Grandmother Tackles Alopecia With £700 Tattoo

Alopecia

affects people in many different ways. Some people seek treatment or choose to disguise their hair loss with hats or wigs, whilst others flaunt their bald heads with pride. However, Ann McDonald, a grandmother from Edinburgh, has taken a novel approach to the symptoms of the condition by getting a large tattoo that covers her entire scalp.

Ann, who is 60 years old and works as a cleaner, opted for the overlapping flower design after becoming fed up with wearing wigs and hats on a daily basis.

“I was getting more and more depressed because I didn’t have any hair … sometimes I would just lie in bed and cry. I didn’t want to be bald anymore; I wanted something to cover my head. I’ve got hundreds of wigs and hats to hide it but they’re no good. So I decided to get a tattoo.” she explained.

No Pain, No Gain

The inking, which took a staggering 12 hours to complete, was completed by Pete Gillespie and his son Kevan, who own Pete’s Tattoo Studio in Dalkeith. Ann admitted that the process was painful, but said that the end result was worth it: “I’ll be honest, it really, really hurt. It was very painful. But I stuck it out because I really wanted it done.”

Since having the tattoo, she says she’s had a very positive reception. “People tell me it’s nice. Some of the young ones laugh but most people love it … I feel so much happier it feels so much better than wearing a wig. I’m not too fussed what people in the street think as long as I’m happy.”

Tattooist Pete said: “We’ve had the tattoo shop for 19 years and this is the most unusual tattoo we’ve done, but the most rewarding ... At first I thought it was maybe a bit mad but once you get to know Ann and her reasons behind doing it you can’t help but understand. She’d had enough and having no hair had obviously bothered her for a long time. Getting the tattoo changed her life for the better.”

Alopecia Treatments Without Needles

It’s fantastic that getting a tattoo gave Ann the confidence to deal with her hair loss, but there are thousands of other women up and down the country with Alopecia seeking a solution that is not quite so radical. The good news is that there are a number of hair loss treatments available which could help these women to regrow their hair.