September Is Alopecia Awareness Month

Susan Beausang Finds Fashion in Alopecia

Alopecia is a poorly understood and under reported autoimmune condition which causes hair loss. It occurs in men and women of all ages but onset usually occurs during childhood, affecting 2% of the population. This condition begins as Alopecia Areata with small, round, bald patches on the scalp. The disease may progress to Alopecia Totalis (bald head) or Alopecia Universalis (total body hair loss). The cause is unknown and there is no cure. Alopecia is highly unpredictable, as hair loss and growth can occur at any time.

Susan Beausang, President of 4women.com and fashion head scarf designer, has lived with AU (Alopecia Universalis) for the last seven years. She comes from three generations of breast cancer survivors, and carries the BRCA2 breast cancer gene. After having a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy (pre-vivor), she developed AU and lost her hair. Frustrated by the lack of fashionable and feminine options available to women and girls who are experiencing medical hair loss, Susan began designing a scarf known as 'The beaubeau(TM) -- Beautiful Scarves for Beautiful Heads.'

The beaubeau scarf is a fashionable alternative to wearing a wig. Susan believes that a beautiful outfit deserves an equally beautiful scarf, which is her reasoning for producing scarves in colors, prints, solids and designer fabrics. It is her mission to unite the world of fashion to medical head wear. Her scarf creatively combines fashion and function. The beaubeau is offered in a variety of fabrics including rayon, gorgeous silks, workout fabric and even fabrics for cooler temps such as a luscious combination of cashmere and cotton. Susan fondly names all of her scarves in her collection. All scarves come with a matching scrunchie, which allows a variety of styling options.

When asked how her head scarves help women and girls coping with medical hair loss find fashion and self confidence, Beausang stated, "I have lost my hair but not my sense of style. Alopecia handed me an opportunity to help other women cope with their loss of hair in a dignified and stylish manner."

In her hometown of Sarasota, FL, Susan actively supports local and national Alopecia Areata and Breast Cancer organizations. She has attended three National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF) Conferences. Susan also organized the Understanding Alopecia Race on Siesta Key Beach in 2006, in which 350 runners participated. Ironically, Susan's hair started to sprout again in May of this year, offering hope to others suffering from this disease.

Susan was recently featured in a segment called "Brave Beauty" on WEDU's "A Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins." For more information about Susan Beausang, 4women.com and the beaubeau(TM), please visit: http://www.4women.com.

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