If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing

"Anyone who has AA or loves someone with this condition will benefit from this book! Not only does it have up to date information about the condition, treatments, wigs and concealment strategies, but it is so funny. Sometimes it can be very hard to laugh about this condition; it robs you of part of your identity. This book does it, beautifully!
Not only did this book make me laugh out loud, but it validated many of the feelings I had when first afflicted with this condition. For women especially, this condition can be very isolating. If you have Alopecia, or love someone who does, buy her this book! "
~ Written on 2008-08-25

"What's on one's head seems to matter a lot to a lot of people in the world. "If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing" is a guide for sufferers of AA, also known as Alopecia Aretea, to cope with their disorder. The disorder, not well known to the public, causes hair loss all over one's body - most importantly, the head. With a focus on women sufferers, although men can have it as well and could benefit from the advice within, she tells her story about dealing with it all, including the annoyances of wigs, covering it up, and how to deal with people finding out that you're a bald woman, a look that hasn't been accepted in modern society. "If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing" is a fresh and inspiring look at dealing with a disorder that shouldn't be anymore than what it is - a mild annoyance."
~ Written on 2008-08-09

"If ever I become bald, I would make tracks to the book store to purchase Leslie Ann Butler's book on alopecia. It is funny, smart, instructive and entertaining. Any woman who is hair-challenged, in any way, should read this book as the words Leslie Ann writes will inspire and you might even want to run out and purchase a fabulous hair piece, wig or any other hair enhancer. I am not hair-challenged but I thought her words could apply to many other medical challenges - deal with the cards you are dealt and discover a way not to feel like a victim. Leslie Ann is a living example of what she writes: Love your life and it will love you back. "
~ Written on 2008-07-10

"The book is wonderful!! It explains things so well yet is not doom and gloom. Emily especially enjoyed the "Don't you just hate it when..." section. Never before has she laughed so much about alopecia. What a wonderful gift you have given my daughter, helping her see a lighter side to alopecia. I cannot thank you enough for that.

"
~ Written on 2008-07-07

"Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (6/08)

Losing one's hair is probably high on the "disaster" list for most people, and I would imagine even higher for women than for men. That is why I found it so surprising - in the best possible way - that the cover of Leslie Ann Butler's " If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing!" is so cheerful looking and so attractive. Looking at the cover illustration one cannot help but feel joyful and uplifted; having said that, I need to add that the author's artwork, included throughout the book, lends a similar upbeat, positive tone to the entire book and makes it visually extremely appealing.

Leslie Ann Butler wrote a tremendously important and impactful book for people suffering from the auto-immune disorder called alopecia areata, which affects nearly five million people in USA. Having been affected herself - and with the most severe form of it, leading her to lose all of her hair everywhere - she is in the position to be not only highly informative, but also highly personal and compassionate in her writing. The book stays upbeat, giving hope - but not false hope! She offers advice for just about any "sticky" situation a person with alopecia areata might find her- or himself in.

The opening chapters deal with the facts about this immune disorder - what it is, what could possibly cause it (nobody really knows...) and what could help alleviate it. Later chapters deal with the day-to-day living with alopecia areata - when and whom to tell about it, how to deal with your hair loss in different "extreme" situations (think sports and sex...), how to travel with wigs, how to choose the right wig and how to deal with loss of eyebrows and eyelashes as well as what your options are in such situations.

The last few chapters, while still practical, really deal with this condition from the psychological perspective, helping one accept the hair loss and coping with it in a positive fashion, as well as even finding some positive aspects in it. No more bad hair days, anybody? How about not having to pluck those pesky stray facial hairs ever again?

The Resources section at the very end of the book should prove to be an invaluable selection of contact information for both the general information about the disorder and sources for wigs and other items the alopecia areata sufferers might need or want.

Warm, upbeat, but first and foremost realistic and informative, "If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing!" by Leslie Ann Butler, would benefit anybody with alopecia areata or anybody who in any way cares for or about somebody with it. Gorgeous illustrations turn it into a work of art and the written part turns it into a very valuable resource and a deeply wise work.

"
~ Written on 2008-06-23