When You Lose Your Hair – Ingela’s Story of Living with Alopecia

In our blog series Detangling Stories, we meet different people and explore their stories through hair.

Ingela was 16 when she started losing her hair. Today she lives with alopecia, three children, and a daily life where her wig is simply part of it.

As a high school student in Gothenburg, Ingela had long, thick blonde hair. She exercised a lot and lived a typical teenage life. But one day her hair started to fall out — and within a few weeks, almost all of it was gone.

When the hair starts to fall

Ingela is in her second year of high school in Gothenburg when her hair begins to fall out. Within a short time, half of it is gone, leaving bald patches across her scalp.

She seeks medical help but receives no clear explanation. Over the summer, her hair begins to grow back again. Slowly, the shock fades and so does the impact on her self-confidence.

Four years later, Ingela is living in Oslo. One summer afternoon after work she notices her hair starting to fall out again. This time it happens quickly. Within a month, all hair disappears — from her head, her face, and her body.

Life suddenly pauses.

Eventually she meets a dermatologist who diagnoses her with alopecia. There are several forms of alopecia. Ingela has the most severe type, alopecia universalis, where the chances of hair growing back are very small.

Alopecia – a form of hair loss

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition where the body’s immune system attacks the hair follicles. This causes the hair to enter a resting phase and fall out, often in round bald patches or completely.

Hair loss is a broader term and can have many different causes, such as stress, illness, or medication.

Trying to understand – and find solutions

Ingela begins a health journey, exploring diet and lifestyle changes in the hope of regaining her hair — something she still revisits from time to time.

But in the beginning, the first steps after the diagnosis were about finding a new way to feel like herself again.

How do you find a wig that feels right?
What do you do about eyebrows and eyelashes?

This is the early 2000s. The selection of wigs is very limited compared to today. Finding the right colour — or a hairline that resembles your own — is almost impossible.

“Back then, it was often obvious that you were wearing a wig. I got many questions, for example if I had cancer. My goal was that no one should be able to tell,” Ingela says.

But choosing between a bad wig and no hair at all isn’t much of a choice. The years that follow become about learning to live with the condition.

Relationships, exercise and everyday life

The condition affects many parts of life. Ingela has always been very active — football, skiing and swimming. Even though exercising with a wig can be challenging, since it doesn’t handle sweat or water very well, she has never let it stop her.

She also remembers the anxiety she felt in earlier relationships.

“I always felt nervous about telling someone, and about taking my hair off for the first time. But I’ve always been positively surprised. I’ve been met with much more warmth and acceptance than I expected.”

Life today

Today, more than twenty years later, Ingela lives in western Gothenburg with her husband and their three children.

Both work in healthcare — she as a nurse, he as a doctor.

Her hair has never fully grown back. Sometimes small patches appear, only to fall out again.

She has tattooed her eyebrows but still has no eyelashes. Eyelashes are more important than people often realise — they protect the eyes from dust and moisture, which now easily reach the eye.

“I’m still not comfortable going out without a wig. And I often have nightmares about forgetting my hair at home when I’m rushing to preschool or work.”

So far, it hasn’t happened.

“At home, we’re two bald people running around,” she says, laughing.

Wigs, hair extensions and hair care

Ingela also highlights the financial side of living with alopecia. Wigs made from real hair are expensive — she spends around 800 USD each month. Her wigs are made from real hair, often sourced from several donors.

Wigs, just like hair extensions, require special care (see our guide below). Because the hair isn’t connected to a scalp, it doesn’t receive natural oils and can easily become dry or tangled. That’s why gentle products and sulfate-free shampoos are recommended.

In their family, they also use Rufs products — both for the children’s hair and to wash and detangle Ingela’s wigs. Rufs Detangler works especially well when the wig becomes tangled.

Ingela also points out that wigs and hair extensions have become more common among people with Scandinavian hair, which has helped expand the range of available products. In Black culture, wigs and extensions have long been used, which has also helped reduce the stigma around wearing additional hair.

We also talk briefly about the ethical side of hair extensions. There are challenges in how hair is collected and sold, as well as how it is sometimes treated with strong dyes and chemicals that can cause allergic reactions. Ingela’s wigs are made from real hair, and she appreciates that these questions are getting more attention. She hopes this leads to stricter standards and better conditions.

Through the eyes of children

Towards the end of the interview, the children and a friend come into the bathroom. They get to play with Ingela’s “excercise wig”. They try it on, brush it and play hairdresser.

And just as Ingela says, there is something wonderful about children. They simply are and have a way of making difficult things feel lighter.

Moving forward

Ingela’s message to others living with alopecia is simple: it is possible to live a good life.

Before this interview, she called her sister to help her remember what had actually happened.

“Sometimes you almost have to forget in order to move forward,” she says.

She also speaks about gratitude.

“I often think that at least I don’t have cancer.”

At the same time, hope remains. At times she focuses more on a healthy lifestyle, sleeps more and tries to find balance in life. When small strands of hair occasionally appear, it can feel like a sign that something is happening — but it can also create stress.

Living a balanced life is not always easy.

Thank you Ingela for sharing your story with us.

How to wash a wig – step by step

Wigs and hair extensions require special care. Since the hair isn’t connected to a scalp, it doesn’t receive natural oils and can easily become dry or tangled. That’s why it should be treated gently.

Here’s how:

1. Detangle first
Gently detangle the wig using a wide-tooth comb or your fingers. Start at the ends and work your way up.

2. Rinse with lukewarm water
Hold the wig under lukewarm water and let the water run in the direction of the hair.

3. Wash with a gentle shampoo
Use a mild, preferably sulfate-free shampoo. Apply gently along the lengths without rubbing or twisting the hair.

4. Rinse thoroughly
Rinse the shampoo out in the same direction as the hair falls.

5. Add moisture
Apply a gentle conditioner or hydrating mask to the lengths. Avoid the base or knots of the wig.

6. Gently squeeze out water
Press excess water out using a towel. Do not twist the hair.

7. Let the wig air dry
Allow the wig to dry naturally, preferably on a wig stand.

About Ingela

Loves: Life
Family: Husband and three children
A hairstyle I’d dare to try: Short and slicked back
Best hair tip: Let the lengths rest in a conditioner bath
Favourite Rufs product: Shampoo and conditioner, but the kids absolute favourite is the detangler.