Useful contacts

Alopecia UK

Alopecia UK aims to provide information, advice and support for people with experience of patchy or total hair loss (i.e. not the common male-pattern baldness). It includes a discussion forum and pages of tips for dealing with a new appearance, advice for covering up hair loss, and how to cope with difficult situations that may arise. It has an excellent section on wigs.
www.alopeciaonline.org.uk/index2.asp

Bald Guyz

Bald Guyz is a US company producing scalp care products for bald men. The entertaining website is designed to sell their products, but also has interviews, a Bald guy of the week section and a Clubhouse section to share ideas, photos and happenings about the bald and the beautiful.
www.baldguyz.com/

Bald is Beautiful

Bald is Beautiful. This site includes reasons to be pleased about being bald, a baldness hall of fame, miscellaneous information (bald animals, bald places, bald quotes, bald literature), details of bald pride organizations and more.
www-personal.umich.edu/~pfa/bald.html

Bonnyton Hats

Bonnyton Hats is a small hat company in Scotland that specializes in lovely hats for people who have lost their hair. The hats are made to order, so any design is possible. They are lined with soft fleece or towelling. Their website shows some of the hats they have made. Write to: Bonnyton Hats Ltd, Mill of Bonnyton, Old Rayne, Insch, Aberdeenshire AB52 6SD. Tel: 01464 851012
http://www.bonnytonhats.co.uk

Cancer BACUP

Cancer BACUP, the national charity that provides information, counselling and support for anyone affected by cancer, publishes a free booklet called Coping with hair loss. The information is also available on their website. Write to 3 Bath Place, Rivington Street, London EC2A 3JR, UK. (Send an A5 sae.) Tel: 020 7696 9003. Freephone helpline (UK only): 0808 800 1234. www.cancerbacup.org.uk/Resourcessupport/Controllingsymptoms/Hairloss

Department of Health's leaflet HC12 A

Wigs. In the UK, the Department of Health's leaflet HC12 A quick guide to Help with Health Costs? has full details of who can get a wig free. Write to: Stationary Office Publications Centre, PO Box 29, Norwich NR3 1GN, UK. Tel: 0870 600 55 22 The leaflet is available online at www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/DH_4131675

If you buy your wig privately, you may be able to get it free of VAT, because it is being supplied to someone with a medical condition. You can do this only if the wig supplier has made a special agreement with Customs and Excise, so check before buying. You will have to sign a special form, which the shop will give you at the time of purchase (you cannot claim at a later date).

European Hair Research Society

European Hair Research Society is an organization for scientists and doctors, but its website has useful links for anyone seeking detailed information.
www.ehrs.org

Hairloss Talk

Hairloss Talk is a website packed full of information about baldness and its treatment.
www.hairlosstalk.com

National Alopecia Areata Foundation

The National Alopecia Areata Foundation is an American organization with a helpful website. Write to: NAAF, 14 Mitcvhell Boulevard, San Rafael, CA 94903, USA. Tel: 001 415 472 3780.
www.alopeciaareata.com

Regaine

Regaine. Pharmacia & Upjohn, the manufacturer of Regaine, has a website for consumers that promotes their product, but also has useful information. www.regaine.co.uk

ScalpBloc

ScalpBloc is a thin, non-greasy SPF 20 sunscreen for use on bald scalps. It is not oily, and it forms an invisible film over the skin. It is available from pharmacies. Tel: 0845 399 0022 for stockists.