Bald Women to Support, Learn from Each Other in Briarcliff Manor

Female hair loss is often associated with the effects of chemotherapy, but Thea Chassin knows that is not always the case.

Fourteen years ago, Westchester native Chassin was told she had alopecia areata universalis, an autoimmune skin disease which can stop the growth of hair on the body temporarily or permanently.

"It's really diverse," she said. "It can come on literally at any time in life. It's equal opportunity—men and women. No ethnicities, no sexes. Sometimes people lose big patches of hair—it might fall out and never come back or it can grow back. There's no particular pattern."

When Chassin found it difficult to connect with others who also had alopecia areata, she founded Bald Girls Do Lunch in the county in 2005, a non-profit to give similar affected women the opportunity to speak up and support each other.

"Women definitely function much better and help themselves much better when they are with other women," she explained.

Since 2005, Chassin has expanded the organization and has been all over the United States organizing Bald Girls Do Lunch programs.

And it's not all about lunch, either.

"We'll do informal coffees, bring in makeup artists and do beauty workshops," she revealed. "Anything to bring them together."

And for the first time, Bald Girls Do Lunch is hosting a special event called "Bald? So What!" not only for women with alopecia areata, but those who have gone bald after cancer treatments.

"Women with alopecia are mistaken as women undergoing chemotherapy all the time," she said. "I felt this might be a nice opportunity, in Breast Cancer Awareness Month, to do something locally by bringing the women together. We have never done this before."

While the two groups are often separate because, "women with cancer are facing a life-threatening condition and we are not sick," explained Chassin, "I thought this would be a wonderful opportunity and terrific time of the year to have local women come and learn from each other and support each other."

The "Bald? So What" workshop will offer opportunities for all attendees to share scarf-tying techniques and consult with professional makeup artists (Bald Girls Do Lunch has its own line, too).

"We're going to help them with strategies for feeling great when it comes to looks," said Chassin. "When I go out, people don't even know I have no hair. It's just the way you do it."

Chassin is looking forward to launching this new program at the next Saturday and continuing to expand the reach of Bald Girls Do Lunch.

"We are global in that I communicate with women all over the world right now," she explained. "The goal is to continue finding women in more cities and I think, primarily, to get to cities more quickly. The request list is very long."

Despite challenges when it comes to fundraising, a growing interest and proven method have kept Chassin's momentum moving forward—"I know the environment in which women are comfortable to be open to new ideas, speaking about themselves in new ways and be comfortable sharing their thoughts," she shared.

"They describe it as a complete relief that comes over them because there's a very core thing that happens and that is the feeling that, 'I am not alone,'" said Chassin. "I know my program works and women love it."

will be held in the Briarcliff Manor Public Library's Robert Crandall Room on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 12:45 to 3:30 p.m. A $10 tax-deductible donation is suggested. RSVP to info@baldgirlsdolunch.org.