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Halloween Tips on Styling a Hair System

Halloween Tips on Styling a Hair System

by | Oct 29, 2024 | Episode

Episode 36

Halloween Tips on Styling a Hair System

Halloween Tips on Styling a Hair System Dan Medeiros

In this episode of HairPod,  I sat down with Dan Medeiros to talk about how he styles his costume wigs for comic cons. Dan has been doing comic cons for years, and he has used both costume wigs and his hair system to put together his amazing, professional-looking costumes. Whether you’re getting ready for Halloween or you’re just curious about buying a costume wig for fun, check out the episode!

Styling Costume Wigs

Synthetic costume wigs are an option for people who want to dress up or change their look temporarily but don’t want to spend a lot of money. They don’t look or move exactly like real hair, but they can be styled to fit your costume needs (to a certain extent). One important thing Dan shares is NEVER to use heat tools on a synthetic wig – because the hairs are made from thin plastic fibers, heat tools will melt the hairs together. Instead, look for a wig that is already close to the shape and texture you want, then put it on a dummy head and style with a combination of pins so you can shape it and hairspray for hold.

Human Hair vs. Costume Wigs

Human hair wigs have a more realistic look than costume wigs, but they tend to cost quite a bit. Rather than investing in human hair wigs, Dan opts to make use of his hair system in many of his costumes. He has a few different lengths of hair systems, which can be switched out to match which costume he plans to wear. When he does wear costume wigs, he will often wear them over the hair system (so that when he removes the wig, he doesn’t have to reapply the system). Even though it gets quite hot under a synthetic wig, his hair system never moves or gets dislodged.

Hair System Maintenance

Hair systems may seem complex or time consuming, but that has not been Dan’s experience. He works with HairClub to determine a maintenance schedule that works for him, as he stays very busy. For Dan, stopping by a HairClub center weekly helps him achieve the look and results he wants. In between appointments, he cares for and styles his hair system just like anyone would do with their regular hair, which helps him save time during the week.

Empowering Resources
As the episode draws to a close, HairPod extends a generous offer of a complimentary hair loss consultation, providing a tangible step towards reclaiming confidence and control over one’s appearance. Book a Free consultation with HairClub Today!

Thanks for listening to HairPod. We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please leave us a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to connect with us on social media to share your story, check us out on Instagram @HairClub. HairPod is a production of TSE Studios. Our theme music is from SoundStripe.

Episode.36 Transcript
Dan Medeiros [00:00:02]:
And that's another thing I love about HairClub and the systems is that it's so easy to manage. You know, the taking it on and off and putting, you know, dealing with that stuff that's, you know, that comes with time. Just like anything. I wasn't able to do that myself. You learn it, but everything else, it's so simple. And HairClub takes care of you. The maintenance is simple. It's just like your own hair.

Dan Medeiros [00:00:22]:
You just, you manage it, you style it. You don't have to worry about light shining through. You don't have to worry about losing it. It's always there.

Kevin Rolston [00:00:45]:
Welcome to HairPod, the podcast where you get to hear real people talk about their hair journeys. I'm your host, Kevin Rolston, and each week I get to interview people from different walks of life whose lives have been touched by hair loss in some form or fashion. Many of our guests have experienced hair loss themselves and found a way to get their confidence and their hair back. This week, we're welcoming friend of the pod, Dan Medeiros, back to the show. He's come on the HairPod before to talk about the vicious cycle of his anxiety and his hair loss when he was younger and how he found a way to get his hair back. These days, Dan spends a lot of time in the public eye. He's a performer, actor, model, and professional rock star. But in what little free time he has, he cosplays a variety of characters at comic Cons.

Kevin Rolston [00:01:36]:
And for anyone who doesn't know what cosplay is, it's not too different from dressing up as your favorite TV or video game character on Halloween. Cosplayers can have incredibly intricate costumes that are totally custom made from head to toe. For today's episode, we're going to focus on how Dan styles the wigs he uses for his costumes and how his costume wigs affect his hair system. Now, tell me about this, because I.

Kevin Rolston [00:02:06]:
Am a novice when it comes to wigs. To me, I've always just thought when you get a wig, the way the wig looks is what you're going to get.

Kevin Rolston [00:02:14]:
But you can actually get wigs and.

Kevin Rolston [00:02:15]:
You can style them yourself.

Dan Medeiros [00:02:18]:
Yeah. And I mean, to an extent there, some of them are a lot harder than others because, I mean, a lot of the wigs, you know, they're not real hair, so you have to, like, really, really work with them and kind of force them into learning the direction you want it to go. So, like, for this past weekend, we went to Galaxy Con, which is part of Animate Iowa. So it's like half anime comic con and then horror movie comic con thing. So I did, I had to wear a wig for Nandor from the show. What we do in the shadows. I don't know if you watch that show.

Kevin Rolston [00:02:51]:
Okay, that's cool.

Dan Medeiros [00:02:52]:
Yeah, my wife and I did Nandor and Nadja. The full blown makeup accents everything. It was wonderful. So we go all out and you know, the wig, it was something I just got off Amazon, but it was like the length I was looking for. The, you know, the, it was close enough to the texture and cheap enough. So, you know, just kind of attaching it to like one of those foam heads and, and then just really going to it with the brush. You know, if you have to pin things back to kind of get it again to take that shape so you can really mold them and do what you want with them. I mean, I'm no hairstylist expert.

Dan Medeiros [00:03:28]:
I've got friends who are hairstylists and do cosplay and stuff like that. So they're, they're really good at working with wigs and. But yeah, there's so much you can do with it. And it's kind of funny, you know, just managing my own hair and then I'm wearing a wig on top of that. So it's, it's, you know, it can be a lot of hot under there, but it's worth, it's worth it when the costume comes together.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:51]:
So tell me, for somebody that might be looking for a wig for either cosplay for one of the comic cons or just even for Halloween, what are you looking to order? Where would you go to order it? Are there materials that the hair is made out of? The wigs are made out of that that you might want to look for. And then can you apply heat to any of these wigs? How does this work from your experience? What have you seen done?

Dan Medeiros [00:04:14]:
Yeah, and I mean, again, most of them you'll get aren't going to be real hair. They're artificial. And I mean, you can spend really good money and you can even get ones that are really close to human hair. I know a lot of them use like, you know, whether it's horse hair or whatever I've seen. But I tend to stick with what you can get in a lot of the costume stores. But you can get the stuff off Amazon as said. And no, you do do not want to apply heat to them like normal hair because they will melt the hair. The hair, the hair will fuse together and it will look awful.

Dan Medeiros [00:04:50]:
So you have to be kind of careful on how you, how you style it. So you have to do it. You got to do it dry, essentially. And then it's just forcing it into place. If you have to use pins, clips, you know, whatever it takes, that's how you get it to stay. And then you can throw in, you know, throw it. If you throw in good enough, strong enough hairspray and you've got it in that position, it can kind of lock it in. There's so many different little hacks you can find.

Dan Medeiros [00:05:14]:
I do kind of what everyone else does. I just go on YouTube and see what other people do and then take the best tips and which ones work.

Kevin Rolston [00:05:23]:
Now if I'm going for, let's say I want to put together a good costume, there's a costume contest or some money in it. It's pretty decent. What am I looking for to spend to get that kind of wig that is going to make a costume look good?

Dan Medeiros [00:05:36]:
Oh, you're probably going to. You'll want to go with the more realistic ones. So, I mean, and they range anywhere between 30 bucks up to, you know, 150, 200 bucks. You can get ones that are even more expensive than that. And if you want really authentic, real looking ones, you're going to spend a lot of money on them. So for the most part, I try to do characters that I can use with just the hair I've got going, you know, if I have to customize it, that's the nice thing with Hair Club, I'm able to customize my hair. So if I need something that's longer or shorter, I can just switch out. So I, you know, I have, I can switch to a shorter if I want if I need to.

Dan Medeiros [00:06:13]:
During the, during the colder months, I like to have it longer. During the warmer months, you know, I really like to have this buzz down and keep this shorter just so I. Especially performing, I don't like having hair in my face, in my eyes, and it's that extra sweat. I'm doing a lot of outside performing and it's awful when I can't see while I'm trying to sing. I don't want to fall off the stage.

Kevin Rolston [00:06:36]:
That's never good.

Dan Medeiros [00:06:37]:
No, no, no. So seeing where you're going is very important. So definitely think about that.

Kevin Rolston [00:06:47]:
One of the cool things about Dan is that he doesn't just use synthetic wigs for his costumes. He finds ways to incorporate his own hair system into his looks as well. As Dan mentioned, cosplay wigs can be made from a Lot of different types of materials, and the more realistic they look, the more they cost. Most people aren't going to buy a real human hair wig for a costume because they're just too expensive, but they deliver the most realistic look. So Dan uses his hair system when he can, even as a couple of different systems that allow him to create costumes with slightly varying hair lengths. Now, if you're a first time listener or you haven't heard of a hair system before, systems like Dan's are made from human hair and adhere to the scalp so they won't move around. Dan gets his hair system from Hair Club, where he talks to a stylist about his unique situation and then they tailor his program to fit his needs.

Dan Medeiros [00:07:48]:
It really depends on your plan and how often you come in. And I mean, the hair Club, the centers are always fantastic at working with you on, you know, what you need. You know, so if while I'm not performing or needing to be, you know, dressed up as Superman or whatever I'm doing that day, whoever I need to be that day, you know, I do like to have my hair like this on my own, but when I switch to Superman, you know, I like to go shorter. So I go in weekly for appointments. My system's usually every month, month and a bit, but that's just what my plan's on. So I always keep one like a backup at home. If I'm not wearing shorter hair, I'm wearing longer hair. But I like to be able to go back and forth, so.

Dan Medeiros [00:08:31]:
And I'm really good at doing stuff at home too. So if I need to on the fly, either just myself or my wife and myself were really good at taking off and reapplying and doing all the, all the custom work. And I learned a lot during 2020 when we couldn't go anywhere.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:46]:
Oh, right.

Dan Medeiros [00:08:46]:
So I had to do a lot of diy, a lot of learning to do things from home. I didn't have just the ability to just go to the center and have my stylist help me. It was all right, let's figure this out and never have to stress about this again.

Kevin Rolston [00:09:00]:
So now, do you almost have a seasonal schedule for your hair systems? It sounds like you have this time of the year. I have it long this time of year. It's. We're going short because Superman.

Dan Medeiros [00:09:11]:
Yeah. So like, I'm also a singer in the band and, you know, I need to have my goatee, but I like to have my beard. But when I do Superman, I have to shave my beard. So Literally, my hair and my facial hair have to change throughout the year based on what I'm doing or if I'm like doing, like I'm acting or doing a modeling gig. Well, we don't want a beard for this. We want longer hair. We want shorter hair. And I feel like my entire life is dictated on my hair and my hair on the head and the face regions.

Kevin Rolston [00:09:39]:
Right, right.

Dan Medeiros [00:09:40]:
It's exhausting, but it's fun and I like that I can do that. That's the amazing thing. You know, I'm not stuck with what little I had.

Kevin Rolston [00:09:49]:
Yeah.

Dan Medeiros [00:09:49]:
So it's for every single day. I'm so grateful that I am able to do this. I'm able to look the way I'm supposed to look. I'm able to look in the mirror. I'm able to talk to you right now, see myself in the corner of my screen and go, that's how I'm supposed to look.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:03]:
So I'm hearing somebody who is a musician, an actor into cosplay, always doing dress up. And let's just say I'm one of these people that that's not my world. And to me, I'm very busy. I don't have a lot of time. Everything you're talking about sounds like a time suck, and it sounds like it's very involved. And now I'm not so sure that this is for me. Tell me a little bit about your hair systems and how much time it takes. And if you're a business professional and you have kids and a busy lifestyle, are you telling them that you're just not going to have time for a hair system? What is the maintenance like on this?

Dan Medeiros [00:10:43]:
Oh, gosh, it's the complete opposite. And that's what another thing I love about Hair Club and the systems is that it's so easy to manage. And it may, you know, the taking it on and off and putting, you know, dealing with that stuff that's, you know, that comes with time just like anything. I wasn't able to do that myself. You learn it, but everything else, it's so simple. And Hair Club takes care of you. The maintenance is simple. It's just like your own hair.

Dan Medeiros [00:11:07]:
You just. You manage it, you style it. You don't have to worry about light shining through. You don't have to worry about losing it. It's always there. It's just, it's. I don't have time for a lot of maintenance because I am on the go so much. I need to be able to depend on waking up and going all right, my hair looks great because I got to go to work right now, and then after I get home from work, I go, go do this, and I got to go do that.

Dan Medeiros [00:11:34]:
I don't have time to stress over my hair, stress over how I look to look in the mirror and go, oh, I don't know if I can go out there today because I don't look right. I don't have that problem, and I don't have time for that problem. So low maintenance and just ease is my favorite thing. And that's what I love about hair club. And if you have any questions, any concerns, they will get you, and they will work with you, and they will make sure that it's as stress free as possible. And I need that. I've got enough stress and anxiety in my life. So the hair club, by knowing that they're always there to back me up.

Dan Medeiros [00:12:10]:
It's huge. Huge.

Kevin Rolston [00:12:17]:
I think this is the bottom line for all of our guests who have found a hair solution. They look in the mirror and they see themselves the way they feel they're supposed to look. I think it's easy to underestimate the impact of feeling awkward when you catch a glimpse of yourself in a store window or see a picture of yourself from a family gathering. A lot of people are going to.

Kevin Rolston [00:12:35]:
Brush off these little moments of discomfort.

Kevin Rolston [00:12:38]:
Rather than listen to their gut feeling that it's time to take action. And it's only when they finally take that step that they realize what they've been missing out on all along. Just like Dan, I'm a busy person, got a crazy job, a family, and I'm always on the go. I don't have time to fuss with my hair to try to get it to look the way I want, knowing I'm going to be confident when I get up every single morning and face the world, it makes all the difference. Dan's a busy guy, too. It's not uncommon for him to go from a Comic Con to another event. So I asked him if he ever wears his hair system underneath his. His wig just for the sake of convenience and if that ever leads to any issues.

Dan Medeiros [00:13:22]:
I have yet to run into any issue other than it being a little hot under there. But, no, I love it. I don't mind it. And honestly, sometimes if I don't have my hair on, I'll just. I'll just adhere the actual wig itself on top of, you know, just like I would any other hair. I've done that too. But when I. When I, you know, when I need to take it off and actually do something afterwards.

Dan Medeiros [00:13:44]:
It's much easier to just take off the wig and be like, all right, good to go.

Kevin Rolston [00:13:47]:
Yeah.

Dan Medeiros [00:13:48]:
So, like, then that's what I did this weekend. And yeah, it wasn't. It was not a problem at all, actually. What I did is because I had the longer hair, I actually just used clips and I clipped it back, so it was kind of slipped back, clipped down, and then I was able to just take the wig, place it over top, and easy peasy. I didn't even have to think about it. And as you said with, like, wearing my hair, I forget that I'm actually wearing hair because, again, it's like. It's like a second skin and it's. The hair is that you just forget that you are.

Dan Medeiros [00:14:19]:
So I'm never worrying about, you know, the excessive heat from wearing two things. I don't feel that. If anything, I just feel it a little bit extra weight because I'm wearing an extra hair on top of my.

Kevin Rolston [00:14:29]:
Head now to paint a more vivid picture for people that are trying to understand what it's like. Because you talk about you go to shorter, Superman type hair, and then you've got, you know, hair that you're going to be wearing that's a little bit longer. What does that look like? And are you stuck in certain styles? Do you have to pick out a style of longer hair or is the hair long? And then you pick the style and your hairdresser then puts it into that style.

Dan Medeiros [00:14:54]:
Yeah, all of my hairs that come in, they're usually roughly around 6 to 7 inches, usually around there in length. And then I can just dictate where I'm going from there. So as I said, during the colder months, and I want it longer, I'm just like, all right, you know, start off well, maybe cut it down to about 6 inches or 5 inches, and then kind of work away from there. And then every time I come in, I'm like, all right, let's just clean up the ends a bit more, make it a bit shorter or. And then when it comes down, I'm like, oh, I got to do Superman this weekend. So actually, let's cut it down even shorter and I'll get that Superman cut, and then I'll. I'll hang with that for a while. But I do like to keep backups at home.

Dan Medeiros [00:15:32]:
So if I. If I know if I have a shorter one, then what I'll do is when I go in for that appointment and I'm, you know, putting it back on Again, I just. I bring my shorter one and I have them put that on instead.

Kevin Rolston [00:15:46]:
The craziest thing about this isn't that Dan has this sort of magic wand. He can wave and change how his hair looks. It's how completely natural his hair system looks. When I interview our guests, I get to see them and their hair. Dan showed me his system close up, and I could not even tell where it ended and his natural hair began. It's a perfect match with his natural hair, and it's so breathable that he sometimes forgets he's even wearing it. It made me curious how his system holds up when he's performing on stage. And if it's the last thing that's on his mind.

Dan Medeiros [00:16:24]:
It'S 100%. I never even think about it. And trust me, I'm up there, like, running, jumping around. I'm a lead singer, guys, so I'm hopping up on stage, I sweating like crazy. And yeah, not once I've had my. I had professional photographers taking photos. So I see all the photos after the show and some really cool ones where my hair is quite literally doing a sweaty, wet, like, flip. And you can see the beads of sweat coming off of it.

Dan Medeiros [00:16:52]:
And it's just so people.

Kevin Rolston [00:16:53]:
So people understand you. You have sweat through your system. So it breathes enough that the sweat has left your own scalp. It's gone through the fibers that they have there. It's now into the hair, and that hair in your system is drenched with your own sweat. That's amazing.

Dan Medeiros [00:17:10]:
Yeah, that's amazing. It's absolutely incredible. Like, you know, things have changed with the technology so much since even when I first started back in 2010, you know, we were. I was wearing a dirt, an old technology, which is more of a lace. And then we used the strips of tape and stuff like that with. Now it's like this. As I said, it's so thin. It's like the second skin, but it's so durable and it.

Dan Medeiros [00:17:34]:
It just adheres completely to your head and then you just forget it's there.

Kevin Rolston [00:17:40]:
Yeah. Cause I would imagine if you had an old school toupee, what would happen if you were on stage?

Dan Medeiros [00:17:45]:
Oh, you've seen them in the movies and shows where it just goes flying. Lands on somebody's like, soup or something, right?

Kevin Rolston [00:17:51]:
It does.

Kevin Rolston [00:17:52]:
That's always the joke.

Kevin Rolston [00:17:53]:
But you would have a plastic film that the baby doll hair would be woven into, not even real human hair. And then you would be sweating, not through it, so the side of your hair would be wet. And then the top part would be dry because the sweat can't permeate through what they used to make those toupees out of. And it's a different feel now.

Dan Medeiros [00:18:13]:
Yeah. And that's why you can, like you see in the commercials, in the infomercials, you coming out of the pool, you're swimming, it's.

Kevin Rolston [00:18:19]:
Yeah, I love that too.

Dan Medeiros [00:18:20]:
I can go swimming and I don't have to worry about any of that. I say I went, you know, I was, the first time I went on an all inclusive vacation to Cancun, I was like, okay, all right. I'm in a whole other country. I've got, you know, I hope this is going to be all right. And honestly, it was fine. I was there for a week. I'm in the sun and the pool all day, every single day and in the heat and it wasn't a single issue. Did my own little touch ups as I needed.

Dan Medeiros [00:18:47]:
But when I went out for dinner and disco dancing afterwards, it was a good time.

Kevin Rolston [00:18:54]:
Yeah, I will tell people too. I always, when I had a full head hair, even as a kid I had thin, fine hair that was impossible to style. And now that I have a hair system, I actually have better hair now with the system than if I had, if I could choose, would you want to go back and have all your original hair or have the system? My hair looks better with the hair system than it did when I had my own natural hair, so.

Dan Medeiros [00:19:18]:
Exactly. And that's what you can do. You can have that. You don't have to, you know, you don't have to be that. You can actually look the way you should be the way you want to be.

Kevin Rolston [00:19:31]:
I want to thank Dan for coming.

Kevin Rolston [00:19:33]:
On the show once again. He's always got great advice for everyone who is looking to learn about hair loss and how they can come back from it. Whether you're getting ready to style your first costume wig or you're wondering how you can find a hair solution that matches your lifestyle, we got you covered here on the hairpod. Don't forget to check out our show notes if you want to hear more from Dan about his hair loss journey. And for more inspirational stories and words of wisdom from people who have actually been through hair loss, make sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening to another episode of hairpod. Check us out at Hair Club on Instagram or search HairPod on Facebook to continue the conversation. If you know someone who could benefit from hearing this episode, we would love it if you would share with them.

Kevin Rolston [00:20:20]:
If you're enjoying the show, consider leaving us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. We also have a website. Check it out by going to podcast.hairclub.com we're here to build people up and share real stories so people experiencing hair loss feel a little bit less alone. And when you share, review and subscribe, it helps us do just that. So thank you until next time.

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Racing Through My Hair Loss Journey: Joey Logano

Racing Through My Hair Loss Journey: Joey Logano

by | Oct 22, 2024 | Episode

Episode 35

Racing Through My Hair Loss Journey: Joey Logano

Racing Through My Hair Loss Journey: Joey Logano
Is there anything holding you back from the win? Joey Logano is back on HairPod to talk about the life of a NASCAR driver. Joey speaks about his career, the competitive world of NASCAR, and how he continues to race with the same passion and determination that has made him one of the sport’s biggest names. We also dig into his experience with hair loss, and how the other drivers reacted to his decision to start using a hair system.

