about 5 million.

Lifetime risk means for example  that someone could have had a transient one time episode of alopecia areata in their life days or decades ago, or someone else could have an episode 50 years from now, or someone else could have a currently active case. That’s lifetime risk…at some time in a lifetime. 

The lifetime risk percentage was estimated by Drs. Muller and Winckelmann (1963) and referenced here in the clinical presentation section:  Journal of Investigative Dermatology Proceedings (2004)