New York State of Mind

I'm finally getting back to normal after a fabulous few days in New York. I love that town!

Two girlfriends and I stayed at The Muse Hotel in the Theater District, which has the most comfortable beds maybe in the whole world. As soon as I got back, I ordered their pillows and a feather bed top for my mattress. By the way, after traveling with both husbands and girl friends, I have to say that it's more fun with the girls!

Yes, we saw some shows. South Pacific, which I was in as both Nellie and the chorus, was my favorite. It's the first time it's been revived on Broadway since it opened in 1949. We also saw Gypsy, but it played at the St. James Theater and the seats weren't tiered enough so I had to watch it though the hairdo of the woman in front of me. We also saw Wicked, and met some of the actors, plus found out fun details about the show; for example, their costume budget was $2.5 million!

As far as hair goes, I am trying a new look -- short. So far everyone is giving me positive feedback. It's certainly easier and more comfortable to deal with than my longer hair. I am wearing a wig called "Reese" by Noriko. It's really quite cute, sort of shaggy. Anyway, it was nice to throw an extra one in my suitcase and not worry about it.

Next trip is to Santa Fe in October. I've never been there! Can't wait!

The Coolest Book Signing!

Since my book, If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing! officially launched August 1, I had a launch and book signing party last night. It was a blast! Brenda Kay of Brenda Kay Hair Specialties, here in Portland Oregon, hosted the party. We had champagne, munchies and lots of fun.

It was wonderful hearing from the women who have already read the book that it made them laugh, made them cry, and inspired them. It was great seeing some of the ladies who helped me write the book, as part of my focus group while I was doing research. And there were a lot of people buying the book who were going to read it for the first time -- and they were excited.

The best part was the kids. There were a few girls there, and they were adorable. Smart, talented and beautiful. Wearing wigs or hats. Stephanie is an artist, and as cute as a button. Hanna, who loves math, wants to be a teacher. And there was Juliette, poised and lovely, and Jera, quiet and sweet.

I could hardly get to sleep last night, thinking about them. My alopecia started in my 20's, so I didn't have to go through the difficulties of school --other kids thinking you're weird because you look different. It makes me cry. What strong women they are going to be.

What's Fun About Hair Loss?

Nothing, right?

I don't know...I'm kind of enjoying it!

Think about it: no leg or underarm shaving, no bikini waxing, no worries about hairs coming out of my nose that I'm not aware of until after I've hosted a dinner party! (I still worry about spinach between my teeth, though.)

No dandruff, no split ends, no hair on my toes (shaving your toes is very dangerous)!

And wow, is it easy to take care of my hair.

Synthetics are wash, wear and plop. Sometimes I even brush them.

Human hair is in the hands of someone else. What a time-saver! I don't even have to be there.

Sure, if my hair grew back, I wouldn't say no. But to be honest, eyelashes are the only cilia I really miss.

So it's all okay with me.

And I make up for my hairlessness with two Persian cats and a very fluffy dog. Do you think I made an unconscious choice?

If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing! My new book is out August 1.

I'm really excited about the reception I'm getting to the advance copies of my new book!

Girlfriends, let's talk about hair loss! We all know how important appearance is in our society. You can’t open a women’s magazine without seeing photos of long, lush hair and hundreds of products to care for it. When all you have is a few measly strands, or none at all, don't you just hate it?

It's not hard to imagine how girls and women of all ages feel when they have a condition that takes away this symbol of femininity. And if that’s not bad enough, women with alopecia universalis, the type of aa I have, also causes eyelashes and eyebrows to fall out. Arg!

Hundreds of thousands struggle with the heartbreak this condition can cause. Maybe you're one of them! My book offers comfort, support. And bonus! It's fun to read, and it has cool pictures!

A little about me: Since I was diagnosed with alopecia areata (the umbrella term for patchy to total hair loss) in 1968, I have stumbled through all the stages of grief (feeling guilty because, after all, there are worse things than alopecia), figuring out how to look normal (and maybe even trying for pretty), bouncing from one treatment to another, buying and ruining or rejecting dozens of wigs, losing every single hair on my body, figuring out how to tell people, especially men I was dating…all in all, going from heartbreak to acceptance to joy and confidence. Believe it, you can get there, too!

It took awhile, but at this point I realized I could help other women. Thus, this book: The book I wish I had, when I was first diagnosed with alopecia areata.

If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing! is filled with tips on parenting kids with alopecia, how to tell your family and friends, dating, available treatments, doctors, makeup, wigs, and most important, attitude. It’s colorfully illustrated with my paintings, and besides being informative, I have to admit it's pretty funny in places, too.

The message is that you can enjoy and even celebrate your life with alopecia areata, go after your dreams, and know you’re not alone. Not only for you dolls with alopecia, it's also for families and friends who would like a greater understanding of the condition, as well as women with all types of hair loss and those who are facing other types of life challenges.

You can get If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing! at http://www.amazon.com/, on my author web site:

http://www.leslieannbutler.npauthors.com/, on the National Alopecia Areata marketplace (http://www.naaf.org/), and on all online booksellers. You can also order it from your local book store.

I would love to know how you like the book, so please email me with your comments!