NASCAR: Behind the Scenes

While most professional athletes may experience some ribbing or joking behind the scenes, NASCAR is a little bit different. Most teams see the same rival team once every few months, but during racing season, competing drivers see each other week after week. Conflicts do arise occasionally, but for the most part, Joey says the best thing to do have an awareness of those situations and avoid them when you can.

Hair Loss As a Pro Driver

Joey Logano has a hair system, and he has never been shy about letting people know that he deals with a condition called alopecia areata. He is also open about working with HairClub, and due to the stigma that surrounds hair loss and hair systems, one may think he has caught some flak from his competitors or even his own team. This has not been the case – if anything, other drivers have wanted to know how Joey solved his hair loss because they deal with similar issues.

Hair Systems and Finding Confidence

Joey has found that the best way to deal with detractors has been to embrace his situation. He feels most comfortable being completely open about his hair system and hair loss, even poking fun at his situation at times. While this may not be the way everyone handles their hair thinning or loss, it’s important to consider that even someone as transparent about hair loss as Joey does not experience many negative reactions. People are generally supportive, and in general, his hair system doesn’t come up in conversation at this point.

Long-term Hair System Use

Before making the decision to endorse HairClub as a product, Joey wanted to test it out. It was important to him to find out if it was something he could actually use and live with in the long term. He has found that having a hair system has been a great option for him in terms of how easy it is to care for and how well it stands up to the fast-paced lifestyle of a NASCAR driver.

Empowering Resources
As the episode draws to a close, HairPod extends a generous offer of a complimentary hair loss consultation, providing a tangible step towards reclaiming confidence and control over one’s appearance. Book a Free consultation with HairClub Today!

Thanks for listening to HairPod. We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please leave us a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to connect with us on social media to share your story, check us out on Instagram @HairClub. HairPod is a production of TSE Studios. Our theme music is from SoundStripe.

Episode.35 Transcript

Joey Logano [00:00:02]:
But I still enjoy going to the racetrack. I enjoy winning. So I know I got a handful of years at least left in me, and I think depends also just how life is. But if I can’t compete for wins, that’s probably going to be the sign for me to say I’m not going to just go to make laps and go around in circles. I enjoy racing, don’t get me wrong, but I do it to win. I don’t do it for fun. I don’t do it to race. I do it to win.

Joey Logano [00:00:25]:
And so I I’m still competitive. I still can win races. I’m going to continue doing it.

Kevin Rolston [00:00:42]:
Welcome to Hairpod, the podcast where we get to hear real people talk about their hair journeys.

Kevin Rolston [00:00:48]:
I’m your host, Kevin Rolston, and each.

Kevin Rolston [00:00:50]:
Week I get to interview people from different walks of life whose lives have been touched by hair loss in some form or fashion. Many of our guests have experienced hair loss themselves and found a way to get their confidence and their hair back. If you’re a NASCAR fan or a HairPod fan, you already know the name Joey Logano. Joey is a NASCAR champion who isn’t afraid to tell his hair story. He’s been on the podcast a couple of times already to talk in depth about his journey with an autoimmune condition called alopecia areata. With alopecia areata, the immune system mistakes a person’s own hair follicles as a threat and attacks them, causing hair loss that happens in round patches. If you look at Joey now, you’d never know that he has this condition.

Kevin Rolston [00:01:37]:
He’s got what appears to be a full head of hair, whether he’s in front of the press, smiling for a photo op, or just getting out of his stock car. I’m glad we got to talk to Joey again because I wanted to find out what it’s like having a hair loss condition and living that fast paced lifestyle of a NASCAR champ.

Kevin Rolston [00:01:59]:
Here we are again with Joey Logano to talk about NASCAR and hair. What an interesting combination and how we weave these two things together. What’s going on, Joey?

Joey Logano [00:02:09]:
I see what you did there. It’s pretty. It’s going well. How you doing?

Kevin Rolston [00:02:14]:
Yeah, doing good. I’ve got on a temporary face tattoo right now. Other than that, I’m doing fantastic, so.

Joey Logano [00:02:21]:
Well, I tell you what, everybody knows the name of your show. It’s written all over you. So that’s.

Kevin Rolston [00:02:25]:
Yep. That’s all over my face. It’s in henna. And you thought that maybe I lost a bet and I wanted to ask you, being in the world of NASCAR, do you guys ever get into silly, stupid bets with one another that you have to pay off on the track?

Joey Logano [00:02:39]:
No. Good. You’re smart.

Kevin Rolston [00:02:41]:
You’re smarter than I am.

Joey Logano [00:02:43]:
Yeah, I really don’t want to look like that.

Kevin Rolston [00:02:47]:
That’s terrible.

Joey Logano [00:02:49]:
It’s terrible.

Kevin Rolston [00:02:50]:
Yeah.

Joey Logano [00:02:51]:
Honestly, it’s funny. The drivers themselves, I mean, we all know each other and are around each other a lot, but I wouldn’t say there’s many of them that really hang out and do a whole bunch of things together or funny jokes like that.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:03]:
Yeah. I’m kind of curious when it comes to relationships on the tour, would you say, are there certain cliques and are people more friends or enemies? Because I’ve seen so many races where guys are duking it out right after they get out of their cars, and sometimes they have to stop to duke it out. So I think I’ve seen maybe more fights than I’ve seen pat on the backs. What is the relationships like in NASCAR?

Joey Logano [00:03:29]:
Well, I mean, yeah, I think it’s, it’s competition. And, you know, the people you hang out with the most at the racetrack is going to be your team. Right. And your teammates and the people that you’re around. So, you know, your competitors, it’s different than other sports because, you know, other sports, you have a. A team of, I don’t know, ten to 15 to 30 people right, on each side, depending on what sport you’re playing. And they play each other, and then maybe in four months, they might play each other again.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:57]:
Right.

Joey Logano [00:03:57]:
But you have a long period of time in between, and if there is a beef, you kind of forget about it a little bit and you gotta move on to the next thing. But for us, it’s the same 36 drivers you see every single week.

Kevin Rolston [00:04:10]:
Right.

Joey Logano [00:04:10]:
And eventually you’re going to have something happen, and guess what? You’re going to see them again next week and the next week and the next week. It just doesn’t go away. It doesn’t go away. Um, so it’s just a. A very unique sport for that reason.

Kevin Rolston [00:04:24]:
As a driver, do you know some of those interpersonal struggles and realize maybe I need to stay away from these two if they get together on the track because tempers might flare up, they might spin somebody out that might affect how I drive. So do you need to know and almost psychoanalyze the other drivers that are on the track with you?

Joey Logano [00:04:42]:
Well, it’s always important to know what situation people are in. Whether situation. Yeah. If they’re trying to get into the playoffs. I just went through one of these scenarios, you know, whether, whether trying to get in or if they have a history of someone else, and there’s two erasing right in front of you, the last thing you might do is get caught up and you know, their mess, right. And so you try to stay aware of the situations the best as possible, but sometimes there’s just nothing you can do about it, right. Like you’re. You’re just there and you happen to be racing for the win, and here you are.

Joey Logano [00:05:12]:
Right. Like, it just is what it is right now.

Kevin Rolston [00:05:14]:
Is it something where you find a weakness of another driver and you’ll often have a nickname for them? Are people like some sports, you know, football especially, they’ll be ribbing each other and they’ll be in each other’s head and they know that something gets under somebody’s skin. Does that happen in NASCAR with drivers? Is it to that level?

Joey Logano [00:05:33]:
I don’t see it to that level. You know, like, I mean, I think what the difference is is I think in other sports, whether it’s basketball or football, the adrenaline is at its peak right after a play, right. And you’re kind of feeling one way or the other, right. Whether it’s good or bad, and. And you’re going to draw to each other immediately. Right. Like in the heat of the battle for us, you know, the time we see each other is 2030 minutes before the race at driver intros. And then you’re strapped into a race car after that.

Joey Logano [00:06:04]:
So if someone makes a move on you or you’re mad at them or you want to, you know, talk a little game, you can’t. You’re stuck in a race car. Yeah.

Kevin Rolston [00:06:13]:
Right.

Joey Logano [00:06:13]:
So afterwards, sometimes drivers get out and express their feelings a little bit, but really, outside of that, there’s just not a whole bunch.

Kevin Rolston [00:06:24]:
Of, if you watch a lot of professional sports or even if you just played football in college, it’s pretty typical to see athletes have a little bit of fun at each other’s expense or even go one step further and try to get into a competitor’s head by calling out their weaknesses. That kind of exchange happens outside of pro sports. Too many people who go through hair loss don’t feel confident about it, and the last thing they want is for someone to bring it up and make some kind of snide comment. They may want a solution, but not one that calls attention to the problem itself. Kind of like the toupees used to see guys wear decades ago. Joey’s pretty public about his hair loss and has never really tried to hide the fact that he uses a hair system. So I want to know if the other drivers ever remarked on his hair loss in a negative way.

Kevin Rolston [00:07:16]:
I’m just kind of curious. In your field, how has you being a client of HairClub been accepted? What do other drivers say? Do they use it as a thing to rib you with, or do you feel like it’s starting to hit that nice level of acceptance throughout even NASCAR?

Joey Logano [00:07:34]:
Yeah, I’d say it’s the complete opposite, actually. I had a lot of them reach out to me, and for whatever reason, there’s a lot of race car drivers that suffer from hair loss for whatever reasons. I don’t know if it’s helmets or heat or. I don’t know. Lord knows. But I had a lot reach out to me saying, what did you do? Can I do, like, who’d you call? What do I do? Right. So as far as, you know, the. The drivers now, they don’t do that type of stuff.

Joey Logano [00:08:00]:
And to me, that’s probably below the belt a little bit, so probably be a good thing if they didn’t do that, right? It’s one thing to talk about someone’s driving skills or something like that, but I don’t think anyone ever, you know, talks about those type of things. Race fans are different. Race fans are going to be race fans, right? The ones that love you are going to love it. The ones that already don’t like you probably are going to not like you more. Like, I was just. It’s just life. That’s fine. But the other side of it, I mean, it’s.

Joey Logano [00:08:24]:
It’s, uh. Nobody really says anything.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:26]:
I remember as a kid, you always knew when somebody had a toupee or hair help. And now today, when I’m at HairClub and I see people that might be there, or I see people that are HairClub clients, people like yourself. I’m always so blown away because I never have any idea. So you work closely with the pit crew. You’ve got your whole team. Is everybody aware of what you do? What would you say is the awareness level of what you do with hair club? Do they just know you go to hair club, or how does that sit with the people that are closest to you?

Joey Logano [00:08:57]:
Well, they know I go to HairClub, obviously. Look at. I’m talking to you. I’m wearing a shirt. I don’t hide it.

Kevin Rolston [00:09:03]:
Yeah.

Joey Logano [00:09:03]:
I don’t know. I get a lot of questions about it, but honestly, dude, I’d live my life like, it’s a pretty normal, like, at this point, I’ve. I’ve had my hair for a couple years. You know, it’s been very easy, and I got the routine figured out and I live my life like anybody else, you know? And, yeah, I’m glad I did something about it. Right. I suffered from alopecia, so I decided that I wanted to do something. Found HairClub, saw that they have multiple solutions. I found the one that was right for me and I did something.

Joey Logano [00:09:31]:
And I hope everybody, if you have the opportunity to, why wouldn’t you these days, right, if there’s a technology there to, you know, make your appearance look better and you can do it, what’s stopping you? You know, don’t let someone’s stupid comment, you know, stop you from bettering yourself. Right. And if you could feel like you can do that, then, then go for it. And honestly, no one’s. I mean, I’ve never really had any backlash that bothered me. At least, you know, you’re going to get some jokes here and there. Honestly, I joke with them most of the time. I throw the jokes out before they do.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:06]:
That’s it. That’s it. There you go thing.

Joey Logano [00:10:08]:
Like, I’m very open about it. You know, not everybody is as open or wants to talk about it, but I really, yeah, I understand what I have. And nothing you can do about it, right. Whether it’s alopecia or just normal male pattern baldness. Like, what are you gonna do about it? Like, it’s not your fault. There’s nothing you can do about, you know, your genes, right? Like, that’s what you’re born with. And you know what? So I did something about it. Kiss my butt.

Joey Logano [00:10:32]:
I think it’s a great move.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:33]:
Well, I think the improvement in the technology is one of the biggest reasons, because how do you get on somebody that has a head of hair that looks 100% completely natural? I don’t even know where the joke is in something like that. And that’s really it. When I see the hair solutions that are out there now, you really have no idea. If somebody brings it up, it’s like, what are you going to say? Because they look better with it, they don’t look worse. So find the joke in this.

Joey Logano [00:10:56]:
Yeah. And it’s. If it’s the first time you met me, you would never know, right? I mean, people, you can’t. You can’t tell.

Kevin Rolston [00:11:01]:
No idea. Now I’m curious. Cause I’m sure people want to know about the durability. And I’m curious, too, because the temperatures that you have on the track in that car. You mentioned the helmet, which, I mean, those things are on pretty tight. I would imagine. I’d imagine getting them off, too. I know with football helmets, those things really grab.

Kevin Rolston [00:11:20]:
So do you have concerns with the hair that you have, that anything is going to get messed up, it’s going to become dislodged. Does the heat affect your hair?

Kevin Rolston [00:11:31]:
What.

Kevin Rolston [00:11:31]:
What are the concerns and conditions that you have?

Joey Logano [00:11:33]:
No, I just, like, honestly, I just had to figure out the right combination for me and the right routine. But outside of that, now I have zero concerns. When I go to the racetrack, I take my helmet off at the end of a race, jump in the pool, drive a jet ski 70 miles an hour across the lake.

Kevin Rolston [00:11:49]:
Okay, so you even go fast. You go fast on the lake, too.

Joey Logano [00:11:53]:
Well, I mean, I’m a race car driver. What do you think I do? I don’t go slow. I can tell you that much.

Kevin Rolston [00:12:01]:
Does it bother you if you ever get passed by another jet ski, or do you feel like you have to win even that race?

Joey Logano [00:12:06]:
Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, I don’t think racing on the lake is probably the thing I should be promoting, but you’re right. We’ll back off that one. Most of the time, I like to go fast. Yeah.

Kevin Rolston [00:12:23]:
There are hair loss solutions for everybody out there. No matter what kind of hair loss or lifestyle you have, the most important thing you can do is talk to professionals and find out what your options are. I wanted to find out how that process went for Joey, because not only is he a hair club user, he also endorses the product. So when he went in for his consultation, he had to figure out if hair club was something he could stand behind. So I asked him how long it took to go from his first consultation to ending up with a product that he was satisfied with.

Joey Logano [00:13:00]:
Honestly, it’s pretty quick. You know, you can go to HairClub, and they’ll give you, you know, whatever options they have available quickly. What they do a lot of times is they have a consultation, they bring you in, okay, talk to you. What’s your struggles? Right? What’s your history? And there’s many, many fixes that they can present to you. So, like I said, what works for me may not be what works for you, but I think the ultimate outcome, the goal is what? To have hair again. And it’s different for everyone, right? Like, there’s hair transplants. There’s. There’s just things you can put on your hair.

Joey Logano [00:13:37]:
There’s certain kinds of shampoo, right? I mean, there’s different things. You can use that to try to, you know, and HairClub has all those things that allow you to do that all the way through. For me, with the alopecia stuff, I couldn’t do a lot of the options because it can trigger it to be a lot worse.

Kevin Rolston [00:13:53]:
Oh, wow. Okay.

Joey Logano [00:13:54]:
So it can kind of trigger a lot more underlying issues. So.

Kevin Rolston [00:13:58]:
So HairClub can work. Yeah, they can work around those kind of specific problems.

Joey Logano [00:14:02]:
Yeah, but it’s different for everybody depending on what you’re dealing with.

Kevin Rolston [00:14:05]:
Now, did you have a consultant when you went into HairClub, somebody that said, hey, here are the options, and here’s what I think would work for you?

Joey Logano [00:14:11]:
Yeah. Which was one of the cool parts. Before I partnered with him as someone that’s endorsing the product, I went there and said, hang on. I was very skeptical. If I’m going to endorse this, this is a pretty personal thing to be talking about. I want to make sure that, one, this is going to work before I tell anybody about it, and, two, that I can live my life with it, and it’s not just a complete pain in my butt that I’m like, it’s not worth it. Right. I want to make sure that I check those two boxes before I tell everyone, you should go do this.

Joey Logano [00:14:40]:
And I feel like once I got through that, I was like, all right, well, I feel comfortable talking to people about what’s going on and what I did to fix it and that, you know what? If you have a problem, go fix it. Right? Like, it’s like that in anything in life, right? If you have an issue, fix it. And if there’s an avenue to fix it, great. Hair club’s got it for you, so you might as well do it.

Kevin Rolston [00:14:58]:
What’s it like styling your hair time now compared to time that it used to take before you had your system?

Joey Logano [00:15:04]:
Well, it’s a little longer now because I actually have hair. When you got no hair, it takes no time, but it doesn’t take any longer than it did when I was a kid and I had hair. You know what I mean? Like, it was. It’s the same, right. I might get in the shower. I shampoo and condition just like anybody else would. You know, once a month, I get a haircut, and I keep on going. Like, it’s pretty simple for me.

Joey Logano [00:15:32]:
And I got the system figured out at this point. Like, it took me a few months to get to that point, but, yeah, now that I got it figured out, it’s cake.

Kevin Rolston [00:15:40]:
The thing I find amazing about hair club is that once you find hair club and you find your solution is they grow with you because as you age, you get older, you know, they can start bringing the hair back. If you want to look like you have more of a natural hairline for your age, they can do that if you’re getting some of the gray, like I got some gray in the beard. But you know what? They put some gray in my system so that it looks a lot more natural. And so, you know, once you find hair club, it is something that you can ride out for the rest of your life and have the hair that you want.

Joey Logano [00:16:09]:
Absolutely. Make adjustments. However you want to make adjustments. I mean, it’s literally, it’s up to you, right? I mean, I mean, a lot of it I leave up to the stylist because I’m like, yeah, you’re going to know a little bit more than me, I hope, and they do. But you can put your two cent and tell them what you want, tell them what’s comfortable, you know, what’s not. I went through a couple things that I was like, I don’t really like this that much, right. And we made an adjustment and changed that we wanted.

Kevin Rolston [00:16:34]:
Well, I got to tell you, Joey, I think you’ve got broadcasting hair. I think you have broadcasting abilities because I am in the field. How much longer before you’re in the booth and not the track? Any thoughts on that?

Joey Logano [00:16:46]:
Oh, man, I got no idea. I know I got some time when I feel certain about it, then I know it’s time. But I still enjoy going to the racetrack. I enjoy winning, you know, so I know I got a handful of years at least left in me. And I think depends also just how life is. But if I can’t compete for wins, that’s probably going to be the sign for me to say I’m not going to just go to make laps and go around in circles like, I enjoy racing, don’t get me wrong. But I do it to win. I don’t do it for fun.

Joey Logano [00:17:15]:
I don’t do it to race. I do it to win. And so if I can’t win, I’m not going to want to do it anymore. So I’m still competitive. I still can win races. I’m going to continue doing it.

Kevin Rolston [00:17:28]:
Sounds like Joey’s passion for competing and winning on the track hasn’t slowed down one bit. We wish Joey a fantastic end of this year’s racing season and can’t wait to see what’s next for him. I hope his drive for excellence inspires you to go out there to win at whatever you do. And as Joey said, if there’s something about your appearance that you’ve been wanting to change, do it for yourself. And don’t worry what other people are going to think. The people who matter most are going to be supportive. And you may even find that the people around you are dealing with similar issues. Who knows? By opening yourself up to change, you could be helping them more than you know.

Kevin Rolston [00:18:06]:
For more inspirational stories and words of wisdom from people who have been through hair loss, make sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening to another episode of Hairpot. Check us out at Hair Club on Instagram or search Hairpot on Facebook to continue the conversation. If you know someone who could benefit from hearing this episode, we would love it if you would share it with them. If you’re enjoying the show, consider leaving us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. We also have a website. Check it out by going to podcast Dot hairclub.com. we’re here to build people up and share real stories so people experiencing hair loss feel a little bit less alone.

Kevin Rolston [00:18:49]:
And when you share, review, and subscribe, it helps us do just that. So thank you. Until next time.

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Why I am A Hair Loss Stylist

Why I am A Hair Loss Stylist

by | Sep 24, 2024 | Episode

Episode 31

Why I am a Hair Loss Stylist

hair-loss-stylist-Rachel-Rivera-031-blog

When you’re going through hair loss, one of the hardest parts can be trusting someone to help you. What if they don’t get it? What if they make everything worse? Or worse – what if they laugh? Our guest today is here to help ease your fears. If you’ve ever wondered what a hair loss specialist does or wanted to hear why people get into that field, this episode is for you. We had the opportunity to talk to Rachel Rivera, Kevin’s personal hair loss stylist and ask her what it’s like to do her job, building trust with clients, and helping them feel their best.

From Salon Stylist to Hair Loss Specialist

Most hair loss stylists begin their careers working in regular salon and then eventually transition into hair restoration, and Rachel followed that path as well. When faced with some of the typical challenges of being a salon stylist, she started to wonder if there was something else out there for her. She saw a job posting for HairClub, and she decided to go in for an interview to get an idea of what working there might be like. The rest was history – she knew specializing in hair restoration would be a challenge, but Rachel’s love of learning inspired her to pursue styling hair for people with hair loss!

