Baldness amongst women is something hardly discussed in the fashion press and yet it is estimated that as many as 6 million women in the UK suffer with significant hair thinning, excessive hair shedding, androgenetic hair loss (the female equivalent of male baldness) and significant hair loss through the different forms of alopecia.

For men, baldness has become increasingly socially acceptable, with many men now shaving their heads. If anything this is the preferred trend, currently more acceptable than the ‘comb-over’ or the toupée. For women it still remains the final taboo, an embarrassment beyond open discussion.

Hair represents so many things to each individual, even if your hair before hair loss could hardly be described as your ‘crowning glory’. Your hair still probably conveyed your general well-being, your sense of style and personality, even your lifestyle. It’s highly understandable that for most women who have spent years defining and refining a hairstyle that makes them recognisable to family, friends and colleagues, should feel devastated at its loss.

With this taboo subject, there is little understanding of the social and psychological pressures women face. Hair loss isn’t about mere vanity for women, it is about trying to maintain a healthy attitude to body image, which is critical to the recovery process as well as coping with longer-term hair loss issues.

So how can you deal with those issues? How can you repair the damage to your self-esteem, your confidence, your body image, your look, your style?

Two common options spring to mind: wigs – improving all the time, with the more expensive light weight wefted and monofilament models and wig personalization cutting services becoming more available. However wigs in the summer months can prove hot and itchy when worn over prolonged periods of time. So let’s focus on the second fashion alternative - hats/ scarves. There is headwear available on the market specifically for women with hair loss, focusing on the practicalities of hiding that hair loss. Depending on your point of view, you could feel this actually highlights the problem, drawing attention to it, rather than softly distracting the eye away from it. And this doesn’t do much to build the self-esteem.

Most women report their biggest concern with the onset of significant hair loss is that they feel everyone is looking at them. How do women get to feel comfortable in their own bodies again or indeed feel they can simply blend in wherever they go? In fashion terms it’s all in the planning, take a good look in your wardrobe and figure out what you like to wear, what you feel good in and what other people tell you really suits you. List the number of complete outfits you can put your hand on and then think about how you’re going to accessorise those outfits to go with your new hair loss image. Jewellery is key, if you only wear gold or silver consider now picking up colour in a piece of jewellery, i.e. earrings or necklace that complement the colours of an outfit.

This also means coordinating headwear, coordinating because if you’re trying to ‘blend in’ it shouldn’t dominate your outfit, it should complement it and mimic the style of the outfit. The hat colour should ideally coordinate with you i.e. a colour selected because you know it suits your eyes/skin tone and the colour reflects something in the chosen outfit. Mimicking style can be hard for some people, for most of us it is ‘everyday casual’, in which case soft fabric hats are the most accessible style to find and feel comfortable in. Find a hat style that suits you and stick with it, duplicate it, triplicate it, purchase it in as many colours as you like to suit your key outfits. Suddenly life will feel ordered and calm, we’ve talked to women, who once they knew they were looking the best that they could, their confidence soared and they felt able to cope. Fashion for them becomes like that magical cloak but they don’t disappear, it simply deflects any curiosity and they can get out there and get on with life and focus on the important issue of recovery.

How do you achieve this? With a supportive network and an openness to experiment and work at achieving that new image. Headwear is nothing to be afraid of or concerned about, it is simply another item of clothing. Chose it well and it will serve you well and make you feel gorgeous, and people will only see the hat, your style, and you!