Embracing Imperfections: My Battle with Skin and Hair

I’ve never been someone who focused on appearances. To be honest, I’ve never had much reason to. Growing up with eczema and later losing teeth after my pregnancies, I became accustomed to ignoring the societal pressures of looking a certain way.

But recently, something unexpected has made me feel self-conscious for the first time in my life: hair loss.

Why I Never Cared About My Appearance

My teenage years were defined by my battle with eczema, a condition that left my skin dark, leathery, and extremely sensitive. At a time when most girls were experimenting with makeup and skincare, I couldn’t join in. Even to this day, I struggle with basic moisturizing creams because my skin is so reactive.

As I got older, things didn’t get easier. After giving birth to my daughters, Maanvi and Jiya, I lost 12 teeth due to a combination of pregnancy-related nutrient loss and my bad habits. I’ve always had a sweet tooth, but during my pregnancies, it went into overdrive. I drank cola like water, indulging daily without realizing how much damage I was doing to my teeth.

For those who don’t know, pregnancy can deplete your body’s calcium levels, as your baby takes what they need to grow. Combine that with excessive sugar intake, and my teeth didn’t stand a chance.

By the time my youngest was born, I needed 12 teeth extracted. While I was given dentures, they made me gag, so I eventually stopped wearing them. Missing teeth didn’t bother me—I could eat and talk just fine, and my self-worth was never tied to my looks. I wasn’t vain, so I didn’t feel the need to “fix” myself.

Why Makeup Was Never an Option

With my skin challenges, wearing makeup has always been out of the question. While makeup tutorials online show incredible transformations, I could never follow suit because:

         1.     My skin is too sensitive.

My eczema reacts to most products, and the itching from wearing foundation all day would be unbearable.

         2.     I can’t find the right foundation shade.

The eczema darkened my skin unevenly, leaving my face several shades darker than my natural tone. To make matters worse, my nose is much lighter—about eight shades lighter than the rest of my face. No foundation I’ve tried could even out my complexion without looking unnatural.

When Confidence Came Naturally

Despite these challenges, I was always confident. My skin and missing teeth didn’t define me, and the people around me valued me for who I was. I felt no need to hide my “flaws” because no one treated them as flaws.

Life was good. I learned to embrace my imperfections because they were part of who I was.

When Hair Loss Shook My Confidence

Then came hair loss, and for the first time in my life, I found myself feeling self-conscious about my appearance. Unlike my teeth or skin, my thinning hair made me feel exposed in a way I’d never experienced before.

My hair started thinning at the sides, leaving visible patches that I couldn’t ignore. To cope, I changed my hairstyle to pigtails, which help cover the hair loss on the sides of my head. While this has helped to some extent, I’m constantly aware of it.

For someone who’s never cared about looks, this newfound feeling of vanity is unsettling. I hate feeling this way, but I can’t deny it’s there.

How I’m Learning to Cope

What I’ve realized through this journey is that caring about how I look doesn’t make me vain—it makes me human. It’s okay to want to feel confident in my skin, even if that means taking small steps to adapt to changes like hair loss.

For me, pigtails are a way to regain some of that confidence. They allow me to minimize the appearance of thinning hair without losing myself in the process.

At the end of the day, my hair loss doesn’t define me. Just like my eczema and missing teeth, it’s another part of my story. I’m learning to give myself grace, to embrace the changes that come with life, and to remember that beauty is so much more than what we see in the mirror.

Final Thoughts

Hair loss, eczema, or missing teeth—none of these things determine my worth. What truly matters is the person I am and how I live my life. While it’s okay to care about how we look, it’s important not to let those feelings overpower the confidence we have in who we are.

For anyone struggling with similar challenges, know that you’re not alone. Whether it’s hair loss, skin conditions, or any other change, your imperfections don’t diminish your value. They make you human.