 How This Hair Loss Stylist Connects With Clients

 Building trust with people who have experienced hair loss can be more challenging than with people who haven’t. Some folks have tried every internet remedy and are skeptical that any hair loss solution can give them the results they’re after. Others are scared to even reach out to ask for help from a professional – the stigma that surrounds hair loss can be paralyzing. Rachel has compassion for her clients and builds trust by taking the time to get to know each client as an individual, and by communicating extensively with them about what results they want and how they can get there.

 Finding The RIght Hair Loss Stylist Matters

 Hair loss stylists aren’t always easy to find! Hair loss specialists have a lot of knowledge about the way hair follicles work and can help you determine what kinds of hair loss solutions might be right for you. The average hairstylist may not have that level of education, so it’s important to seek out someone who can give you accurate information as soon as you begin noticing your hair loss. But it’s also important to find someone who you can see yourself working with over the course of years – as your needs change or your hair loss progresses, a stylist that knows you well can help you achieve the look you want and even experiment with changing things up if that’s what you want to do. If you’re looking for a new hair loss stylist, we hope you find someone as compassionate and knowledgeable as Rach

Empowering Resources
As the episode draws to a close, HairPod extends a generous offer of a complimentary hair loss consultation, providing a tangible step towards reclaiming confidence and control over one’s appearance. Book a Free consultation with HairClub Today!

Thanks for listening to HairPod. We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please leave us a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to connect with us on social media to share your story, check us out on Instagram @HairClub. HairPod is a production of TSE Studios. Our theme music is from SoundStripe.

Episode.31 Transcript
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Nick Wilkins

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My Hair System Routine

My Hair System Routine

by | Sep 16, 2024 | Episode

Episode 30

My Hair System Routine

Kyle-Weatherman-030-blog

Hair system care and the associated routines can feel overwhelming when you’re already losing your hair and don’t feel like you have time to add another thing to your busy schedule. Today’s guest proves that caring for a hair system takes no more time than his hair routine back before his hair loss started. This week, we sit down with NASCAR driver Kyle Weatherman to discuss his personal experience with genetic hair loss and his decision not to accept going bald. Beginning in his mid-twenties, Kyle faced the challenge of thinning hair head-on, deciding to take control with a solution that worked for him—a hair system. 

Hair System Care & Kyle’s Routine

How much maintenance does a hair system require? In Kyle’s experience, it doesn’t take much more than having hair grow out of your head. He lives a fast-paced lifestyle (pun intended), and he finds his hair system surprisingly low-maintenance. Since he travels for races every week during his busy season, he needed a solution that wouldn’t be too cumbersome. Kyle has a stylist he has worked with who cuts the system and blends it with his hair, giving him a polished, natural look. Together, these factors keep him feeling confident, even on race days. That’s right – Kyle’s system stays under his helmet in a stock car, where temperatures can climb to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tailoring Your Hair System to Your Unique Needs

Everyone’s hair journey is different because no two humans have the exact same needs. We all have different skin types, hair textures, and hair loss patterns, meaning hair solutions must be tailored to the individual they’re meant for. Kyle, for example, sweats quite a bit. Luckily, the stylist he works with determined which adhesive would work for him and offered a breathable lace option for his hair system to keep him comfortable. Finding a solution tailored to you is crucial, and working with an expert hair loss professional can help get you there.

Hair Solutions and the Leap of Faith

Going bald wasn’t an option for Kyle, as he doesn’t feel like himself without hair. He is grateful to other NASCAR drivers who have been so open about their hair loss issues and how they fixed them. His wife has also experienced hair loss, and she was a supportive voice, encouraging him to seek options and do something like this for himself. For those who don’t have a support network like that, Kyle wants anyone out there dealing with hair loss to take that leap of faith and book a consultation just to see if it’s a possible fit. As Kyle’s story shows, there’s a solution out there for everyone, and sometimes, it just starts with a single step.


Empowering Resources
As the episode draws to a close, HairPod extends a generous offer of a complimentary hair loss consultation, providing a tangible step towards reclaiming confidence and control over one’s appearance. Book a Free consultation with HairClub Today!

Thanks for listening to HairPod. We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please leave us a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to connect with us on social media to share your story, check us out on Instagram @HairClub. HairPod is a production of TSE Studios. Our theme music is from SoundStripe.

Episode.30 Transcript

Kyle Weatherman [00:00:04]:
I know this is easier said than done, but I’ve done it is just go and just do it. Whether it is just going in for the consultation at first, having them meet with you and seeing, you know, just what it’s about, what it’s like, going and meeting with them and you understanding how they’re there for you and they’re going to take care of you and they want you to make you feel good. That’s what it’s all about.

Kevin Rolston [00:00:38]:
Welcome to Hairpod, the podcast where you get to hear real people talk about their hair journeys. I’m your host, Kevin Ralston, and each week I get to interview people from different walks of life whose lives have been touched by hair loss in some form or fashion. Many of our guests have experienced hair loss themselves and found a way to get their confidence and their hair back. Today on hairpod, we’re excited to welcome Kyle Weatherman, a rising star on the NASCAR circuit. His career has taken him from the high speed straightaways of the track to the twists and turns of a stock car drivers world, attending formal sponsored dinners, being photographed by the press, and living as an athlete who is often in the public eye. A few years ago, Kyle noticed his hairline starting to recede. And those of us who have genetic hair loss know that even if you can see it coming like Kyle, it doesnt necessarily make the emotions of losing your hair any easier. Luckily, he had competitors in the NASCAR community who were open about their hair loss and their chosen solutions.

Kevin Rolston [00:01:40]:
We already spoke to Joey Logano and Frankie Muniz about their hair journeys, and if youd like to check out what they had to say on the subject, were going to link you to their episodes in the show notes. For now, though, let’s dive into Kyle’s transition to using a hair system, his experiences on and off the track, and the care routine that keeps him looking and feeling his best.

Kyle Weatherman [00:02:06]:
I just turned 27 this past week, but it started probably 23 24. That’s whenever I really kind of started noticing it and just did something about it, you know, basically a year and a half ago. So, yeah, just, it started early. It started really early for me. And I think racing had a big part of that, wearing the helmet and stuff like that all the time, and then, you know, had the sponsor hat on and just always wearing a hat and genetics, right. I feel like just didn’t get, didn’t get the good gene for hair, right?

Kevin Rolston [00:02:37]:
Yeah, I had that awareness as well. I had a maternal grandfather, and I’d always heard that that was where it was going to come from, and there was a photo of him in my hall growing up. And so I always kind of looked at that and I thought, oh, man, I think that’s probably going to be me one day. So I was on it. It sounds like you did what I did. You jumped on your hair loss issues pretty quick. What did you do and how long did it take and what were the first remedies that you went for?

Kyle Weatherman [00:03:01]:
Gosh, it’s been so good. So there’s been actually a couple of drivers in the community that have jumped on hair club and just love it. The confidence that it brings back. First off, you know, you don’t have to go to the racetrack with a hat on anymore. These sponsor meetings and sponsor dinners that you go to, you know, you’re not.

Kyle Weatherman [00:03:18]:
You don’t wear a hat. So then, you know, you used to be embarrassed to show up and kind.

Kyle Weatherman [00:03:21]:
Of have such a receding hairline. So, yeah, I wasn’t terrible, but it was getting bad right, where it was receding back and, you know, just decided to do something about it, right. And I felt like, really, in anything in life, the faster you can, you.

Kyle Weatherman [00:03:37]:
Know, figure out that you might have.

Kyle Weatherman [00:03:39]:
A problem, something that you’re not confident with or just anything in life, the faster you jump on it and don’t dwell on it, the more confident you’re going to feel in every single area. And the more confident you are, just the better you’re going to be in life and strive to do something better every single day.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:55]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:03:55]:
So, yeah, I am so thankful that.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:58]:
There is and I’m blessed that there.

Kyle Weatherman [00:04:00]:
Is something like this that can provide something like this for someone like me that’s 28 or someone that’s 50, 60, whatever, it doesn’t matter the age group. I mean, you can even get younger than where I’m at if that’s something that, that you’re battling in. And honestly, I wish I’d done it earlier, you know?

Kevin Rolston [00:04:16]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:04:17]:
There’s that span of three, four, five years, you know, where I was, you know, getting in the shower and dreading it.

Kevin Rolston [00:04:24]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:04:24]:
Because, you know, when you’re washing your hair, you’re just gonna look at your hands and be depressed.

Kevin Rolston [00:04:30]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:04:30]:
You know, there’s. There’s that span of years that, heck, I wish I had just jumped on it earlier and took that leap of faith and did it earlier, but I’m glad I did it now.

Kevin Rolston [00:04:39]:
What was step one for you? Did you start with a Google search? Did you talk to somebody that you knew had gone through hair loss issues.

Kyle Weatherman [00:04:46]:
So I saw there was two drivers that did it before me, Frankie Muniz and Joey Logano. I saw that they kind of took that leap and saw that it looked.

Kevin Rolston [00:04:55]:
Great on both of them. I’m like, so why can’t I do that, right?

Kyle Weatherman [00:04:59]:
And just reached out and got with.

Kevin Rolston [00:05:02]:
The good group over here at hair.

Kyle Weatherman [00:05:03]:
Club and they took care of me. I’ve got my own personal stylist that I go to whenever I need it. Go up there in Winston Salem and her name’s Courtney, she takes care of me. She’s just amazing, right? And just brought the confidence back. And like I said, now I can go to these sponsor dinners, go to the racetrack, go on a date with my wife and feel confident and not have to worry about throwing on the 17 million hats that I have. I threw all those away.

Kevin Rolston [00:05:33]:
For Kyle, finding the right hair solution was a game changer. So much so that he felt like he didnt need to hide under a hat anymore. This might leave you wondering how much work is a hair system compared to the ease of just throwing on a hat before you leave the house or after, say, taking off your helmet after hours in a hot car. And I think thats such an important question. Nowadays. We are all short on time and no matter how badly you want to hear a solution like Kyle’s or otherwise, it may not seem feasible if it’s going to take up a lot of your time. I asked Kyle, a relatively new user of hair club, to give us all the details on his daily, weekly and monthly routines.

Kyle Weatherman [00:06:18]:
It hasn’t really changed. Besides that, I have hair, you know, in all honesty.

Kevin Rolston [00:06:24]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:06:24]:
So the routine is very similar to if you had real hair, right. You get in the shower, wash your hair, you know, you put shampoo in twice and just get it clean, lather it up with conditioner and that’s about it really. I mean, there’s different products that they recommend you do, you know, once or twice a month that kind of just strips everything, gets it clean, and then you can kind of just restart again. But other than that, the routine for me is super easy, you know, and yeah, the routine that it is going to appointments, I’ve got a whole list, I’ve actually got it on my fridge right here.

Kevin Rolston [00:06:59]:
A list of appointments that are already.

Kyle Weatherman [00:07:01]:
Set up with hairline. So they’ll peel the piece back, they’ll fix the hairline, that is once a month and then, no, that’s twice a month. And then at the end of every month, I’ll go and get it all the way taken off, you know, refresh it up underneath and then put back on. And it’s just. It’s incredible, right. You know, the piece itself is amazing, right? There’s very, very little lifting throughout the whole month span that it’s on for that full month. You’ll get it here and there. And like I said, I’m a little bit different as well because I’m in race cars that are, you know, 100, 3140 degrees inside those things with a helmet strapped on and sweating to death.

Kevin Rolston [00:07:39]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:07:39]:
So I’m not, I guess, a normal person in that state.

Kevin Rolston [00:07:43]:
Right?

Kyle Weatherman [00:07:43]:
And the product that I have and the piece that I have, you know, stands and with that type of duration.

Kevin Rolston [00:07:50]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:07:51]:
So it’s just incredible.

Kevin Rolston [00:07:52]:
And you have high confidence when you’re wearing it. You’re never worried about your system coming off in your helmet or anything along those lines.

Kyle Weatherman [00:07:59]:
I was initially.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:00]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:08:01]:
And as anyone would be, but, you know, just over time, I mean, it’s so reliable.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:06]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:08:06]:
And, yeah, no, I don’t have any.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:09]:
Doubt in my mind, right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:08:10]:
That when I’m taking the helmet off that it’s not going to not be there, you know? So I do have. And that’s the other thing, right? They set you up with this, like, little kit, right?

Kevin Rolston [00:08:19]:
And if something does start to lift or whatever, right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:08:22]:
And you’ll get areas towards the end.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:24]:
Of that month or whatever, it looks.

Kyle Weatherman [00:08:26]:
Like they’ll set you up, this kid, and you’ve got the exact materials that you’ll need to apply to that area that’ll make it go back down.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:33]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:08:33]:
So my wife’s got that with me.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:35]:
In her purse just in case something.

Kyle Weatherman [00:08:36]:
Were to happen, right. Whether it’s before the race, you know, we could fix it in the lounge or if it’s after the race or whatever, right. I’ve been a member for, I think, gosh, I don’t even know, probably. It’s almost close to a year now, and I honestly haven’t even. I haven’t even opened the kit.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:56]:
Having been with hair club for over a year, Kyle’s experience shows just how reliable and low maintenance a good hair system can be, even with a lifestyle as intense as his. But beyond reliability, choosing the right option can make all the difference in everyday comfort. The breathable lace base that he uses ensures that even in the heat of the moment, his hair system stays comfortable and natural looking. It’s all about finding the solution that works for your unique needs. And for Kyle, that’s exactly what he found.

Kyle Weatherman [00:09:33]:
The skin system, it can get a little bit hotter underneath. But the lace system that I have here. Incredible, right? You know, it lets the sweat through. It breathes. The skin system.

Kevin Rolston [00:09:43]:
Yes.

Kyle Weatherman [00:09:43]:
Is a little bit hotter.

Kevin Rolston [00:09:44]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:09:45]:
But it just. The hairline that it provides with the skin system is insane. But honestly, with the lace system here as well, that hair club provides, it’s. It is. It is right there with. With the skin system as well, in my opinion.

Kevin Rolston [00:09:57]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:09:57]:
So for me, I sweat a lot, and then obviously, what I do on the weekends.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:01]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:10:01]:
The lace system is definitely the way.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:04]:
To go for me.

Kyle Weatherman [00:10:05]:
Now, if I were to go do a photo shoot with you guys or any type of photo shoot that I would have towards the beginning of the year with sponsors and stuff like that, I would go with a skin system just for, you know, just an amazing hairline.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:17]:
Wow.

Kyle Weatherman [00:10:18]:
Okay. But this lace system here, you know, it provides, you know, very similar aspects and in a lot of areas. But to answer a few more of your questions, yeah, there’s. There’s no problem with. With heat or anything like that. There is a product that I apply, you know, once a week that’ll get rid of any type of itchiness sensation that you may have over a month span if you let it build up. But if you just take care of it weekly and just, uh, it’s called alive that they provide, it knocks it right out and you don’t even have to worry about it.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:47]:
Absolutely. No, it’s great. Yeah. So, I mean, that’s the thing to me, the options that are out there. And I’m, you know, curious how many roads you went down, because even with the hair systems that are offered, there’s varieties in that which I find to be absolutely amazing depending upon where you are, with what your needs are, what your budgets are, and the ability that hair club and various places have to work with you. Was there ever anything that you did before the hair system, or did you go right in and were you worth your hair loss to say, okay, it’s time to go right to a hair system?

Kyle Weatherman [00:11:17]:
Yeah.

Kevin Rolston [00:11:17]:
Hair system wise?

Kyle Weatherman [00:11:18]:
No, this is the first step that I took. I spent stupid money on other, like, whether it was pills or product that I could put in it to make it grow back. And you saw all these, you know, commercials that’s like, oh, your hair can come back.

Kevin Rolston [00:11:31]:
Right?

Kyle Weatherman [00:11:31]:
Yeah, it just didn’t work for me.

Kevin Rolston [00:11:33]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:11:33]:
And I. And I spent way too much money trying to do that. And once again, I wish I’d have just three or four years ago before where I took the leap here. I wish I’d just done it back then and I’d have saved money, not wasted my time there, and just got it fixed initially.

Kevin Rolston [00:11:46]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:11:46]:
And, you know, it. It was obviously. Yeah. Just. Just fighting for it.

Kevin Rolston [00:11:51]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:11:51]:
And trying to keep it there, but it just. It just wasn’t. Wasn’t in the genetics, wasn’t in the genes. And, you know, we did something about it, though.

Kevin Rolston [00:11:58]:
That’s the toughest thing that I hear. And I was right in your boat. I went a much longer time between, you know, finding the hair system and when I started having the hair loss. So I’ve been down that path and can speak to every possible solution that is out there. And, you know, look, I think they all have different levels of success for different people, and it also, too, depends upon where you go. The thing that I’m comfortable with, with hair club is not only is it just one call, one solution, and they can get you right in there and find what is best for you, but I. To me, it’s also having the confidence of a company that has been around for over four decades, that has had experience, that has every product that you would ever possibly want. And I’ve just talked to so many people now, I don’t know if you ever spend any time on Instagram or some social medias, but they’re always hitting you with different kinds of places that have hair loss remedies.

Kevin Rolston [00:12:44]:
And these are startups, a lot of them, and places that haven’t been around for that long. And so, to me, to have a place that you trust to know that you’re going in there and the money that you have is going to be well spent to an actual solution, rather than a hopeful promise that gets you back to nowhere. I imagine that’s probably frustrating for you when you spend a lot of money on something and you realize that it didn’t work at all.

Kyle Weatherman [00:13:05]:
Oh, for sure. And you’re exactly right. I mean, it’s just time wasted in a sense.

Kevin Rolston [00:13:10]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:13:10]:
And confidence lost and, you know, anxiety and depression that might arise when you’re.

Kevin Rolston [00:13:16]:
Dealing with those problems.

Kevin Rolston [00:13:18]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:13:18]:
And obviously, you want it fixed, and there’s an easy fix. And you actually said it right. I mean, this isn’t a startup company.

Kevin Rolston [00:13:25]:
That might have a solution or might.

Kyle Weatherman [00:13:27]:
Be able to get it fixed.

Kevin Rolston [00:13:28]:
You come in and they get it fixed, it’s a done deal.

Kyle Weatherman [00:13:31]:
And they’ve already worked through all the bugs and all the problems that might.

Kevin Rolston [00:13:35]:
Arise, and they have a solution for.

Kyle Weatherman [00:13:37]:
Anything that might occur.

Kevin Rolston [00:13:39]:
And every person is different.

Kyle Weatherman [00:13:41]:
And here’s the coolest part.

Kevin Rolston [00:13:43]:
And it took about two months for.

Kyle Weatherman [00:13:45]:
Them to figure out exactly what type.

Kevin Rolston [00:13:46]:
Of adhesive that they could use for.

Kyle Weatherman [00:13:48]:
My skin and my breakdown and stuff like that, you know, but even, even to that, right, with what’s what it is, it is adhesive or whatever that word is stuck to your head with. You know, they’ve got so many different type of materials that they work with for different people, and it just, they’ve got a solution for anybody that has that problem and they can get it handled.

Kevin Rolston [00:14:14]:
Hair club understands that everyone’s needs are different, whether its finding the right base material, matching a specific hair texture, or selecting an adhesive thats just right for each individual. Their stylists are true experts, trained to navigate these nuances and create a personalized experience for every client. For Kyle, having the same stylist every month means a consistent, reliable experience. But what if hes on the road? Hairclubs network allows him to drop into any location, ensuring he’s always covered, even while traveling. It’s that kind of flexibility and tailored care that keeps Kyle confident no matter where his journey takes him.

Kyle Weatherman [00:14:58]:
I’ve got a great routine set up, you know? So like I said, I go to Courtney in Winston Salem. She’s amazing. Trust her with everything. Right.

Kevin Rolston [00:15:06]:
That’s great. Okay.

Kyle Weatherman [00:15:07]:
The best part is, is I do travel a lot. Right. There’s places we can go anywhere, and all it takes is one phone call.

Kevin Rolston [00:15:16]:
If it’s an emergency, they can fit you in.

Kyle Weatherman [00:15:18]:
And they’ve said that so many times at so many different areas and locations have not had to use that just because I’m set up on a really good plan and feel confident with where I’m at.

Kevin Rolston [00:15:27]:
But to know that that’s there.

Kyle Weatherman [00:15:28]:
If I go to Sonoma, California, or whatever, it just got everywhere. Phoenix, Arizona. It doesn’t matter where you’re at that.

Kevin Rolston [00:15:37]:
They’Ve got a solution there if there’s a problem.

Kevin Rolston [00:15:39]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:15:39]:
And, you know, so just the confidence on, on my work where it’s, it does involve traveling and the heat that I deal with and the sweat that I produce.

Kevin Rolston [00:15:49]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:15:49]:
They’ve got a problem for, they’ve got a fix for all the problems that.

Kevin Rolston [00:15:53]:
That might occur and.

Kevin Rolston [00:15:54]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:15:54]:
It’s like you said, they’ve been in it for a while and just got it all figured out.

Kevin Rolston [00:15:58]:
Another massive advantage. Absolutely. Yeah. That’s really cool. So tell me a little bit about for you, the confidence that it gives. You talked about how before you’re wearing a lot of caps and you’re doing a lot of publicity. You’re always on camera. And I kind of had that as well with a camera that kind of pointed out we had a dome camera in our studios and the show that I do, and it was always showing the bald spot.

Kevin Rolston [00:16:22]:
And that was what really propelled me to do it. Was there that kind of moment of insecurity, was there something that you always saw a reflection or just whatever you’re doing that really kind of propelled you to first make that call?

