Felicia Flores started noticing her hair loss after her daughter was born in 2001. “Maybe childbirth triggered it. But I started noticing some bald spots.”
With almost half of Black women suffering some form of hair loss, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, Flores went to a dermatologist to get more information. She was told it could be a form of alopecia areata, a chronic autoimmune disease that causes hair loss in patches, and began a regimen of steroids and creams. “It would grow back, but then it would progressively get worse, and we upped the treatments,” she recalled.
The intensified cortisone injections, which happened every four weeks, were without anesthesia. And then the worst happened. “I had a daughter, and she passed away,” Flores shared. “I had a weave in my hair, and after the funeral, my friends were trying to comfort me. I said let me take out my weave, and there were literally clumps of hair coming out.”
Through her tears, Flores decided to shave her hair and wear a wig, believing her strands would eventually grow back. “They never grew back. I wore that wig when it was hot and sunny and sweaty; believe me, that wig was not leaving me.”
But after years of cementing glue and slipping units, she realized she had enough. “In 2015, they had the ‘Don’t Judge Me’ challenge. My daughter and her friend encouraged me to do this challenge and reveal to the world that I was bald. Nobody knew I was bald. My parents didn’t know, most of my friends didn’t know. That’s when I took the moment to reveal it to the world. That was the start of me coming out and being bald and free,” she told EBONY.
Now Flores empowers others with hair loss to live life to the fullest. She chronicles her experiences on her Instagram @baldandfree, reassuring others they can live full lives strand-free. From September 27 to 29, she will host Baldie Con in Atlanta, a conference where people who suffer from hair loss or choose to live a bald life can interact, learn and support one another.
Here, Flores talks more about her empowering transition and how her conference gives attendees the courage to love themselves hair-free.
EBONY: How empowering was it when you stopped wearing wigs?
Felicia Flores: It was fearful. I had high anxiety. I felt like people were staring at me. And they were because it wasn’t as popular back then as it is now. I started becoming more empowered when people were saying you look beautiful without the wig and that they didn’t have the courage to do it. It built my confidence and I started to feel more relaxed in my skin. I was like, “Oh, wait, I’m still Felicia; I’m still into fashion and traveling. Not having any hair doesn’t stop that.” Guys would approach me, and I was like, “Oh, you like this?” And they would say, “You look great!”
What inspired you to start Baldie Con?
I started Baldie Con on my own journey of trying to find a community to bring awareness and encourage one another. It’s a conference that says, “Okay, you’re bald…let’s just accept you for you, and you are beautiful as you are.” There wasn’t necessarily anything out there like it that empowered Baldies to be in their true, authentic selves and share in that camaraderie.
What do people experience at the conference?
I wanted to create something for women, children and men too, anybody going through hair loss to deal with all that comes with it: the mental anguish, the anxiety, the not feeling yourself. At this conference, we celebrate and empower you to lead a more fulfilling life and get back to you. Your baldness or whatever your condition is doesn’t define you. We have workshops, panels and a range of motivational speakers, from dermatologists and doctors in the medical field to psychologists and therapists. One of the major things we address is the mental aspect. Hearing other women’s stories and seeing someone from corporate America who is bald and living out her truth is empowering.
What are some of the biggest topics discussed?
One of our biggest topics is dating and relationships. Many ladies struggle to have confidence in dating and feel feminine or good enough compared to someone with hair. We have a dating panel that addresses that as well.
Is Baldie Con open to anyone without hair?
We’re inclusive. So, it’s not just people who are bald due to alopecia, lupus or cancer treatment. It’s also by choice. For women who choose to be bald, it can be a struggle as well because they say, “I don’t want this hair to define me.” When they come to Baldie Con, they’re surrounded by other women who have that feeling. What joins us together is that we’re all bald and have that same commonality.
What do you use to take care of your scalp?
I use cocoa and shea butter and some wonderful products from Ruby T Shaving that leave your scalp feeling smooth. Just some butter and I’m out the door. It’s so easy. I get ready in five minutes. I don’t worry about my hair. I put on my lashes and go. I’m a quick date, honey!
If someone has hair loss and is grappling with what to do next, what advice do you give?
The first thing I would do is seek medical attention. Definitely go to a dermatologist and have them run tests and your physician because it could be linked to something where your thyroid is off balance. You could see a trichologist who could analyze your scalp. You may not want traditional hair drugs, so a homeopath may be able to give you alternative routes. Also, see a psychologist for your mental wellness.
When you get that diagnosis, or you get a bald patch, immediately go to the dermatologist. Sometimes, if it’s detected early enough and depending on what type of alopecia it is, they start something to prevent it from worsening. Of course, it’s my mission and my passion to empower others to know your hair does not define you and to change society’s beauty standards of what beauty should look like. Let me help you get back to you and what makes you happy. Know that you’re beautiful, just the way you are.