Kyle Weatherman [00:16:34]:
Oh, for sure. I hated the way that I looked, in a sense of my receding hairline and hair loss that I was dealing with.

Kevin Rolston [00:16:41]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:16:41]:
So any type of pictures that I got, you know, I would do anything I can to get the perfect angle or, yeah, just wear a hat or.

Kevin Rolston [00:16:50]:
Whatever that looks like.

Kevin Rolston [00:16:51]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:16:52]:
And there’s multiple times where there’s situations.

Kevin Rolston [00:16:54]:
Where I can’t wear a hat. Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:16:55]:
Whether it’s going to, you know, a fancy sponsored dinner or, you know, whatever.

Kevin Rolston [00:16:59]:
That may look like.

Kevin Rolston [00:17:00]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:17:01]:
I guess the biggest, another big thing.

Kevin Rolston [00:17:03]:
For us as drivers when we’re doing.

Kyle Weatherman [00:17:04]:
You know, prayer and the national anthem, you know, they always go around with, with tv cameras and stuff like that. And, you know, you’re praying your head’s down, so bam, you got that right there.

Kevin Rolston [00:17:14]:
You know, you’re, the hat has to come off and you have to show the crown of your head, the hat’s off.

Kevin Rolston [00:17:21]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:17:21]:
Yeah. You’re there, you’re praying and. Or national anthem.

Kevin Rolston [00:17:25]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:17:25]:
And they’ll get right in there on your face and you see the nice receding hairline. It’s just, yeah, it’s, it was, it was embarrassing and just loss of confidence very quickly. And look, any guy that, that says that they don’t lose confidence with a receding hairline unless you have an amazing.

Kevin Rolston [00:17:43]:
Bald head, which I don’t.

Kyle Weatherman [00:17:44]:
That wasn’t a decision that I was going to do either, is I don’t have a good bald head.

Kevin Rolston [00:17:49]:
I know, I know. I wish I could. On the same way I look terrible with a shaved head.

Kyle Weatherman [00:17:53]:
Yeah. Some people pull it off.

Kevin Rolston [00:17:54]:
I’m not that guy.

Kyle Weatherman [00:17:55]:
So other than, other than those guys, if you have a receding hairline and you’re trying to keep your hair and you say that you’re not losing confidence or don’t feel great about yourself in certain ways and aspects, then, you know, they’re probably not telling you the truth.

Kevin Rolston [00:18:09]:
You’re right. Yeah. It sounds like your wife is very supportive of you doing the hair system.

Kyle Weatherman [00:18:14]:
Yeah, she is. She is. From day one.

Kevin Rolston [00:18:16]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:18:16]:
And we actually both deal with similar aspects.

Kevin Rolston [00:18:20]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:18:20]:
She actually goes to hair club as well. She battles with trickle tilamania, you know, so it’s a genetic disorder that she deals with that causes her to pull her hair. And, you know, hair club has helped her as well. So we’re both in this together. I think this is so cool. We’re, we’re a great couple and in so many different areas and she’s my big support system. Yeah, she was all about it and at that time she had a different solution that she was using to help with what she had going on. But Hairclub stepped up as well and.

Kevin Rolston [00:18:47]:
Our help of both of us. And I know that she’s getting on.

Kyle Weatherman [00:18:50]:
Here pretty soon with the podcast with you guys as well. And I’m excited to see that and just see both sides.

Kevin Rolston [00:18:56]:
Yeah, absolutely. Got her coming up and you know, that’s one thing I think a lot of people don’t realize is that so many women and for various reasons are dealing with their own issues with hair loss. And, you know, too often it just seems like hair club is something or whatever your solution might be, is a problem that only men seem to have. And that’s definitely not true at all. So as your wife will tell us coming up here in another episode.

Kyle Weatherman [00:19:16]:
So, yeah, I mean, the biggest thing I would say is, and I get it, scary looking at it from the outside, looking in and what this would look like and what this would potentially do, I know this is easier said than done, but I’ve done it, is just go and just do it.

Kevin Rolston [00:19:31]:
Whether it is just going in for.

Kyle Weatherman [00:19:32]:
The consultation at first, having them meet with you and seeing, you know, just what it’s about, what it’s like going and meeting with them and you understanding how they’re there for you and they’re going to take care of you and they want you to make you feel good. That’s what it’s all about.

Kevin Rolston [00:19:45]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:19:45]:
And that would be the biggest thing that I would say is just take.

Kevin Rolston [00:19:48]:
The leap of faith at least to.

Kyle Weatherman [00:19:49]:
Go in and have the consultation, at least meet with them and understand how nice every single, you know, person there is and literally just wanting to help you.

Kevin Rolston [00:19:59]:
Right.

Kyle Weatherman [00:19:59]:
And that’s what I would say is, and I know it’s easier said than done, but coming for me, I’ve done it. Just, just go do it. Just go in there and see them.

Kevin Rolston [00:20:06]:
That’s right. Well, Kyle, I can’t wait to watch for you during the prayer and the national anthem. And I’m going to check out that amazing head of hair that you have and the pride that you got doing it.

Kevin Rolston [00:20:15]:
Yes, sir.

Kyle Weatherman [00:20:15]:
Yes, sir. No, I appreciate it. And it’s can’t thank everything that hair club has done for me and my wife as well. And, you know, it’ll be in the family. I’m sure our kids down the future will unfortunately have the amazing blessed jeans that I’m going to transfer over to them. So once that happens, they’re going straight to hair club as well.

Kevin Rolston [00:20:39]:
For Kyle, embracing hair loss wasnt just about finding a solution for himself. It was about feeling like himself. Kyles story is a testament to what is possible if the people in your life are open about their issue with hair loss and supportive of others on their own journeys. Kyle found support in other NASCAR drivers and his wife, who is also a proudhair club client. With their guidance, he found his way to a hair system that fits his needs within a couple of years after his hair started thinning. Deciding to do something about your hair loss is a deeply personal decision. And as Kyle suggests, sometimes it just takes that first step, a leap of faith, to explore what’s possible. As his story shows, there’s a solution out there for everyone.

Kevin Rolston [00:21:25]:
As his story shows, there’s a solution out there for everyone. For more inspirational stories and words of wisdom from people who have been through hair loss, make sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast app. And thank you for listening to another episode of Hairpod. Check us out at Hair Club on Instagram or search Hairpod on Facebook to continue the conversation. If you know someone who could benefit from hearing this episode, we would love it if you would share it with them. If youre enjoying the show, consider leaving us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. We also have a website. Check it out by going to podcast dot hairclub.com.

Kevin Rolston [00:22:05]:
we’re here to build people up and share real stories so people experiencing hair loss feel a little bit less alone. And when you share, review and subscribe, it helps us do just that. So thank you. Until next time.

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Life with Alopecia Universalis

Life with Alopecia Universalis

by | Sep 10, 2024 | Episode

Episode 29

Life with Alopecia Universalis

alopecia-universalis-Ariel-Rawlings-029-blog
In honor of Alopecia Awareness Month, we’re bringing you a beacon of hope through our conversation with Ariel Rawlings. She is a remarkable individual whose alopecia universalis has led her down a path of advocacy and self-actualization. She is also a professional in the hair replacement industry, helping her clients with the empathy and heart that comes from knowing exactly what they’re going through.

Alopecia Universalis: The Early Stages

It can feel isolating to go through this disease. Alopecia universalis is a condition that leads to complete loss of body hair. For Ariel, this journey has been about more than just coping with physical changes. It has been a path to understanding and embracing her identity. Aggressive hair loss can be a distressing experience, as it can sometimes indicate other health issues. While Ariel ruled out those issues by treating a hormonal thyroid problem, this helped move her closer to her diagnosis of alopecia. After her diagnosis, she still had to navigate presenting herself to the world in a way that felt authentic and natural to her. Ariel acknowledges that each person’s solution is as different as the next. Her story is a testament to her strength and the evolving nature of her self-acceptance.

Advocating for Yourself with Hair Loss

Hair loss affects many people for various reasons, and it’s important to rule out health problems early on. In the early stages of her diagnosis journey, Ariel had to advocate for herself with her doctor. Occasionally, medical professionals will not prioritize non-lethal issues like hair loss, and the responsibility falls on the person with alopecia (or their guardian) to be their advocate. By sharing her journey, Ariel hopes others can see what is possible when you become your own champion, working tirelessly to ensure you are heard, and your condition is taken seriously.

Alopecia Universalis Support

A community can make all the difference when you’re struggling with hair loss. Ariel was fortunate to have many supportive people in her circle – her family and husband helped her through the emotions of losing her hair to alopecia universalis. However, not everyone has a community, and even those who do may wish to seek advice from people experiencing the same things as them. While alopecia universalis is rare and there is no medical cure, people have found many different ways to thrive with this condition. It’s important to seek out people who empathize with your plight and validate your emotions.

Ariel is a professional in the hair replacement industry, empathizing with clients who are feeling the emotional burden of hair loss. Her journey remains an inspiring example of resilience and encourages those struggling with alopecia to embrace their true selves and find strength in the support of others. We’re honored to share her experiences on HairPod and hope her story resonates with you!

Empowering Resources
As the episode draws to a close, HairPod extends a generous offer of a complimentary hair loss consultation, providing a tangible step towards reclaiming confidence and control over one’s appearance. Book a Free consultation with HairClub Today!

Thanks for listening to HairPod. We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please leave us a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to connect with us on social media to share your story, check us out on Instagram @HairClub. HairPod is a production of TSE Studios. Our theme music is from SoundStripe.

Episode.29 Transcript
Ariel Rawlings [00:00:04]:
It is genetic. So I had to have the genetic trait from both of my parents. And then since it’s autoimmune, you have to have an environmental trigger as well. The genetic from both my parents is weird because I had never heard of alopecia before in my life. Until my hair started falling out. I didn’t even know what it was. Nobody in my family has it, so it’s just like silently been passed down. Genetically, genetics are weird, but somehow both my parents had the alopecia trait, and I got both of that from them.

Kevin Rolston [00:00:45]:
Welcome to Hairpod, the podcast where you get to hear real people talk about their hair journeys. I’m your host, Kevin Ralston. And each week I get to interview people from different walks of life whose lives have been touched by hair loss in some form or fashion. Many of our guests have experienced hair loss themselves and found a way to get their confidence and their hair back. This week, were talking to Ariel Rawlings, who came on the show to share her experience living with alopecia universalis. For those who may not already know, alopecia universalis is a rare and severe form of alopecia areata that causes complete hair loss across the entire scalp and body, including eyebrows, eyelashes, and all other body hair. According to the National Institute of Health, this hair loss is caused by an autoimmune response where the immune system attacks hair follicles. While alopecia affects around 2% of people worldwide at some point in their lives, alopecia universalis is even less common.

Kevin Rolston [00:01:48]:
Ariel’s story is not just about the experience of losing the hair itself, but of finding a way to live that makes her feel comfortable and confident. And in doing so, finding a new life path, helping other women do the same, were starting back at the beginning when Ariel first noticed her hair loss. Like many women, she suffered from postpartum hair loss after her children were born. But after her second baby, something was different. Her hair wasnt growing back.

Ariel Rawlings [00:02:20]:
A lot of women experience hair loss after pregnancy, and I had that with my first, and it, you know, just postpartum hair loss with my second. It just, it started as what I thought was postpartum hair loss. And, you know, there was some thyroid issues going on that I thought corrected the hair loss. But it really, you know, a matter of months after I started the thyroid medication, it just all fell out, everything. And I think it was directly related to, you know, hormones are crazy after pregnancy. And then our baby was just one of those kids that cried all the time and never slept. So with autoimmune if you’re high stress like that can trigger it. So that was my trigger, I think, was just the stress of this little baby that never slept.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:12]:
Wow, that’s so tough because I know in those instances you may not be paying too much to yourself because you’ve got this new life that you’re giving all of your attention and focus to. So what was that like? Tell me about the thought process that went through it and how extreme did it get? Because im sure at first you might notice a little bit and think, okay, my body has gone through a lot here giving birth, and so this is just part of the process. When did the alarm bells start going off? How bad did it get?

Ariel Rawlings [00:03:40]:
Yeah, so like I said, at first I thought it was just postpartum hair loss because that happened with the previous child that I had. And, you know, it was a little bit worse than that. So I was able to get in and see my doctor, and she diagnosed me with low thyroid or whatever and then went about my way, like a couple months, you know, after that it started falling out again and we would find, like, wads of hair in the laundry or, you know, every time I took a shower, like, I’m like scraping all this hair out of my hands and, like, just, you know, vacuuming hair up all the time. Like, the vacuum was full of hair. Like, you would not believe how much hair you have until it starts falling out.

Kevin Rolston [00:04:23]:
Right.

Ariel Rawlings [00:04:23]:
And a lot of those, you know, alarming things started happening. And I am very much a person that’s like, just brush it off and, you know, it’ll get better. Don’t worry about it. But it’s kind of, like, hard to ignore when you can see my scalp and there’s spots of total hair loss. And so I also really had to advocate for myself with my physician because, you know, I was like, I think I need to come back in. I think it’s getting worse. It’s not getting better. And there was no urgency from my physician.

Ariel Rawlings [00:05:00]:
And then when I finally got in to see her, she was like, oh, you weren’t kidding.

Kevin Rolston [00:05:04]:
Wow.

Ariel Rawlings [00:05:05]:
No, I wasn’t kidding about that. And even to get an alopecia diagnosis, in my experience, I really did have to like, and, you know, the doctors just didn’t care as much as I cared about it. It felt like. So I really had to advocate for myself to get that diagnosis and get them to pay attention to what was going on. So I pretty much diagnosed myself before I finally got into the doctor and got a diagnosis. But the timeline really was, yeah, the timeline was, you know, about four months postpartum, I started experiencing postpartum hair loss, what I thought was postpartum hair loss. And, you know, it was really extreme. So maybe a couple months after that, I went in to see the physician, and they prescribed me with low thyroid.

Ariel Rawlings [00:05:47]:
I had blood, a ton of blood drawn through this whole experience.

Inquisitive Co-host [00:05:51]:
That sounds like fun.

Ariel Rawlings [00:05:52]:
Yeah. I got on, like, a thyroid supplement medication that, you know, at the time, which is funny looking back on, but that, like, being told that I needed to take this thyroid medication for the rest of my life was devastating because I do not take medication. Like, I pride myself in that. And there was maybe a little bit of, you know, obviously some pride in that, like, feeling like the world was ending a little bit there. But looking back, that was not a big deal at all. But, you know, in the moment, what my experience. But, you know, I started taking that thyroid medication, and the hair loss pretty much stopped, like, for a month or two after taking that, and then it just, like, rapidly fell out after that. So I don’t know if, like, so it.

Kevin Rolston [00:06:38]:
I don’t know why it stopped.

Kevin Rolston [00:06:40]:
And then all of a sudden, it picks up. But it’s more intense than it was before.

Ariel Rawlings [00:06:44]:
Yes, exactly. So it was, like, quite an emotional roller coaster.

Kevin Rolston [00:06:48]:
Oh, yeah. Like, wow, great.

Ariel Rawlings [00:06:50]:
You know, this is the answer. Everything’s gonna be fine. My hair is growing back. And then a few months later, like, this is all. So I had my baby in August, and then, so this is all happening around the holidays, too. And so, like, I. Thanksgiving to Christmas. Like, I went from, you know, being able to go out and people wouldn’t really notice.

Ariel Rawlings [00:07:12]:
It was more just me noticing it to having, like, hardly any hair at all. Whoa. So, yeah, it took, like, a month or so, and, like, all the hair on my head fell out, and then the month after that, like, eyebrows, eyelashes, like, everything. So.

Kevin Rolston [00:07:27]:
No, everywhere. Oh, my goodness.

Ariel Rawlings [00:07:30]:
Yeah. Yeah. Like, no arm hair?

Kevin Rolston [00:07:33]:
No. Wow.

Ariel Rawlings [00:07:36]:
Yeah. And then, so after I got the thyroid diagnosis, it took me until February to get an alopecia diagnosis.

Kevin Rolston [00:07:48]:
Ariel was going through so much, as if the stress of parenting both a child and a newborn while dealing with sudden, aggressive hair loss wasn’t enough, Ariel had to tirelessly advocate for herself while seeking a diagnosis with her physician. And its important that she did. Unlike a broken leg or a life threatening illness, hair loss is seen as an aesthetic or cosmetic issue. So it isnt always prioritized by doctors. But as anyone who has experienced hair loss knows, it can be so much more than that. Hair loss can sometimes indicate other health concerns, like hormonal issues or lack of nutrition. But even if someone who is experiencing hair loss is otherwise healthy, the emotional toll caused by hair loss in many cases shouldn’t be ignored. For many people, hair is an important part of how we see ourselves.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:38]:
It can even be a part of how we envision the future. Like it was for Ariel.

Ariel Rawlings [00:08:48]:
As a female, my hair was part of my identity, and, like, I didn’t realize it, but, like, I had pictured my future, like, with my daughter, like, playing with my hair or, like, giving eyelash kisses, you know, like, with my little kids.

Kevin Rolston [00:09:04]:
Like, you want to take photos, right? And part of taking a photo with your kid is you want your kid to look cute, but you also want to look good yourself in those photos.

Ariel Rawlings [00:09:13]:
Yeah. And my kids played a vital role in, like, my emotional state through it because I wanted to be a good example to my daughter. Washington two. And I had my baby boy, and so I wanted to show her that, you know, I am still me. You know, there’s more to me than my hair. So I challenged myself a lot, and I was lucky to have a supportive husband and supportive family around me, which was huge. But it didn’t take me too long to, like, embrace it in a way, which is. It’s a constant struggle to embrace it.

Ariel Rawlings [00:09:48]:
But I feel like I was able to adapt quickly. You know, I challenged myself to go out without hair. You know, I hadn’t really gotten into the world of wigs yet. You know, at the beginning, I had a wig that my mom bought me that was terrible.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:02]:
Thanks, mom.

Ariel Rawlings [00:10:02]:
I just didn’t know what options were out there. Yeah, thanks, mom. Really. But we just didn’t know. But, yeah, there was definitely a lot of tears. I think the hardest emotional thing, hurdle for me was my relationship with my husband.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:17]:
Yeah.

Ariel Rawlings [00:10:18]:
Because I felt like, in a way, I was letting him down. Like, we got married and, like, you know, we’ve been married for 13 years now, but I just, like, you married me, and I looked a certain way, and I know that I’m not going to look that way forever, but I just never pictured, like, being so drastically different than the woman that you married. And, like, over the years, just his reassurance has, you know, strengthened our relationship and shown me, like, goes both ways. Like, it’s not about, you know, it’s about who you are. Like, he always tells me, I have the same smile, I have the same eyes. Like, I’m still me. So there was a lot of tears, particularly to him. And, like, just, like, him convincing me that he was still.

Ariel Rawlings [00:10:58]:
Still loved me and was thought I was beautiful with or without hair. So that was the huge emotional hurdle. And, like, even today, I sometimes just wish I had hair. It would make things easier. So there’s still emotional days. I think that’s just the way it goes.

Kevin Rolston [00:11:13]:
But you are so fortunate that you had a great support team and something that really supported you. And I know you can’t take yourself to a place where you didn’t. But tell me a little bit about your self talk, because the way that we talk to ourselves is very important. And you’re going through this, and there’s somebody right now that’s listening that wishes they had the wonderful husband that you have, and they’re trying to figure out how to talk to themselves about how they feel about their hair loss. What would you say to them? Because what were the struggles you went with? And it sounds like you turned a corner at some point, but I imagine it took a little bit of time. How did you change your self talk to get to that point?

Ariel Rawlings [00:11:50]:
I think one of the biggest things that helped me just realize that I can still live a full life without hair was finding a community and getting to know other women that have gone through this. So, for me, this was right before COVID times. So Instagram was a big thing. There was a lot of people sharing their stories on Instagram at that time. I feel like. I don’t know if it’s still the same, but I was able to find a lot of a few women on Instagram that were sharing their alopecia stories, and that gave me strength just to see them, like, living their life without hair. And it’s fine, and, like, you know, I can still have joy in life without hair. Life goes on.

Ariel Rawlings [00:12:37]:
As far as self talk, I think I’m just a naturally positive person, and I think that helped a lot for my timeline of, you know, working through it and not constantly feeling devastated, but I think it just took time. I think I have learned, too, like, our process of dealing with alopecia, each individual person that goes through this, it’s a little bit different, and you shouldn’t compare your story to anyone else’s.

Kevin Rolston [00:13:04]:
Mm hmm.

Ariel Rawlings [00:13:05]:
I thought that I really needed to, like, to fully embrace who I was. I needed to, like, go out bald all the time and, like, just be unapologetically, like, you know, I thought that.

Kevin Rolston [00:13:15]:
Was, like, you had to own it. You wanted to be authentic in your authentic, true self.

Ariel Rawlings [00:13:19]:
Yeah. But I’ve learned over the years that if I’m more comfortable in a wig. That’s okay.

Kevin Rolston [00:13:24]:
Yeah, right?

Ariel Rawlings [00:13:25]:
Just wear the wig. It’s like, for me, it’s an accessory. Like, I have no problem telling people I wear wigs and I wear different styles and colors all the time. But, yeah, I, you know, other people stick to the same style. They don’t want people to know. And that doesn’t mean, like, I’m any farther along on this acceptance journey than you are. It just means we deal with it differently. And so I think that was a good thing to realize.

Ariel Rawlings [00:13:45]:
You know, I see these women just embracing it fully out and about bald, like, on social media, and I’m like, I need to be that, but I don’t.

Kevin Rolston [00:13:58]:
I loved hearing that Ariel’s support team, her family, her husband, and online community were supportive forces throughout this process. Finding people that will treat you with love and compassion while youre struggling to navigate the emotions of losing your hair can make the process so much easier. And to Ariels point, she was able to find her own unique path through her hair loss. There are many healthy ways to cope, and its up to each person to decide what theirs will be. And socially speaking, our culture is becoming more accepting and stigmatizing hair loss less. But it’s hard to say how things are changing in the medical field.

Ariel Rawlings [00:14:39]:
As far as, like, the medical world being more understanding of it. I think in general, our generation is more accepting of, like, the emotional toll of many things in life, you know, like anxiety and depression. And, you know, it’s a lot more talked about, like, going to counseling and therapy and, and I think we’re taking notice more of the emotional toll of whatever your life experiences are. But it’s hard to say, like, because I’m not talking to the medical field a lot about my alopecia anymore, because I’ve sort of decided to stop seeking medical help for it. I will say, I will speak to it a little bit, too. I’ve have, since I’ve lost my hair, I’ve had the opportunity to open a wig shop here in Round Rock, and I get to see women who are experiencing hair loss. And so it’s so rewarding because so many of them come in and they say, I’ve been to hairstylists, I’ve been to other places, I’ve been to even medical professionals asking for help with this. And nobody understands the emotional toll that it takes.

Ariel Rawlings [00:15:47]:
Like, I’ve had women and their husbands, like, give me hugs and, like, cry, because just having someone that knows the emotional toll that it takes is something they haven’t experienced before. So there’s, you know, it’s not perfect, the medical side of things. I think there’s still room for understanding, and maybe that’s why I share my story, is because maybe they just aren’t going to find that support and empathy from medical professionals. But it’s, there. There’s a great community of support for those dealing with struggling with hair loss. There’s Facebook pages that I’m a part of, some that are more local, some that are just people from all over the world. You can find them out there for sure. I find a lot on Instagram, too, just like, even on my Instagram account.

Ariel Rawlings [00:16:37]:
Like, I have women that message me and just for advice or support or, like, whatever. And I’m always happy to talk to people about it and my experience and how I’ve been able to get through it.

Kevin Rolston [00:16:53]:
I think one of the most inspiring, inspiring parts of Ariel’s story is knowing that she now uses her platform and her career to support others who are going through hair loss. She’s come so far since day one from realizing that something wasn’t quite right and her hair wasn’t quite growing back to now being able to speak openly about her hair journey and help others through theirs. I asked her if she could see growth over the course of her journey.

Ariel Rawlings [00:17:24]:
Yeah. I mean, mentally for sure, emotionally for sure. Even, like, just knowing how to put my eyebrows on and to do eyelashes, you know, like, I look at pictures and I’m like, just. I can just like.

Kevin Rolston [00:17:39]:
So it’s still everything you still have?

Ariel Rawlings [00:17:42]:
Yeah. I mean, nothing. Yeah. Alopecia universalis is the most extreme type of alopecia, and it rare for it to grow back. It can for some people. And when I first got alopecia, I dove deep into the inflammation and, like, autoimmune stuff, and I totally changed my diet and went vegan. And what caused all these natural things?

Kevin Rolston [00:18:05]:
What happened with pregnancy, too, that it was so different? Did they have a. Is it anything the doctors don’t really know?

Ariel Rawlings [00:18:12]:
Okay, well, it is genetic, so I had to have the genetic trait from both of my parents. And then since it’s autoimmune, you have to have an environmental trigger as well.

Kevin Rolston [00:18:22]:
Okay.

Ariel Rawlings [00:18:23]:
The genetic from both my parents is weird because I had never heard of alopecia before in my life. Until my hair started falling out. I didn’t even know what it was. Nobody in my family has it, so it’s just, like, silently been passed down genetically. Genetics are weird, but somehow both my parents had the alopecia trait and I got both of that from them.

Kevin Rolston [00:18:42]:
Oh, wow.

Ariel Rawlings [00:18:43]:
And then if I had an identical twin, she wouldn’t necessarily experience alopecia. You have to have an environmental trigger and the genetic traits from both parents in order to get alopecia.

Kevin Rolston [00:18:56]:
Was giving birth that environmental trigger, or was there something else?

Ariel Rawlings [00:18:59]:
I think it was the stress of postpartum, like not sleeping. This poor little boy cried all the time.

Kevin Rolston [00:19:07]:
Oh, boy.

Ariel Rawlings [00:19:10]:
Yeah, it’s hard when you’re not sleeping. And I had a lot of. I had pretty bad postpartum anxiety, probably from not sleeping. That just makes everything worse. So it was. And then I had a two year old at the same time. It was a very hard time in my life. Very stressful.

Ariel Rawlings [00:19:26]:
So that stress is a big trigger for autoimmune. And they say, like, if you can, you know, eliminate the stress and, like, clean your diet, like, you can kind of reverse it. I’ve tried. It didn’t work for me, and maybe some people are better luck with it, but.

Kevin Rolston [00:19:44]:
Right.

Ariel Rawlings [00:19:44]:
There’s also, like, the FDA’s approved recently a couple of drugs that treat it that actually work. There’s just weird side effects that you have to take into account. You know, you have to balance the value versus the risk. So it’s not a perfect answer.

Kevin Rolston [00:19:59]:
I thought I knew about everything when it came to hair loss. Ariel, talking to you today, I learned so much more. You were very educational and inspiring at the same time. And high five your husband for me because he is an awesome dude. And I’m so happy that you have that ingrown support team to be there with you and help you through this. Thank you so much for taking the time today.

Ariel Rawlings [00:20:21]:
Yes, thank you so much for having me. I love sharing my story because there’s hope after hair loss, and I want everybody to know that. I want people that are in the place that I was, where I was crying every night and didn’t know who I was when I looked in the mirror. Like, there’s life beyond that, and there’s joy and hope, and you can live your life to its fullest still.

Kevin Rolston [00:20:48]:
We want to thank Ariel for joining us today and sharing her story of hope. The experiences she shared are a powerful reminder that something as challenging as hair loss can be a catalyst for growth, community, and self discovery. To everyone out there who is dealing with any form of alopecia, we hope Ariel’s story has inspired you to advocate for yourself, to seek out the resources and support that you need, and to remember that you are not alone. Finding a strong support system, whether it’s friends, family or community of others who understand can make all the difference. No matter where you are in your journey, remember that there is always hope and there are people who care and want to help. Thanks for listening to another episode of Hairpot. If you’re looking for a community to connect with, you can always check us out at Hair Club on Instagram or search Hairpot on Facebook to continue the conversation. If you know someone who could benefit from hearing this episode, we would love it if you would share it with them.

Kevin Rolston [00:21:47]:
If you’re enjoying the show, consider leaving us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. We also have a website. Check it out by going to podcast hairclub. We’re here to build people up and share real stories so people experiencing hair loss feel a little bit less alone. And when you share, review and subscribe it helps us do just that. So thank you. Until next time.

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Alopecia Awareness

Alopecia Awareness

by | Sep 3, 2024 | Episode

Episode 28

Alopecia Awareness

alopecia-awareness-Joey-Logano-028-blog

Alopecia affects millions of people worldwide, including well-known figures like NASCAR driver Joey Logano. This week on HairPod, I connected with Joey in honor of Alopecia Awareness Month. By speaking openly about his experience, Joey helps shine a light on the realities of living with alopecia.

Understanding Alopecia: More Than Just Hair Loss

Alopecia is more than a cosmetic issue; it can have a significant impact on a person’s self-esteem and mental health. Typically, the condition presents as round patches of hair loss on the scalp, but it can affect any area of the body where hair typically grows. For those like Joey, being in the public eye while dealing with such a visible condition adds an extra layer of challenge. Despite this, Joey has embraced his journey, sharing his story to help others understand that hair loss is just one part of who someone is, not the defining factor.

Alopecia Areata Awareness

Joey’s openness about alopecia is more than just a personal story—it’s a call to action. By talking about his experience and the use of a hair system, he encourages others facing similar challenges to feel less isolated and more empowered. Awareness is crucial because it helps dispel misconceptions, fosters understanding, and supports those affected. When public figures like Joey Logano use their platform to discuss alopecia, it encourages conversations that can change perceptions and build a more compassionate community.

If You or Someone You Know Has Alopecia…

Alopecia Awareness Month is an opportunity to educate and uplift. If you know someone affected by alopecia, sharing stories like Joey’s can offer much-needed encouragement and solidarity. Let’s celebrate those who face their challenges with grace and strength, reminding them that they are not alone. Together, we can build a world where we can experience confidence and community, even as we experience hair loss.


Empowering Resources
As the episode draws to a close, HairPod extends a generous offer of a complimentary hair loss consultation, providing a tangible step towards reclaiming confidence and control over one’s appearance. Book a Free consultation with HairClub Today!

Thanks for listening to HairPod. We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please leave us a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to connect with us on social media to share your story, check us out on Instagram @HairClub. HairPod is a production of TSE Studios. Our theme music is from SoundStripe.

Episode.28 Transcript

Joey Logano [00:00:04]:
I always think that the first move is to call your family doctor, the doctor that you trust and that knows you and knows your family history. Go to that person first and they may send you to a specialist after that. And I would probably do that. And then after that, go look for what the best solution is for you.

Kevin Rolston [00:00:37]:
Welcome to Hairpod, the podcast where you get to hear real people talk about their hair journeys. I’m your host, Kevin Ralston, and each week I get to interview people from different walks of life whose lives have been touched by hair loss in some form or fashion. Many of our guests have experienced hair loss themselves and found a way to get their confidence and their hair back. This week, we’re bringing you a story about alopecia areata in honor of Alopecia Awareness Month. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss. It usually occurs as a round patch or patches of hair loss on the scalp, but it can affect hair on any part of the body. While the condition doesn’t cause any physical pain, losing your hair can have a significant emotional impact. It is estimated that about 2% of the worlds population has alopecia areata or will develop it at some point, which is why we want to raise awareness and shed light on this issue.

Kevin Rolston [00:01:36]:
And who better to talk about it with us than NASCAR champion Joey Logano? Hes back again on the podcast to speak about his experience with alopecia areata. Joey was diagnosed with alopecia after a routine haircut revealed a few bald patches on the back of his head. Now he uses his platform to speak openly about his experience with hair loss in hopes that he can help others going through it. Today, he’s going to take us all the way back to the beginning before his diagnosis, back to the moment when he first discovered his hair loss.

Joey Logano [00:02:12]:
It was definitely your first thing. You realize what’s going on? You’re like, huh? What is this? How dangerous is it? Am I what’s going on? For me, I just got a haircut and I got back home and my wife thought that the hairdresser just completely screwed up my haircut, is what she thought because there’s like spots all over the back of my head. Wow. Completely butchered your hair. And I’m like, I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Kevin Rolston [00:02:39]:
Wow. So you couldn’t see it yourself. It was in a place where you couldn’t even notice.

Joey Logano [00:02:43]:
It was a little longer at the time. So when I got a haircut, it really exposed, and then the spots kept kind of growing, you know, and then you kind of. You know, at that point, your first thing you do is call your doctor and say, hey, what’s going on? I went to the doctor, my family doctor, like, okay, we think we have alopecia. I’m like, all right, so what do I do? What is it about? And it’s an autoimmune disorder that, honestly, nobody really understands. From what I’ve learned about it, no one really knows where it comes from, how you got it, hereditary stress. It could be. There’s a lot of different things that can really.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:13]:
Okay. Wow.

Joey Logano [00:03:14]:
Yeah. And it’s different for everybody. Everyone’s got different things. It seems like some people lose all their hair sometimes. It’s all the time. Sometimes just a little bit here and there, which I just get flare ups every now and again. And. Yeah, so there are some different remedies that.

Joey Logano [00:03:26]:
That I looked into. I talked to a few friends that had a similar experience, and then, you know, eventually, you know, hooking up with hair club, that was the best fix. It was really the easiest fix.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:37]:
Yeah.

Joey Logano [00:03:37]:
And I don’t have to go through all the needles and stuff that they’re wanting to put in my head. I was like, hang on a second. Before you start injecting stuff into my. Into my skull here, I want to make sure we’re doing the right thing here. So hair club was definitely the correct fit for me. It’s worked out well.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:54]:
So with what you do for your.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:55]:
Solution that you got with hair club, does it present a problem when you’re traveling so much? Do you have to pack up a lot of stuff with you? Does it affect your routine at all, or is it pretty serious?

Joey Logano [00:04:05]:
Not really to be asked what you. I mean, once you get the system going or you kind of understand how things work, you get your routine, then it’s really smooth. It takes a couple months to figure out, okay, what works for me. How do I do this? And then over time, it’s like second nature, right. And get your hair cut once a month just like everybody else. Right. Like, it really isn’t that different, which is great. It’s worked out really smooth.

Joey Logano [00:04:29]:
And, you know, I still get the flare ups every now and again, but honestly, you can’t even tell. You don’t even know. It’s pretty impressive.

Kevin Rolston [00:04:35]:
Now, you talk about how you just after one haircut, your wife noticed that you had the spots. Tell me a little bit about how big the spots were, and it sounds like you found the diagnosis pretty quick. Did you google it? Did you already know about alopecia. How are you so fast to find out? What was the cause of your hair loss issues?

Joey Logano [00:04:54]:
Well, I mean, like I said, I called my doctor first. That was the first thing I did because I didn’t know. I didn’t know what it was. But, you know, just kind of looking at, there’s probably, I don’t know, ten or twelve small spots, you know, yay. Biggest, you know, maybe a half. Some were a half inch. Some were an inch, inch and a half big somewhere were pretty big, and they would kind of grow for a little bit. And it just.

Joey Logano [00:05:14]:
It’s just bald. It’s kind of. It’s interesting. There’s no hair, and then it grows back gray, and then eventually your color comes back. Yeah. So it’s just kind of a. That’s the, like you said, it’s different for everybody, right? I mean, I feel like I’m pretty lucky for this scenario. I have some people, you know, they lose their.

Joey Logano [00:05:33]:
Their eyebrows and you full, like, all your body hair, you know, hair in your arms, whatever. Whatever it may be. Yeah. But that’s, um. Doesn’t seem like that’s what I have, which is, you know, which is good. But like I said, the cool thing is there’s. We live in a day and age that it’s not that big of a deal, right? Like, I mean, it is, but there’s a. At least there’s a fix, right? And then you don’t have that.

Joey Logano [00:05:56]:
You think 20 something years ago there is no answer for it. And then you got to answer questions and people look at you funny. What’s going on? You know, you got to answer awkward questions, you know, where people just stare at you and you’re scared to ask a question, but, you know, it’s a distraction in the room. I didn’t like that. I wasn’t a big fan of that part of it. Like, I didn’t mind having it, and I didn’t mind someone asking me a question. I just don’t like people staring at me. Like, I turn around, like, what.

Kevin Rolston [00:06:24]:
They were looking. You just feel the eyes on you and looking at those.

Kevin Rolston [00:06:28]:
Yeah.

Joey Logano [00:06:28]:
You catch up, you know, you turn and be like, hey, I saw you.

Kevin Rolston [00:06:31]:
I got you. So how long did you go with having signs of alopecia before you found your solution to cover it up? Cause I assume now anytime you see Joey Logano, you’re not gonna be able to tell that you have any flare ups with alopecia.

Joey Logano [00:06:46]:
Yeah, I don’t think. You’ll probably, probably never know from now on. But, you know, I went probably, I don’t know, it was probably five months or so before I started to. I wanted to see everything that was out there first and understand, okay, what’s, what’s my options, what’s my risks, you know, and how do I want to handle it? Because for me, it’s, and this is kind of for everybody, right? Like, it’s a big adjustment in your lifestyle, right, doing something about it, but also, it’s a big appearance change for people, right. It’s kind of like a, oh, what happened to you, right? Like, so there’s kind of a, how do you want to handle it? How do you want to play that out? You kind of got to think through that stuff a little bit. But eventually I realized that it was kind of a no brainer thing to do. I wanted to do something, and I understood that. There is going to be some people making comments.

Joey Logano [00:07:39]:
The majority of them, almost all of them are positive. You got to know, for me, I’m a professional athlete, so not everybody loves me. There’s people that root for you, and there’s people that don’t root for you. So the people that don’t root for you are always going to have something to say, right? The people that knew me best, or even the people I didn’t know, they all think it’s great. And now I don’t think anyone thinks about it or realizes it, right? It’s just a normal thing now. It’s just how I look.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:10]:
Joey’s experience with alopecia while being in the public eye is a powerful testament to his confidence. While there is no cure for alopecia, Joey points out that there are things that can be done so that people with his condition can look and feel the way they want to. Joey found something that works for him, and now no one really ever thinks twice about his hair loss. They just see Joey as he is today. And because he was never shy about it, his transformation sparked curiosity among his friends and coworkers. People started to reach out, eager to find out how he managed to get his hair back.

Joey Logano [00:08:48]:
Oh, I got a lot of phone calls afterwards, like, hey, what’d you do? What? How do I do that? What’s. Like, what’s going on? Like, I got my phone ran off the hook there for a little bit, especially when I first got my hair. So it’s definitely, you know, it’s a. It, it gets everyone’s attention, but you’d be amazed how many people want to do something about it. Like, it was, I mean, literally 50 something text messages. You know, the day I just said, here’s what I did and is amazing how many people are like, oh, I want to do that. How do I do that? Where do I go? And, yeah, that just, that, to me, proved the point that somebody needed to be more open and talk about it and go out in the public and just accept what it was. Right.

Joey Logano [00:09:29]:
What I was dealing with. And that, yeah, I did something about it. You know what? And I’m happy I did. You know, and a lot of other people do, too.

Kevin Rolston [00:09:36]:
Now, for alopecia awareness month, there are a couple things that I’m curious about. First of all, do you have anyone else in your family that has alopecia?

Joey Logano [00:09:43]:
Not that I know of. And a lot of times, from what I’ve learned, this lives in your system for years, right? Like, it’s something you. It seems to be, from what I understand, maybe it’s hereditary. They don’t completely understand it, but there’s things that can trigger it. Right. So it’s there the whole time. And the way I look at it is, listen, if this is my autoimmune disorder and this is all it is, right. And I can fix it.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:08]:
Yeah.

Joey Logano [00:10:09]:
I feel like I got away with one. You did?

Kevin Rolston [00:10:11]:
Yeah. All the things you could have.

Joey Logano [00:10:14]:
Yeah, exactly. Like I said, because there’s a fix for it. But I understand that it’s also, you got to think, too, for. I think for a woman, you know, for women, that’s definitely a little bit more challenging than it is for men. You know, it’s. Because it’s just different. Any way you look at it, it’s just different for girls. But there’s fixes for that, too.

Joey Logano [00:10:32]:
Right? So that’s the good part. But it is an interesting experience when it first happens and you get, you get a little nervous, for sure, because you’re like, well, what’s the. What else can happen and how bad can it get? And you don’t really know. It was crazy. Every doctor I went to, they’re just like, we don’t really know. But, you know, we think if we do this for a little bit and, you know, you can give you some steroid injections into your, you know, your scalp and all this stuff. And I was like, hey, hang on a second. Like, right? I.

Joey Logano [00:10:59]:
I don’t know how far I wanna go with something like that. And it’s different for everybody.

Kevin Rolston [00:11:03]:
What about the ages that alopecia hits? Does it pick on a certain age or can kids get alopecia?

Joey Logano [00:11:10]:
Oh, kids, yeah. Kids can definitely get it. And that’s one of the cool things that hair club does is that they will, they work a lot with children, and as you know, not all kids are as well polished as adults are when it comes to being polite. And kids can sometimes just, they can just be nasty. Right. They don’t know better. Right. So you can’t get mad at them.

Joey Logano [00:11:31]:
They don’t know better. But put yourself in a, you know, eight or nine year old kid’s shoes, going to school with a bunch of spots on the back of your head or worse. Right.

Kevin Rolston [00:11:41]:
That’s tough, boy.

Joey Logano [00:11:43]:
That’s hard. Right. I can do that as a, as a full grown man, but, and know how to handle it correctly, but to put a kid in that situation, that’s hard. Yeah. And it’s cool. Haircut does that with cancer patients and kids and all that. Yeah. Donate a lot of hair.

Joey Logano [00:11:58]:
I think that’s one of the greatest things they do.

Kevin Rolston [00:12:00]:
Do you have any advice for anybody that is right at the beginning stages of saying, maybe I have alopecia? You contacted your doctor. Is that the best first move or what is the right process to figure out, do you actually have alopecia? And then how can you best treat it?

Joey Logano [00:12:18]:
Doctor Justin I always think that the first move is to call your family doctor, the doctor that you trust and that knows you and knows your family history. Go to that person first and they may send you to a specialist after that. And I would probably do that. And then after that, you know, go look for what the best solution is for you.

Kevin Rolston [00:12:42]:
As we wrap up today’s interview, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Joey Logano for taking the time out of his busy racing schedule to speak with us. When people like Joey have the confidence to speak openly about conditions like this, it helps to break down the stigma surrounding hair loss, showing that its not something to be ashamed of. It also helps to educate others who might not otherwise know how to react when they see someone with alopecia areata. To anyone out there living with alopecia, remember that you are not alone. Your journey is unique. And with the right support and community, you can face it with the same strength and resilience as Joey does. For more inspirational stories and words of wisdom from people who have been through hair loss, make sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening to another episode of Hairpod.

Kevin Rolston [00:13:32]:
Check us out at Hair Club on Instagram or search Hairpod on Facebook to continue the conversation. If you know someone who could benefit from hearing this episode. We would love it if you would share it with them. If youre enjoying the show, consider leaving us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. We also have a website. Check it out by going to podcast Dot hairclub.com. were here to build people up and share real stories so people experiencing hair loss feel a little bit less alone. And when you share, review and subscribe, it helps us do just that.

Kevin Rolston [00:14:06]:
So thank you. Until next time.

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What It Means to Live With Alopecia Areata

What It Means to Live With Alopecia Areata

by | Jul 2, 2024 | Episode

Episode 19

Living with Alopecia Areata: What I Have Learned

Ep. 17 Living with Alopecia with Claire Fullam

 

In this episode, we hear from returning guest Claire Fullam, who has lived with alopecia areata for over eight years. Through her personal experience with hair loss and work as a trichologist, Claire has found that while alopecia areata cannot be cured and is often unpredictable, there are still many ways to manage it and live a happy, fulfilling life. Claire stresses the importance of self-care, community, and professional guidance and shares her insights, tips, and resources.

 

Hair Loss, Autoimmune Conditions, & Stress

Hair loss can significantly impact our emotional well-being, and conversely, our emotional state can influence hair loss. Like many autoimmune conditions, alopecia areata can be triggered by stress. Claire’s journey with alopecia areata has taught her that managing this condition involves much more than just applying topical treatments or taking medications. She has learned to closely monitor her body’s signals, such as the appearance of bald patches, and to respond swiftly to these early warning signs.

Claire’s approach involves having a comprehensive plan for scalp and hair maintenance. This plan helps her feel more in control of her condition, allowing her to manage flare-ups more effectively. By taking prompt action when she notices the first signs of hair loss, Claire has been able to mitigate some of the unpredictability associated with alopecia areata.

 

Beyond Hair Loss Therapy: The Role of Self-Care and Stress Management

Alopecia areata affects more than just the physical body, and external treatments alone are not sufficient to address the condition. Living with alopecia requires a high level of stress management and self-care. Claire has observed that many people with this form of alopecia tend to have similar personality traits—they are often very giving, tend to internalize their feelings, and prioritize the needs of others over their own.

In managing her condition, Claire has learned valuable lessons about setting boundaries and managing stress. She emphasizes that understanding and addressing these personality traits are crucial for effectively managing alopecia areata. For Claire, this self-awareness has been a key factor in her ability to cope with her condition and maintain her overall well-being.

 

The Emotional Toll of Hair Loss & the Power of Community

Hair loss can be a devastating experience, affecting one’s self-confidence and emotional health. Claire talks about the serious emotional repercussions of hair loss, highlighting the profound impact it can have on an individual’s life. She underscores the importance of community support in dealing with these challenges.

Feeling isolated and terrified by hair loss is a common experience, regardless of age or gender. Claire encourages listeners to share their stories and emotions openly. She believes that educating oneself about alopecia areata and exploring different options for managing the condition can empower individuals to take control of their situation.

 

Building a Supportive Community

Finding a supportive community is crucial for those dealing with alopecia areata. Claire advises listeners to seek out groups and forums where they can connect with others who understand what they are going through. These communities can provide invaluable emotional support, practical advice, and a sense of belonging.

Claire’s own experience with community has been transformative. She shares that connecting with others who have similar experiences has helped her feel less alone and more understood. This sense of community has been a vital part of her journey, providing her with strength and resilience in the face of her condition.

 

Professional Guidance & Resources

In addition to community support, professional guidance is essential for managing alopecia areata. Claire emphasizes the importance of consulting with healthcare professionals who specialize in hair loss and autoimmune conditions. Trichologists, dermatologists, and other specialists can provide tailored advice and treatment plans that address the specific needs of individuals with alopecia areata.

Claire also highlights the importance of staying informed about the latest research and treatments. She encourages listeners to explore various resources, including books, articles, and online forums, to stay updated on new developments in the field. By staying informed, individuals can make more educated decisions about their care and treatment options.

 

Practical Tips for Managing Alopecia Areata

Claire shares several practical tips for managing alopecia areata and maintaining a positive outlook. One key strategy is to develop a consistent hair care routine that includes gentle cleansing, moisturizing, and scalp care. This routine can help maintain the health of the scalp and hair, potentially reducing the severity of flare-ups.

Another important aspect of managing alopecia areata is stress reduction. Claire recommends incorporating stress-relief techniques into daily life, such as mindfulness meditation, yoga, and deep-breathing exercises. These practices can help reduce overall stress levels, which may in turn help minimize hair loss.

Diet and nutrition also play a role in managing alopecia areata. Claire suggests adopting a balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals that support hair health. Foods high in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and biotin can be particularly beneficial. In some cases, dietary supplements may be recommended to ensure adequate intake of these essential nutrients.

 

 

Embracing a Positive Mindset

Living with alopecia areata can be challenging, but Claire believes that maintaining a positive mindset is crucial. She encourages individuals to focus on the aspects of their lives that bring them joy and fulfillment, rather than dwelling on their hair loss. Engaging in hobbies, spending time with loved ones, and pursuing personal goals can help shift the focus away from alopecia and foster a more positive outlook.

Claire also advocates for self-compassion and acceptance. She reminds listeners that it is okay to have difficult days and that it is important to be kind to themselves. By practicing self-compassion, individuals can build resilience and better cope with the ups and downs of living with alopecia areata.

In summary, Claire Fullam’s insights and experiences provide valuable guidance for those living with alopecia areata. Her emphasis on self-care, community support, and professional guidance offers a holistic approach to managing the condition. By sharing her journey, Claire hopes to empower others to take control of their own health and well-being, and to find happiness and fulfillment despite the challenges of alopecia areata.

Listeners are encouraged to apply Claire’s tips and resources, seek out supportive communities, and maintain a positive mindset. While alopecia areata may be incurable and unpredictable, it is possible to manage the condition and lead a happy, fulfilling life.

 

Empowering Resources

As the episode draws to a close, HairPod extends a generous offer of a complimentary hair loss consultation, providing a tangible step towards reclaiming confidence and control over one’s appearance. Book a Free consultation with HairClub Today!

Thanks for listening to HairPod. We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please leave us a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to connect with us on social media to share your story, check us out on Instagram @HairClub. HairPod is a production of TSE Studios. Our theme music is from SoundStripe.

Episode.19 Transcript
Claire Fullam [00:00:04]:
You really have to dig deep and really care about yourself again because there’s some parts of you who’s let that go along. That way, maybe you’re bottom of the pile. You’re not looking after yourself a little bit. This is a whisper from your body to you to try and get you back on track again. You are as entitled to be here with hair or no hair. So try and give yourself that to care about yourself enough, because if you stay down too long, it’s really, really hard to kick the bank of the river and kind of swim back up for breath.

Kevin Rolston [00:00:49]:
Welcome to HairPod, the podcast where you get to hear real people talk about their hair journeys. I’m your host, Kevin Rolston, and each week I get to interview people from different walks of life whose lives have been touched by hair loss in some form or fashion. Many of our guests have experienced hair loss themselves and found a way to get their confidence and their hair back. In this episode, I spoke with returning guest Claire Fullam, who began her hair loss journey over eight years ago. Claire and I previously discussed how her struggle with hair loss had led to addiction recovery and self discovery, inspiring Claire to create her Internet Persona “Claire Balding”, and to pursue a career in trichology. Claire has returned to HairPod to share her insights on living with alopecia areata through her own personal experience with hair loss and work as a trichologist. Claire has discovered that alopecia areata cannot be resolved solely through external approaches, but must also be addressed on an emotional level. She emphasizes the importance of self-care, finding community, and seeking the support of a specialist.

Kevin Rolston [00:01:52]:
Claire encourages listeners to share their stories and avoid minimizing the emotional impact of hair loss.

Claire Fullam [00:02:03]:
I went to a dermatologist, a trichologist, loads of different doctors. I tried every, you know, thing that was out there at the time, every kind of treatment plan. But I stuck with the trichologist, and I was with her for about 20 weeks, and we did loads of, like, LLP therapy at the car. We did a lot of lotions and potions. We did a lot of, like, electrolysis work as well on the scalp. And to be honest, Kevin, now, knowing what I know now, and I’m a trichologist now, right? And I have a big patch of alopecia up here as well. Like, I always get patches. Like I had.

Claire Fullam [00:02:35]:
I have a big, full head of hair, still get patches all the time. It’s like the type of alopecia I have is alopecia areata. So it’s like, it’s an autoimmune condition. So it’s like a psoriasis. You know, somebody who has psoriasis, it will flare up and then it will disappear, and it will go through different bouts and all that kind of stuff. So that’s the type of alopecia I had. So I did loads of different treatments. But really, I think what was the making of me and the reason why I have hair today is because I spoke about it.

Claire Fullam [00:03:02]:
You know, I was such a person who used to internalize every slight worry that I had in my life. I used to never want to express myself because I didn’t want my mom to worry or my dad or my husband to worry. So I used to internalize. I was one of those, like a swan on the water, you know, like, I looked like I had it all together, but underneath I was panicking. And I think through my work now, like, I meet people with alopecia areata all day, every day. And it’s always the same type of personality. It’s always people who take on a lot from other people. They’re the friend of everybody.

Claire Fullam [00:03:37]:
You know, you’ll take your shirt off your back, like that kind of personality. And, you know, it’s funny how now I can see that, okay, the lotions and potions and the laser light therapy could have helped. Of course it does, because it will bring blood up to the follicle and that will encourage hair growth. But actually, what it was was taking that hour every week for myself. So every Wednesday, I used to go into the clinic. So I used to have to leave work half an hour early, and I used to get the bus in, and I used to listen to my music, and I used to go into the clinic, and then I used to come home, and it gave me that, like, sense of control. Does that make sense? It gave me this kind of. Right, okay, I have no hair now, but what am I going to do to try and help myself with that? So.

Claire Fullam [00:04:22]:
Or I washed my hair with the shampoo. They told me to. I did this, I did that. So it was a level of a plan. And the power of a plan is so, so important for people that are going through something which is so unpredictable. So I think, like, that was really, really important that I kind of had something to do. Does that make sense at all? Like, I had something to do every week, which I speak to my patients about all the time. You know, there’s so much.

Claire Fullam [00:04:46]:
And even, I mean, that was eight years ago. There’s so much more therapies out there that we know of now that we can help people with. But I really believe that no lotion or potion, no vitamin, no stress relieving therapy will stop an autoimmune condition. You have to learn how to work alongside that a little bit. And I always say now, like, when I get a patch, like, I have one up here now, there’s little hairs growing out of it. Thank God it’s there about eight, nine weeks now. It’s like a whisper from my body. It’s like a cleaner.

Claire Fullam [00:05:17]:
It’s like, be careful. It’s an autoimmune condition. So, like, you’ve got loads of different systems in your body, right? So the ones that we’re going to top on air, like your nervous system and your immune system. So your nervous system is the one that controls all of your emotions, okay? So when you are physically stressed or emotionally stressed, she’ll whack her sister, because that’s what sisters do. Okay? So your immune system then goes up and up and up and up. So she goes off on one. And all along this invisible ladder here, there will be different rungs, which some people with autoimmune conditions, that little switch will be kind of gone off, and it will keep going back there. So when I ever get stressed, one of the first things to go is my hair.

Claire Fullam [00:05:56]:
So it’s an autoimmune condition that I can slightly control, but not always control, you know, depending on what’s going on in my life. I know for me, it’s when I’m not really taking care of myself, when I’m bottom of the list, which happens as parents, doesn’t it? Right. And as a business owner, like, you’re always bottom up the list. I take on too much all the time, you know, and it’s a different type of stress now because I have so many people to provide for. You know, it’s not like it’s just me and the kids and my husband anymore, but other people’s families that I need to look after as well. So that different type of pressure and stress, I know that I wasn’t looking after myself about three months ago, and now this is the result of that.

Kevin Rolston [00:06:41]:
Alopecia areata doesn’t just go away. Stress management is key for living with any kind of autoimmune disorder, but it’s not a fix all at the same time. External treatments alone are not enough to prevent flare ups. Managing stress, scalp maintenance, and creating a plan for ongoing care can make a huge difference.

Claire Fullam [00:07:05]:
I think a lot of people, again, this is a common thread that I see through people with alopecia is that they don’t have very many boundaries, you know, they don’t have very many. They’re people yet. Yeah, no problem. No problem. Hair’s on the ground, you’re not going to wake.

Kevin Rolston [00:07:18]:
It’s such a personality type.

Claire Fullam [00:07:19]:
It sounds like such a personality type. And it really only happens to people as well that have a lot of hair. You would never see somebody rarely. Yeah, you’d rarely see somebody with an appeche areata who has fine hair. They have big, big, big hair. It’s like your body knows what to pick. Does that make sense that Claire can survive without this patch of hair? You know? But, yeah, like, I suppose what I do is I listen now and I get stuff off my chest because I used to kind of internalize a lot and I used to not speak about things. I will unfortunately ring my friend, ring my mom, talk to my husband, and I will say I need help right now, and I’ll dish out the jobs and I’ll delegate and all that kind of stuff.

Claire Fullam [00:08:01]:
I try as well to get more sleep again, your body will get stressed if you don’t sleep enough. So look at your diet as well. I could reduce sugar at times to try and manage inflammation, all that kind of stuff, but there’s not one single thing in that group, Kevin, that will stop my autoimmune condition. And I think sometimes alopecians have to forgive themselves sometimes, because again, we’re not very good at that. And I think that it’s not our fault that this happens to us. This is the way your body will commute, will kind of communicate stress to you. And some people will be like, well, you shouldn’t have ate that, or you shouldn’t have done this, or you should. It’s going to happen anyway.

Claire Fullam [00:08:36]:
You know, it’s going to happen anyway. So it’s about trying to manage that as much as you can and not beat yourself up too much about it. But, yeah, there’s loads of stuff you can do. There’s so many things that we should do all the time. But listen, sometimes we need a bit of a kick up.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:49]:
We all slide a little bit.

Claire Fullam [00:08:50]:
Yeah, yeah. Right.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:52]:
If somebody’s listening right now and they have alopecia, and let’s say that they are where you were when they are just noticing a little bit of hair missing in a spot, what do they need to do right now? Do they treat it right away? Do they wait? And if they do something right now, what is that thing?

Claire Fullam [00:09:10]:
I would say get into a good routine. Try and maybe look up a trichologist in your area or a dermatologist. I’m not always the biggest fan of going straight to medicine because I think that drugs have side effects. Like any drug will have a side effect. And a lot of alopecia, especially alopecia areata, is something temporary. So you don’t need drugs to try and get over that. I would say get into a simple scalp routine. You should be exfoliating your scalp, you should be washing your scalp regularly, and you should put something on the patches that would have some level of growth factor on them.

Claire Fullam [00:09:42]:
And some of the biggest brands in the world have growth factors within them. You know, stimulators.

Kevin Rolston [00:09:48]:
Would that be a minoxidil, a Rogaine, something like that? Is that what you’re referring to?

Claire Fullam [00:09:53]:
Yeah, not really. Minoxidil would be something that would be used for more of a chronic condition. So maybe like female pattern, male pattern hair loss, angiogenetic hair loss, and a piece of ariasa. It is a like, it can be temporary at times. If you go in with a minoxidil, you’ll become reliant on that minoxidil. And when you take minoxidil away, you could have a bit of a dread shed. So be careful of minoxidil. I would say things like there’s those of energizing potions and lotions out there, like ice nioxin.

Claire Fullam [00:10:20]:
I’m sure you have nioxin over in the states. All of those kind of big brands would have something stimulating within them. Caffeine, rosemary, all that kind of stuff. But I would say try and get some sound advice in terms of a process. As I said, that little plan, you don’t have to go somewhere every week, but if you had, okay, I’m going to exfoliate my scalp every single week. I’m going to wash my hair every second day, and I’m going to stick on something stimulating onto the patch to try and encourage while I work this out, while I contact a trichologist, while I go to the dermatologist. Steroid injections, like, if it was pretty bad or if it was just one big patch, a steroid injection, a cortisol injection from a dermatologist would be really, really stimulating to that kind of way. And that could help grow the hair back as well, I suppose, as well.

Claire Fullam [00:11:05]:
Like Kevin, like, what I would like to kind of get across is that it can get really dark, really quick hair loss, you know, and I think that a lot of people would understand that who have gone through it. And I think that it becomes very, very out of control. What I would say to people is, when I had no hair, people still loved me, I could still do my job, people still wanted to be around me. I was still exactly the same as I am now with loads of bloody hair, do you know, that kind of way? And I think that it’s really, really hard in those moments to see that, but I think that, and it’s a really hard lesson to learn, and I’ve had to learn it the hard way as well. And I’ve gone through so much over the past eight years to be where I am today. But you really have to dig deep and really care about yourself again because there’s some part of you who’s let that go along that way, maybe you’re bottom of the pile. You’re not looking after yourself a little bit. This is a whisper from your body to you to try and get you back on track again, you know, and you’re not here.

Claire Fullam [00:12:06]:
It’s an absolute miracle any of us are here, right? So you are as entitled to be here with hair or no hair. So try and give yourself that grace to care about yourself enough, because if you stay down too long, it’s really, really hard to kick the bank of the river and kind of swim back up for breath, you know, that kind of way. So, yeah, be annoyed, be upset, be angry, but you dont let it take over your life.

Kevin Rolston [00:12:37]:
Neglecting our own needs can have serious consequences on our physical health, hair loss or no hair loss. Im sure many of us share the experience of preparing for a big event or a presentation only to find ourselves sick from overexertion. Unfortunately, you dont recover from hair loss in a few days. For most of us, it’s something you must learn to live with for the rest of your life. Claire shares some tips on managing the flare ups that come with alopecia areata.

Claire Fullam [00:13:06]:
A lot of people with alopecia, particularly alopecia areata, have a lot of hair. So if you had like two patches at the back of your head, you go to the best hairdresser in town and make sure they’re going to be able to cover that up for you in the day. And I would like, don’t feel silly about it, like, I know you might be the bride, right, but go and get like a trial. So if it’s in six weeks time and those patches are annoying you three weeks beforehand, go and sit there and let’s discuss this. And they’ll be only delighted that you’re coming in and trialing this a little bit. There’s loads of temporary hair pieces as well. Kevin, of course, like, you don’t have to get a full blown wig. There’s so many systems out there that can be sewn in for a week, you know, can be glued on for two weeks, all that kind of stuff.

Claire Fullam [00:13:48]:
So I would try and investigate as much as possible in terms of what your options are. Just be careful. If it’s something like alopecia areata or something that has the ability to grow back anything that you put on there, it’s really difficult sometimes for that hair to grow underneath. Does that make sense? So, like, I always say to people, you know, when you’re out in the garden and you’ve got your little flower or your little watering can, and you put the watering can down on the grass and then you forget about it. So, like, two nights later, you come and you take the watering can off that patch of grass, right. And what that grass looks like. So just be careful in terms of if you have hair that you can save, don’t put that watery can down on it too long. Okay.

Claire Fullam [00:14:26]:
So go and investigate a little bit and understand what type of loss you have.

Kevin Rolston [00:14:31]:
Yeah. Some very valuable information. Is there anything else that you could tell somebody that is listening and saying, I want to plug into a community and I want to get more information. What are the top resources for that that you have found? You talked about getting a hold and trying to find a trichologist of your own in the area where you are. There’s obviously your social media account that people can check out. Is there any other places you would recommend for information or community?

Claire Fullam [00:14:54]:
Yeah, like, I think Alopecia UK, which is obviously Great Britain’s version of Alopecia UK, so we don’t actually have one here in Ireland, but Alopecia UK is an amazing resource, and of course, anyone from around the world can access that as a resource as well. But I’m sure in the states there’s an alopecia.com as well that will help. And I think, like, honestly, entering those communities, like any community, like, I know from getting sober, like, you need people, you know, you need people around you that understand what you’re going through, you know, because, like, that you will have people in your life that, like, it’s not that bad, or she loads of hair, like, and they’re trying to be kind, but they’re actually just making the whole thing worse. What they’re doing is they’re diminishing your pain that little bit more. Because then what starts to happen is you start to feel, oh, God, like, maybe I am being vain about this, or maybe this isn’t a big deal, and you start to diminish your pain a little bit, you know? So I think you do need to surround yourself with people 100%. Trua is, if I do say so myself, Kevin Trua is a great resource, you know, on instagram, in terms of just learning about how the scalp works, because, you know, I found that I remember asking, I’m so annoying. Like, I go into the dermatologist, like, but why? They’d be like, oh, go away. Just take this medicine.

Claire Fullam [00:16:10]:
I don’t want to see you again. I was so annoying. Or the trichologist, I’d have their heads wrecked. I’d be constantly asking them different questions and stuff. It’s so important for people to really understand their condition. I can’t tell you that enough. If someone has frontal fibrosis, alopecia, angiogenetic alopecia, they’re losing their hair during menopause, after baby male hair loss, DHT, if you understand those little bits right, it’s not going to take that away, but it’s actually going to make you go, okay, again, I’m driving. Again, I understand this.

Claire Fullam [00:16:44]:
Again, it’s more within my control and within my reach to help myself with that, you know, so I can’t recommend trying to really investigate that and get loads of different opinions on it, because unfortunately, with hair loss, doesn’t matter how much I study, right, or a dermatologist study or whatever else, there is only so much research out there because it’s not killing people. Okay? So, you know, I remember the doctor would say to me, I’ll tell your grandchild, off you go. But, like, it does kill people. I know people who haven’t left their homes in 1012 years. I know people who have taken their lives from hair loss.

Kevin Rolston [00:17:25]:
Hair loss shouldn’t be taken lightly, even if it is often overlooked in the realm of well funded research, the experience of hair loss can erode our self confidence and deeply affect our mental health. This becomes increasingly true in a culture where we are constantly bombarded with unrealistic beauty standards. Regardless of who you are, how old you are, or why youre losing your hair, its always a challenge. I was curious about what differences Claire had observed in men and women experiencing hair loss.

Claire Fullam [00:17:56]:
From speaking to hundreds of men and women in the same situation. It’s as emotionally, you know, that toiling on a man or a woman, I think that if you lose your hair, depending. It really is, you know, and there’s a lot of emotions that go with both, and it equally hurts them. But it’s easier because society allows a man to be bald so he can live his life. You might get a couple of comments from his colleagues or his brothers who are his friends, but eventually it will be okay. Whereas when I was bald, I could not leave the house without my hairpiece ever, because I would just be open to scrutiny. Open to, is she sick? What’s wrong with her? And all these questions, because that’s society, you know, and society, you know, will always, you know, in our lifetime, anyway, hold women to an unachievable beauty standards, you know, and I think that that’s a real issue. So it’s not that it’s easier on men.

Claire Fullam [00:18:55]:
I don’t think so. Personally. I think it’s the same, but it’s a society allows a man to live without her. And I really hope one day when I see bald women. I actually saw one yesterday. She was absolutely beautiful, walking along the beach in the south of France, living her best life with her bald head. She looked beautiful. I just get so much pride and so much joy that she hasn’t allowed that shape her life.

Claire Fullam [00:19:20]:
You know, she is living her best life because you can live a really gorgeous, successful, love, joy filled life with no hair. You just have to be brave enough to try and capture that. It’s not just the hair loss. It’s all the other stuff that people experience around that. People, women sleeping in hair pieces their husbands don’t even know, you know? Again, that’s more his problemo, to be honest. But I think that there’s so much more to it. I remember we did a survey two years ago, and we asked women who had lost 70% of their hair more. Describe how you feel.

Claire Fullam [00:19:57]:
And some of those words, Kevin, were like, you’d choke up reading them, you know? And three women wrote suicidal. And I had to ring them, and I rang them and said, I don’t even know what I can say to you, but I want to make sure you have someone to talk to. And they were so thrilled that we took the time to listen to them, you know, because I think this isn’t a frivolous vanity. It’s nothing to be ashamed about. Unfortunately, most of us will suffer with some form of hair loss in our lives. It’s the aging process. Ultimately, you know, some of us will go through more extreme than others, you know, and it will shape their lives, and it will change their lives. But all of us will go through a form of it, or someone close to you will too, you know, and I think that the more people have conversations with it and about it and around it, the better we are then helping others do that kind of way.

Claire Fullam [00:20:46]:
I think it’s so, so, so important.

Kevin Rolston [00:20:53]:
During our conversation, I felt a growing appreciation for the way Claire expressed the emotions of hair loss. It can be a devastating experience and is so often exacerbated by isolation. Alopecia areata can be especially unpredictable, but there are ways to work with it. Finding a community that truly understands what you’re going through firsthand and can share resources and encouragement can be life changing. We hope Claire’s insights have been helpful. If you’d like to hear more from her, make sure to subscribe to the show so you can check out our previous conversations with Claire on hair loss and mental health. Take a look at our show notes to find links for Claire’s social media and the resources she mentioned during the episode. Thanks for listening to another episode of Hairpod.

Kevin Rolston [00:21:37]:
Check us out at Hair Club on Instagram or search Hairpod on Facebook to continue the conversation. If you know someone who could benefit from hearing this episode, we would love it if you’d share it with them. If you’re enjoying the show, consider leaving us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast to we also have a website, check it out by going to podcast dot hairclub.com. we’re here to build people up and share real stories so people experiencing hair loss feel a little bit less alone. And when you share, review and subscribe, it helps us do just that. So thank you. Until next time.

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Do Something About Your Hair Loss by Joey Logano

Do Something About Your Hair Loss by Joey Logano

by | May 21, 2024 | Episode

Episode 13

Do Something About Your Hair Loss by Joey Logano

Do something about your hair loss by Joey Logano
For this episode, we’re bringing back one from the vault. Listen in to hear our host Kevin Rolston and NASCAR-champ Joey Logano talk about all things hair loss – from the first time, Joey noticed his alopecia to how he found a hair loss solution that can handle the heat of a stock car race!

Alopecia: What is going on with your hair?

Most men notice hair thinning along their hairline or the crown of their head. In Joey’s case, his hair loss journey started suddenly. After going to the barber, he came home only to have his wife comment that the back of his haircut looked patchy. Over time, however, Joey realized the hair wasn’t growing back.

After speaking with a dermatologist, Joey was diagnosed with alopecia. Alopecia is an autoimmune condition that can vary widely in severity. While Joey was learning to live with his condition, one thing he couldn’t live without was hair! He was able to find a solution that would work for him and his fast-paced lifestyle.

The Ultimate Test: A NASCAR Race!

As a competitor, Joey needs to have clear focus. With so many things to worry about during a race, Joey can’t be wondering if his hair is going to cause him any issues. He has discovered that his new hair is the least of his concerns amidst the heat and high-pressure environment.

When he’s not on the racetrack, Joey balances the busy life of a public figure and a family man. Keeping up his image is important, not just to the fans, but to his confidence.

You Can Do Something About Your Hair Loss

For Joey, HairClub was the perfect solution. He’s not shy about sharing that, either – Joey hopes to help people who want to find their path towards better confidence and liking what they see in the mirror. If you’re struggling with those first steps forward, consider booking a free consultation, just like Joey did!

Empowering Resources

Follow Joey on Instagram @joeylogano

As the episode draws to a close, HairPod extends a generous offer of a complimentary hair loss consultation, providing a tangible step towards reclaiming confidence and control over one’s appearance. Book a Free consultation with HairClub Today!

Thanks for listening to HairPod. We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please leave us a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to connect with us on social media to share your story, check us out on Instagram @HairClub. HairPod is a production of TSE Studios. Our theme music is from SoundStripe.

Episode.13 Transcript

Joey Logano [00:00:06]:
Well, when Alopecia thing started up, that’s when they just did some, like, steroid shots. And for one, I didn’t, oh, I didn’t really like the needles in my head for one of them, for one thing, and it wasn’t working. That was the other thing that really, really wasn’t working. And I was like, okay, I need to. That’s when I drop back and punt here. There’s something. I’m not going down the right road here. I need to kind of, you know, find something better and different.

Kevin Rolston [00:00:48]:
Welcome back to another episode of Hairpod. I’m your host, Kevin Ralston. And each week, I get to interview people from different walks of life, but they all have one thing in common. Their lives have been affected by hair loss. Each week, we’re going to share people’s lived experiences with hair loss and most importantly, what they did to get their hair and their confidence back. For this episode, we’re bringing one back from the vault and one we know you’re going to love. Anybody who’s a fan of NASCAR knows the name Joey Logano. Joey is a two time NASCAR Cup Series champion and has made waves in the world of stock car racing with his achievements.

Kevin Rolston [00:01:25]:
But newer fans may not know that Joey has struggled with an autoimmune disorder called alopecia, which causes partial or total hair loss. And Joey learned of his alopecia after a routine trip to the barber.

Joey Logano [00:01:40]:
Well, it’s actually kind of. I mean, at this point now, it’s a funny story, but at the time, I just went to get my hair cut like I typically do at the local barber shop. And I got home, and my wife goes, what did they do to the back of your head? I’m like, oh, what do you mean, what did they do back? They gave me a haircut. She goes, they completely botched your haircut. Like, no way. And she shows me a picture, and it’s just spots all over the back of my head. I’m like, well, it did botch my haircut, but she’s pissed. She’s like, this lady that cut your hair should not be working there.

Joey Logano [00:02:11]:
She’s gonna screw up someone else’s haircut, and then everyone’s gonna look ridiculous like you look. And so she drives down there to tell this lady how she shouldn’t be cutting hair anymore. Fast forward. Fast forward a week or so, and it’s not growing back. I’m like, hold on. I think there’s something wrong. And I went to dermatologist, and, like, they diagnosed with alopecia. And I was like, okay, well, I don’t know what that means, and what do I do? And the first thing I knew what it meant is that we need to drive back to the barbershop and apologize to the poor lady that cut my hair.

Joey Logano [00:02:43]:
And that was the first thing we had to do.

Kevin Rolston [00:02:47]:
Yeah. Yeah. Because I’m curious, like, how much, like, alopecia, how many bald spots did you have? How prominent was it?

Joey Logano [00:02:56]:
It comes in and out. Honestly, comes in and out. Sometimes in the back of my head, top my head. Sometimes it shows up in my beard.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:03]:
Oh, wow.

Joey Logano [00:03:04]:
You know, it just. It’s different ways. It’s an autoimmune disorder, is what it is. And.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:08]:
Okay, okay.

Joey Logano [00:03:10]:
There’s no rhyme or reason. They can’t really understand it. They say maybe stress, hereditary. It’s really like, you don’t know. I mean, on top of the alopecia, I was just going bald. Right? Like, that was the other piece of. Wait, do you.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:21]:
Do you ever come under any stress at all? What do you do that’s so stressful?

Joey Logano [00:03:26]:
Yes. We’ll just flare it up here not too long ago. So it makes sense. As the playoffs usually roll around, it is a lot of stress that gets put on the plate. Yeah. Driving circles as fast as never. Fast enough is what it is, though. So.

Joey Logano [00:03:41]:
Always looking for more on that one.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:47]:
It’s common for people who are losing their hair to try a few different solutions before they find one that works for them. Things such as reducing stress, changing their diet, taking supplements, essential oils, grandma’s remedies. Shoot. I gotta admit, I have tried some crazy ideas myself. So you are like a lot of guys. You notice that you’ve got some hair loss issues. You’ve got a unique situation. And the reason why we’re doing the hair pot is because we’re trying to let people know that there are solutions out there.

Kevin Rolston [00:04:18]:
And it sounds like your first step was what a lot of guys first step is. And being a NASCAR like you are, you were able to wear a lot of hats. But then tell me about the challenges with that, because, you know, I know being in the field that I’m in, where you do media is, you wind up with these social functions where you just. A hat’s just not going to cut it. You kind of wound up with the same situation.

Joey Logano [00:04:40]:
Yeah. And it happened, whether it’s, you know, you think about Ferrari stuff during the national anthem or the prayer before the race, you take your hat off and then you see, like, pictures and stuff afterwards, like, golly, I’m like, I’m bald, honey. You can’t realize it because it happens so slow. You know what I mean?

Kevin Rolston [00:04:56]:
Yeah.

Joey Logano [00:04:57]:
But then eventually, like, yeah, I should just do something about it. I can, so why wouldn’t I? What’s wrong with that? And, you know, like, a lot of people, you know, it’s a little awkward what direction we’re supposed to go here is this. But honestly, it’s normal, right? Like, so many people deal with it. And if you can do something about it, why? Why wouldn’t you? You know, there’s nothing wrong with that. And, like, who’s gonna judge you for that? For wanting to be better, right? Like, why do you go to gym and work out to be better? You know, look good, feel good, right? Like, that’s kind of the same situation, I think, with your hair. And if it bothers you and you can gain some confidence from having hair the great thing is that there’s a lot of different ways of going about it that you can have hairy in. And I think that part’s pretty neat.

Kevin Rolston [00:05:48]:
But after pursuing other options Joey connected with hair club as a hair solution and a partner and even a sponsor was your very first attempt at trying to do something about your hair loss. Was it going to hair club or did you try something else before going to hair club?

Joey Logano [00:06:07]:
I wasn’t educated enough to even know which direction to go. And I just went to my local dermatologist that I’ve gone to and, you know, they have a couple options there but they weren’t, like, great ones. When alopecia thing started up, that’s when they just did some, like, steroid shots where the alopecia spots were. And for one, I didn’t. I didn’t really like the needles in my head for one of them, for one thing. And it wasn’t working. That was the other thing that really, really wasn’t working. And I was like, okay, I need to.

Joey Logano [00:06:42]:
That’s when I dropped back and punt here. There’s something. Yeah, we’re not going down the right road here. I need to kind of, you know, find something better and different. And so then when I went to hair club, it’s like, well, there’s, like, a lot of different things I can do here depending on my situation. And I learned about all the things they have, like. And like I said, it’s different for everybody, right? Like. Like, your issues would be completely different than mine and there’s a fix for.

Joey Logano [00:07:05]:
For all of them. And, like, I couldn’t believe how many different avenues there was when I got there. That was the part that blew my mind. And they all were pretty simple, right? It was all quick and like, easy. Okay, you can do this. You can do that. Like some more permanent, some, you gotta, you know, be around a little bit more often. It just kind of depends on what your situation was.

Joey Logano [00:07:24]:
And so I was like, cool. I felt really comfortable after leaving hair club the first time because, you know, I walked in there feeling awkward and uncomfortable and I thought at the end I was like, okay. Like, I’m usually not a quick decision maker. And I was like, okay, well, that’s what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna do that. Sounds good. See you next week. You know, like.

Kevin Rolston [00:07:51]:
When most people find a solution with the new hair system, one of the natural concerns is what are my limits? Being a race car driver, Joey naturally has an extremely active lifestyle. Flying around the track at nearly 200 mph, your hair is the last thing you want to worry about. So I had to know if Joey ever got nervous about bringing his hair system into new situations.

Joey Logano [00:08:16]:
Only in the beginning, I was nervous. Now I’m not. I’m not now because I feel very confident in everything now. But at first when things are new, you’re like, I don’t know. Like, I don’t know about this jet ski and I don’t know where I’m at with stuff. But you honestly kind of figure out your way, your things go and everything and you get confident and comfortable and what you got and it’s fine. But I’m telling you, and I asked a lot of questions before to a lot of people. I’m like, that’s fine.

Joey Logano [00:08:50]:
So that you can, like, and they look at you like you’re an idiot. Like, yeah, you can live your normal life. What are you talking about? And I’m like, okay, well, I just wanted to ask, like, I don’t know. And, and it took, I mean, I’m being honest. It took a month or so before you, like, you get used to, for one, seeing yourself with hair, right? You look in the mirror and you’re like, oh, who’s that guy? Right? Like it takes a second to get used to it for one. And then also how to live just the way you live your life, right? Like all that stuff. Like you’re, you’re concerned it’s going to change and do all so, but it really just, it’s not a big deal.

Kevin Rolston [00:09:31]:
What is the temperature like for you and how does the hair feel? Because you got a helmet on, you’re in a car. I mean, I know? You know, I’m in south Florida, so when you come to a Miami homestead, the temperatures in that car have got to be absolutely insane. So how breathable is your hair, and what does it feel like when you’re in those extreme temperatures?

Joey Logano [00:09:52]:
I wouldn’t even know.

Kevin Rolston [00:09:53]:
Yeah.

Joey Logano [00:09:54]:
Wouldn’t even know, really?

Kevin Rolston [00:09:55]:
Okay.

Joey Logano [00:09:58]:
Honestly, like, from you think, the conditions that I am in, in the cyto race car, it’s 30 degrees warmer than the outside air temp. So when you have a 90 degree day, it’s 120 degrees in the car.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:10]:
Wow.

Joey Logano [00:10:11]:
And we just shoot, we just raced in Texas. It was 100 degrees outside. It was over 130 in the car.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:16]:
Wow. Nothing.

Joey Logano [00:10:17]:
I get right out and walk away. I don’t. I don’t think twice about, like, I got other things to worry about when I’m in the race car. If hair is one of them, I don’t want that distraction. I wouldn’t want the distractions. Not worth it to me as a competitor. This is like, I wouldn’t even know. You know, I get out, I walk out, right? Like, all I do now is I fix my hair a little bit before I get out of the car because I actually have it.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:40]:
Yeah.

Joey Logano [00:10:42]:
That’s the only difference.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:44]:
What about the reactions you get? Have you ever had another driver tease you about your hair? Has there any been anybody that’s done anything that’s made you feel self conscious about it? And tell me a little bit about the confidence that having the hair does for you.

Joey Logano [00:10:57]:
Yeah, I mean, the shock factor is real. There’s no way around that. You first show up and be like, whoa, what’s different? Or what happened? You know, it took. It took a little bit for people to just kind of get used to it. Now it’s not even like, it’s never even really brought up, which is what you want to get to, I think. Right. You don’t really want it to be a topic of conversation everywhere you go. But, you know, for me, think about, I’m in the public eye as much as.

Kevin Rolston [00:11:25]:
Oh, yeah.

Joey Logano [00:11:26]:
As a race car driver can be, at least. And so, you know, you’re getting a lot of reactions. The first, you know, few days, especially because when I first started having it, I. There was a. We were raced at the La Coliseum, and one of the big banners there was hair club banner, and it said, ask Joey. Well, I’m like, everybody’s asking me about it because it says to ask me so well, I don’t think I have the best experience there. Most realistic experience for the normal customer. They’re telling people to ask me about my hair.

Joey Logano [00:12:00]:
So it’s probably a lot different for the normal customer that’s not advertising it as much as I am.

Kevin Rolston [00:12:12]:
So then if you’re going to do an appearance, say you’re on an american idol, you’re doing Sharknado twelve or something like that. Are you confident with how you do the hair yourself? Because, you know, for some people, they feel like they can never get the hair the way a hairdresser does. And it’s hard to style. And that is one of the things when you do have hair, you know, you have the potential to have to style it. And, you know, there’s a little bit of work that goes into it.

Joey Logano [00:12:36]:
Well, there’s an education that goes into it because I didn’t know what to do at first because it took, it took a few times to, like, learn how to style your hair because I was like, man, this doesn’t look right, or it doesn’t look as good as when I left hair club. And honestly, I got trained, you know, as a girl. Show me how you do it. Like, and I said, give me the comb. Let me. Let me do it. You know, let me put the stuff. Give me the stuff I need and fix me up.

Joey Logano [00:13:05]:
Like, train me how to, like, I want to make it look as good. So I learned how to do it. And it’s kind of funny because, you know, before, I just combed my hair to make it look like I had hair, you know, like, whatever, whatever hairstyle made it look like I had the most hair, you know what I mean? I had to comb over, going, and now it’s like, huh? I can do anything I want. What do I do? It’s like, there’s too many options. I don’t know what to do. So I had to learn a little bit. I want to look good. I do a lot of things on tv, and, you know, as a race car driver, not just driving the car, but I do a lot of tv broadcasts and stuff like that for the Xfinity series, which is one level down from the cup series, but I end up doing the broadcast a lot for them.

Joey Logano [00:13:55]:
So I want things to look fresh all the time, look good. So, you know, I’m probably a more of a frequent customer than most, but, you know, the option is there to go either way, for sure. I try to schedule everything, so I do it when I’m at home, but I can. And I have been to other locations, but not for a haircut or anything like that or freshen up or whatever. I’ve always kind of stuck to what I do and I try to be consistent as much as I can, but we all know, like, sometimes stuff comes up and you’re like, I can’t do it this week, but I got to get in there before I leave for, you know, because sometimes I’m gone from home for a week at a time and, like, I got to get in there before I leave and, you know, can you fit me in here? And then it’s like, hey, hang on a second. You know, they kind of move things around. Boom, okay, you get in there, I’m like, all right, cool. You know, and, you know, try to work together on that stuff, but I try to be consistent and say, okay, this is what I’m going to be.

Joey Logano [00:14:51]:
This is what I’m going to do. But, yeah, I mean, things change at the blink of an eye a lot of times, and in our life, for sure.

Kevin Rolston [00:15:00]:
Yeah, I know you’ve got three kids and they’ve got something called hair club for kids. Can you tell me a little bit about the hair club for kids, why it really strikes your heart and why you think it’s such an important charity that hair club does?

Joey Logano [00:15:12]:
There’s a few kids that I know that have gone through that piece for them. You know, one of my friends that was part of the jail kids crew where we bring kids to the racetrack, they’re going through a life altering situation one way or another, and we bring them to the racetrack, give them this great experience and all that. Well, one of them that was a, became good friends of us is actually, is one of their hair club for kid kids as well. And you just help give them confidence, right? There’s always, there’s already something different already, right? And people, you know, it’s tough for them, right? Think about it like as a kid showing up, being different than everybody else, as an adult, you can somewhat handle that because you’ve gone through more of life or you’re more confident yourself, you know who you are, you know, those type of things. But as a kid, man, it’s even harder because you just, you don’t know. And now you’re, now you’re the different kid. And like I said, kids that aren’t real nice are going to say things and it’s just, it’s horrible and it’s not their fault. Right? It just happens.

Joey Logano [00:16:14]:
So the fact that hair club came up with a fix for them in a terrible way, right? Like, that part’s really neat.

Kevin Rolston [00:16:34]:
Hair club is the solution that works for, for Joey for so many people experiencing hair loss, the idea of going in and getting a consultation is really what’s holding them back. It’s difficult. Some people feel embarrassed about the whole thing and others just feel that’s not gonna work. Having been in their shoes, Joey offered sound advice to help those hesitant to take the first step.

Joey Logano [00:16:57]:
I would say just go get the consultation and get comfortable going. Going there the first time. Don’t make a decision before you walked into the place, yes or no. Just say, hey, I’ve noticed I’ve been losing my hair. I’ve noticed I’ve have an issue with this, this or this. And is there anything you guys got here? And let them. Let them do their job. Let them go in there and say, okay, evaluate what’s going on and send you some options.

Joey Logano [00:17:25]:
That’s like, my regret is that I wish I did something like that. I wish I did that years ago. Instead of waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting. If you get ahead of it, it’s just. It’s a little easier and you don’t have, like, the shock factor as much either. Right. If you get ahead of it a little bit, like, when it’s starting and it’s been. It’s been really cool for me to see how many people reached out to me saying, what did you do? I want to do something.

Joey Logano [00:17:55]:
I just didn’t know where to go or what to do or who to talk to. And all of a sudden, like, I became that guy and I’m like, I got you. I got the hookup, bro. Don’t you worry. I send them in, you know? So I think that part, like, to me, is a lot of fun because it’s an insecurity that a lot of people have. It’s something that people don’t feel comfortable a lot of times talking about. And why not? Like, why not talk about it? It is what it is. You can’t do anything about it, so do something about it.

Joey Logano [00:18:22]:
Like, this is. This is your one fix. You got one option here. So what’s it hurt to go talk to somebody? This is what they do. So it’s not awkward when you get there because this is what they’re used to, you know, like, so they used to, people don’t have hair, right? And then they give you hair. That’s their job. So it’s not even awkward at all.

Kevin Rolston [00:18:41]:
That’s amazing. Well, you have a fantastic hair story. I love how you’ve embraced it. Awesome talking with you. Thanks for sharing your story, Joey.

Joey Logano [00:18:49]:
Absolutely. Thanks for doing this.

Kevin Rolston [00:19:06]:
That was Joey Logano dealing with alopecia is a challenge and its great to hear just how Joey was able to overcome the challenge and has gone on to thrive and feel confident in the public eye. Dealing with alopecia is a challenge and it’s great to hear that Joey has overcome that challenge and has gone on to thrive and feel confident in the public eye. If you want to hear more from Joey, you can follow him. Oeylegano on instagram that’s l o g a n o. Thanks for listening to another episode of Hairpod. Check us out at Hair Club on Instagram or search Hairpot on Facebook to continue the conversation. If you know somebody who could benefit from hearing this episode, we would love it if youd share it with them. If youre enjoying the show, consider leaving us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

Kevin Rolston [00:19:55]:
We also have a website. Check it out by going to podcast dot hairclub.com. Were here to build people up and share real stories so people experiencing hair loss feel a little bit less alone. And when you share, review and subscribe, it helps us do just that. So thank you. Until next time.

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Joey Logano: Alopecia Doesn’t Slow Me Down

Joey Logano: Alopecia Doesn’t Slow Me Down

by | Feb 27, 2024 | Episode

Episode 01

Joey Logano: Alopecia Doesn’t Slow Me Down

In this episode of the HairPod podcast will feature 2x NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano. He’ll candidly share his hair transformation journey with host, Kevin Rolston, and fill listeners in on all the details from where it all began to where he is now.

You’ll get to know Joey as he opens up about how his unique combination of thinning hair and alopecia affected him, how he came about finding the solution that worked best for him and how he was able to come out on the other side more knowledgeable about his condition and more confident. He’ll also discuss how his career as a race car driver has helped him pay it forward and reach others going through the same challenges.

A few years ago, Joey went in for his usual haircut at the barbershop. Upon arriving home, his wife exclaimed at what a bad haircut he had received after noticing several bald patches on the back of his head. A few weeks later, they noticed that there wasn’t any hair growing on those same spots.

After visiting his dermatologist, Joey was told he had alopecia. A condition he wasn’t familiar with at all. He learned it was an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss in certain parts of the body. Unfortunately, there was no straightforward answer as to what was causing it or how to fix it. Joey’s doctor tried steroid shots, but not only was it not working, it also was painful. And to add to the alopecia, Joey was also dealing with thinning hair and hair loss.

Hair Loss Solution for Alopecia

After pursuing various different options to treat his hair loss, Joey finally came across HairClub. Each and every hair loss solution he tried didn’t work. Joey said he needed something “better and different”.

During his first appointment at a HairClub center, Joey recalls feeling comfortable, relaxed and enlightened. His hair loss specialist was knowledgeable and took the time to go over the various hair loss treatments for someone in his unique situation. Joey was blown away with how many options he had available, not just to him, but to anyone experiencing hair loss. “ Your issues would be completely different than mine and there’s a fix for all of them,” he says.

A New Look and a Life-Changing Transformation

With his new, fuller head of hair, Joey felt like a new person. He was more confident and finally felt like himself again. Being in the public eye, it wasn’t long before the media and his fans started to notice that there was something different about him. “ It took a little bit for people to just kind of get used to it,” he says. But the reaction was positive from everyone around him.

As someone who experienced hair loss firsthand, Joey sympathizes with those who are also going through the same struggles and feeling those same insecurities. But he wants those people to know that there is a solution out there for everyone. He understands why it can be uncomfortable and difficult to talk about, but it’s important to remember that you’re not alone.

Joey openly discusses his hair transformation journey, including how it affects him as a race car driver in sweltering temperatures and how he’s helping children suffering from hair loss.

Empowering Resources

As the episode draws to a close, HairPod extends a generous offer of a complimentary hair loss consultation, providing a tangible step towards reclaiming confidence and control over one’s appearance. Book a Free consultation with HairClub Today!

Follow Joey on Instagram @joeylogano

Thanks for listening to HairPod. We hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, please leave us a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to connect with us on social media to share your story, check us out on Instagram @HairClub>. HairPod is a production of TSE Studios. Our theme music comes from SoundStripe.

Episode.01 Transcript

Joey Logano [00:00:05]: Well, when the alopecia thing started up, that’s when they just did some, like, steroid shots. And for one, I didn’t really like the needles in my head for one thing. And it wasn’t working. That was the other thing that really wasn’t working. And I was like, okay, I need to, that’s when I drop back and punt here, there’s something. we’re not going down the right road here. I need to kind of find something better and different.

Kevin Rolston [00:00:59]: Welcome back to HairPod, the podcast where we dive into the personal stories, the struggles and the ultimate transformations of those facing hair loss. I’m your host, Kevin Rolston, and we’re here to shed light on this experience so many people share and most importantly, the solutions that have brought confidence back into their lives. If you’re dealing with hair loss, remember you have got a community right here. And if this is your first time listening, please subscribe to get notified whenever we have a new, inspiring story. Anyone who is a fan of NASCAR knows the name Joey Logano. Joey is a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and has made waves in the world of stock car racing with his achievements. But newer fans may not know that Joey has struggled with an autoimmune disorder called alopecia, which causes partial or total hair loss. Joey learned of his alopecia after a routine trip to the barber.

Joey Logano [00:01:55]: Well, it’s actually kind of mean, at this point, now it’s a funny story, but at the time I just went to get my haircut like I typically do at the local barber shop. And I got home and my wife goes, what did they do to the back of your head? I’m like, oh, what do you mean, what did they do babe? They gave me a haircut. She goes, they completely botched your haircut. I’m like, no way. And she shows me a picture and it’s just spots all over the back of my head. I’m like, well, it did botch my haircut. She’s pissed.

Joey Logano [00:02:22]: She’s like, this lady that cut your hair should not be working there. She’s going to screw up someone else’s haircut and then everyone’s going to look ridiculous like you look. And so she drives down there to tell this lady how she shouldn’t be cutting hair anymore. Well, fast forward a week or so and it’s not growing back. I’m like, hold on, I think there’s something wrong. I went to a dermatologist and they diagnosed me with alopecia. And I was like, okay, well, I don’t know what that means and what do I do? And the first thing I knew what it meant was that we need to drive back to the barbershop and apologize to the poor lady that cut my hair. That was the first thing we had to do.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:02]: Yeah, because I’m curious, alopecia, how many bald spots did you have? How prominent was it?

Joey Logano [00:03:10]: It comes in and out, honestly, it comes in and out sometimes in the back of my head, top of my head. Sometimes it shows up in my beard.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:18]: Oh, wow.

Joey Logano [00:03:19]: It’s different ways. It’s an autoimmune disorder, is what it is.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:23]: Okay.

Joey Logano [00:03:24]: There’s no rhyme or reason. They can’t really understand it. They say maybe stress, hereditary. They don’t know. On top of the alopecia, I was just going bald. Right? Like, that was the other piece.

Kevin Rolston [00:03:35]: Wait, do you ever come under any stress at all? What do you do that’s so stressful?

Joey Logano [00:03:40]: Yes. It just flared up here not too long ago. So it makes sense as the playoffs usually roll around, there’s a lot of stress that gets put on the plate. Yeah. Driving circles never fast enough is what it is, though. So always looking for more on that one.

Kevin Rolston [00:04:01]: It’s common for people who are losing their hair to try a few different solutions before they find one that works for them. Things such as reducing stress, changing their diet, taking supplements, essential oils, grandma’s remedies. Shoot, I got to admit, I have tried some crazy ideas myself. So you are like a lot of guys. You notice that you’ve got some hair loss issues, you’ve got a unique situation. And the reason why we’re doing the HairPod is because we’re trying to let people know that there are solutions out there. And it sounds like your first step was what a lot of guys’ first step is. And being in NASCAR like you are, you were able to wear a lot of hats.

Kevin Rolston [00:04:41]: But then tell me about the challenges with that, because I know being in the field that I’m in, where you do media is, you wind up with these social functions where a hat’s just not going to cut it. You kind of wound up with the same situation.

Joey Logano [00:04:55]: Yeah. And it happened whether, you know, you think about, for our stuff during the national anthem or the prayer before the race, you take your head off and then you see, like, pictures and stuff afterwards. You’re like, golly, I’m like, I’m bald, honey. You kind of don’t realize it because it happens so slow, you know what I mean? But then eventually it’s like, yeah, I should just do something about it. I can, so why wouldn’t I? What’s wrong with that? And a lot of people, it’s a little awkward what direction we’re supposed to go here? But honestly, it’s normal, right. So many people deal with it, and if you can do something about it, why wouldn’t you? There’s nothing wrong with that. And who’s going to judge you for that, for wanting to be better? Right. Why do you go to the gym and work out? To be better. Look good, feel good.

Joey Logano [00:05:38]: Right. That’s kind of the same situation, I think, with your hair. And if it bothers you and you can gain some confidence from having hair, the great thing is that there’s a lot of different ways of going about it that you can have hair again. And I think that part’s pretty neat.

Kevin Rolston [00:06:03]: But after pursuing other options, Joey connected with HairClub as a hair solution and a partner and even a sponsor. Was your very first attempt at trying to do something about your hair loss, was it going to HairClub or did you try something else before going to HairClub?

Joey Logano [00:06:22]: I wasn’t educated enough to even know which direction to go and I just went to my local dermatologist that I’ve gone to and they have a couple options there, but they weren’t, like, great ones. When the alopecia thing started up, that’s when they just did some steroid shots where the alopecia spots were. And for one, I didn’t really like the needles in my head, for one thing, and it wasn’t working. That was the other thing, that really wasn’t working. And I was like, okay, that’s when I drop back and punt here. There’s something…I’m not going down the right road here. I need to kind of find something better and different. And so then when I went to HairClub it’s like, whoa, there’s a lot of different things I can do here depending on my situation.

Joey Logano [00:07:11]: And I learned about all the things they have and like I said, it’s different for everybody. Your issues would be completely different than mine and there’s a fix for all of them. And I couldn’t believe how many different avenues there was when I got there. That is the part that blew my mind. And they all were pretty simple, right? It was all quick and easy, okay, you can do this, you can do that. Some were permanent, some you got to be around a little bit more often. It just kind of depends on what your situation was. And so I was like, cool.

Joey Logano [00:07:40]: I felt really comfortable after leaving HairClub the first time because I walked in there feeling awkward and uncomfortable. And I thought at the end I was like, okay, I’m usually not a quick decision maker. And I was like, okay, well, that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to do that. Sounds good, see you next week.

Kevin Rolston [00:08:06]: When most people find a solution with the new hair system, one of the natural concerns is what are my limits? Being a race car driver, Joey naturally has an extremely active lifestyle. Flying around the track at nearly 200 mph, your hair is the last thing you want to worry about. So I had to know if Joey ever got nervous about bringing his hair system into new situations.

Joey Logano [00:08:31]: Only in the beginning I was nervous. Now I’m not. I’m not now because I feel very confident in everything now. But at first when things are new, you’re like, I don’t know, I don’t know about this jet ski. You know what I mean? I don’t know where I’m at with stuff. But you honestly kind of figure out your way, your things go and everything, and you get confident and comfortable in what you got, and it’s fine. But I’m telling you, when I asked a lot of questions before to a lot of people, I’m like, that’s fine, and they look at you like, you’re an idiot. Yeah, you can live your normal life.

Joey Logano [00:09:10]: What are you talking about? And I’m like, okay, well, I just wanted to ask, I don’t know. I’m being honest. It took a month or so before you get used to, for one, seeing yourself with hair. Right. You look in the mirror and you’re like, oh, who’s that guy? It takes a second to get used to it, for one. And then also how to live with it, just the way you live your life. Right. Like, all that stuff, like, you’re concerned it’s going to change and do all stuff, but it’s really just not a big deal.

Kevin Rolston [00:09:48]: What is the temperature like for you, and how does the hair feel? Because you got a helmet on, you’re in a car. I mean, I know I’m in South Florida, so when you come to Miami, Homestead, the temperatures in that car have got to be absolutely insane. So how breathable is your hair, and what does it feel like when you’re in those extreme temperatures?

Joey Logano [00:10:10]: I wouldn’t even know.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:11]: Yeah.

Joey Logano [00:10:11]: Wouldn’t even really?

Kevin Rolston [00:10:12]: Okay.

Joey Logano [00:10:15]: Honestly, you think the conditions that I am in inside a race car, it’s 30 degrees warmer than the outside air temp. So when you have a 90 degree day, it’s 120 degrees in the car. We just raced in Texas. It was 100 degrees outside. It was over 130 in the car.

Kevin Rolston [00:10:33]: That’s insane. Wow. Nothing.

Joey Logano [00:10:34]: I get right out and walk away. I don’t think twice about it, I got other things to worry about when I’m in the race car. If hair was one of them, I don’t want that distraction. I wouldn’t want the distraction. It’s not worth it to me as a competitor, this is like I wouldn’t even know. You know what I mean? I get out and I walk out, right. All I do now is I fix my hair a little bit before I get out of the car, because I actually have it.

Joey Logano [00:10:58]: You know what I mean? That’s the only thing that’s different.

Kevin Rolston [00:11:01]: What about the reactions you get? Have you ever had another driver tease you about your hair? Has there been anybody that’s done anything that’s made you feel self-conscious about it? And tell me a little bit about the confidence that having the hair does for you.

Joey Logano [00:11:15]: Yeah, the shock factor is real. There’s no way around that. Like, you first show up and be like, whoa, what’s different? What happened? It took a little bit for people to just kind of get used to it. Now it’s never even really brought up, which is what you want to get to, I think. Right. You don’t really want it to be a topic of conversation everywhere you go. But for me, think about it, I’m in the public eye as much as a race car driver can be, at least.

Joey Logano [00:11:45]: And so you’re getting a lot of reactions the first few days especially because when I first started having it, we raced at the LA Coliseum and one of the big banners there was a HairClub banner and it said Ask Joey. I’m like everybody’s asking me about it because it says to ask me. Well, I don’t think I have the best experience there, most realistic experience for the normal customer. They were telling people to ask me about my hair. So it’s probably a lot different for the normal customer, that’s not advertising it as much as I am.

Kevin Rolston [00:12:29]: So then if you’re going to do an appearance, say you’re on an American Idol, you’re doing Sharknado Twelve or something like that. Are you confident with how you do the hair yourself? Because for some people they feel like they can never get the hair the way a hairdresser does and it’s hard to style. And that is one of the things when you do have hair, you have the potential to have to style it and there’s a little bit of work that goes into it.

Joey Logano [00:12:53]: Well, there’s an education that goes into it because I didn’t know what to do at first, because it took a few times to learn how to style your hair. Because I was like, man, it just doesn’t look right or it doesn’t look as good as when I left HairClub. And honestly, I got trained as a girl. Show me how you do it. Give me the comb. Let me do it. Let me put the stuff, give me the stuff I need and fix me up. Train me how to, I want to make it look as good, so I learned how to do it.

Joey Logano [00:13:28]: It’s kind of funny because before I just combed my hair to make it look like I had hair, whatever hairstyle made it look like I had the most hair, you know what I mean? I had the comb over going and now it’s like, I can do anything I want. What do I do? There’s too many options. I don’t know what to do. So I had to learn a little bit. I want to look good, right? I do a lot of things on TV and as a race car driver, not just driving the car, but I do a lot of TV broadcasts and stuff like that for the Xfinity series, which is one level down from the cup series, but I end up doing the broadcast a lot for them. So I want things to look fresh all the time, look good. So I’m probably more of a frequent customer than most, but the option is there to go either way for sure. I try to schedule everything so I do it when I’m at home, but I can.

Joey Logano [00:14:30]: And I have been to other locations but not for a haircut or anything like that or freshen up or whatever. I’ve always kind of stuck to what I do, and I try to be consistent as much as I can, but we all know sometimes stuff comes up and you’re like, I can’t do it this week, but I got to get in there before I leave for, because sometimes I’m gone from home for a week at a time. I got to get in there before I leave, and can you fit me in here? And then it’s like, hey, hang on a second. They kind of move things around. Boom. Okay, you get in there. I’m like, all right, cool, and try to work together on that stuff. But I tried to be consistent and say, okay, this is when I’m going to be there.

Joey Logano [00:15:08]: This is what I’m going to, but yeah I mean, things change at the blink of an eye a lot of times and in our life, for sure. Yeah.

Kevin Rolston [00:15:17]: Now, I know you’ve got three kids and they’ve got something called Hair Club for Kids. Can you tell me a little bit about the Hair Club for Kids, why it really strikes your heart and why you think it’s such an important charity that HairClub does?

Joey Logano [00:15:30]: There’s a few kids that I know that have gone through that piece for them. And one of my friends that was part of the JL Kids Crew, where we bring kids to the racetrack, they’re going through a life-altering situation one way or another, and we bring them to the racetrack, give them this great experience and all that. Well, one of them that became good friends of us, actually is one of their Hair Club for Kids as well. And you just help give them confidence. Right. There’s already something different already, right. And people, it’s tough for them. Think about it, like as a kid showing up, being different than everybody else.

Joey Logano [00:16:10]: As an adult, you can somewhat handle that because you’ve gone through more of life or you’re more confident in yourself, you know who you are, those type of things. But as a kid, man, it’s even harder because you don’t know. And now you’re the different kid. And like I said, kids that aren’t real nice are going to say things, and it’s horrible, and it’s not their fault, right. It just happens. So the fact that HairClub came up with a fix for them in a charitable way, right. That part’s really neat.

Kevin Rolston [00:16:52]: HairClub is the solution that works for Joey. For so many people experiencing hair loss, the idea of going in and getting a consultation is really what’s holding them back. It’s difficult. Some people feel embarrassed about the whole thing, and others just feel that’s not going to work. Having been in their shoes, Joey offered sound advice to help those hesitant to take the first step.

Joey Logano [00:17:15]: I would say just go get the consultation and get comfortable going there the first time. Don’t make a decision before you’ve walked into the place, yes or no. Just say, hey, I’ve noticed I’ve been losing my hair. I’ve noticed I have an issue with this, this or this. And is there anything you guys got here, and let them do their job. Let them go in there and say, okay, evaluate what’s going on and send you some options. That’s like, my regret is that I wish I did something like that first. I wish I did that years ago, instead of waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting. If you get ahead of it, it’s a little easier.

Joey Logano [00:17:57]: And you don’t have that shock factor as much either, right? If you get ahead of it a little bit, like when it’s starting. And it’s been really cool for me to see how many people reached out to me saying, what did you do? I want to do something. I just didn’t know where to go or what to do or who to talk to. And all of a sudden I became that guy. And I’m like, I got you. I got the hookup, bro. Don’t you worry. I send them in.

Joey Logano [00:18:23]: So I think that part to me has been a lot of fun because it’s an insecurity that a lot of people have. It’s something that people don’t feel comfortable a lot of times talking about. And why not? Why not talk about it? It is what it is. You can’t do anything about it, so do something about it. You’re one fix. You got one option here. So what’s it hurt to go talk to somebody? This is what they do. So it’s not awkward when you get there because this is what they’re used to.

Joey Logano [00:18:53]: They’re used to people that don’t have hair, right. And then they give you hair. That’s their job. So it’s not even awkward at all.

Kevin Rolston [00:18:59]: That’s amazing. Well, you have a fantastic hair story. I love how you’ve embraced it. Awesome talking with you. Thanks for sharing your story, Joey.

Joey Logano [00:19:07]: Absolutely. Thanks for doing this.

Kevin Rolston [00:19:23]: That was Joey Logano. Dealing with alopecia is a challenge and it’s great to hear how Joey’s overcome that challenge and gone on to thrive and feel confident in the public eye. And if you haven’t done so already, follow him on Instagram at Joey Logano. If somebody you know is battling alopecia, let them know there is hope. Share this episode with them. It would go a long way. Thanks for listening to HairPod. If you haven’t done so, subscribe and leave us a rating and a review.

Kevin Rolston [00:19:53]: It would mean a ton to see Joey’s before and after pictures. Stay up to date on upcoming episodes. Get excellent tips about your hair or just connect with us. Follow us on Instagram at HairClub. Until next time.

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