The state Department of Veterans' Services will host a free virtual event Sept. 9 about hair loss, treatment options and benefits available to veterans, service members and military families.
The two-hour Chat & Chew session will run from noon to 2 p.m. through Webex. Registration is open to veterans, service members, military families and others interested in the topic.
Program will cover causes, treatment and benefits
The session is titled “Hair Loss: Now What? Understanding Your Options & Finding Support for Men and Women.”
Scheduled topics include causes of hair loss, effects on quality of life, male pattern baldness, options for men and women, traditional wigs and men's hair units, veterans' eligibility requirements, benefits, costs and coverage.
Bianca Lyder, a certified hair-loss specialist and founder of New Horizons Hair by Bianca Hair Restoration and Salon, will participate. The agency said Lyder has more than 30 years of experience and has worked with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide medical wigs, men's hair units and other replacement options.
Lyder also provides free medical wigs and men's hair-replacement units to qualifying veterans whose hair loss is associated with alopecia, chemotherapy, stress, post-traumatic stress disorder or depression, according to the department.
Dr. Lessie Branch, the agency's special assistant for community engagement and a Navy veteran, will moderate the discussion.
Research found disparities among service women
The department cited a Military Medicine study of 498,219 active-duty service women from fiscal years 2010 through 2019. Researchers found 2.4% had received an alopecia diagnosis and said the condition was likely underreported in that population.
The release also cited more recent Defense Health Agency research that found higher alopecia diagnosis rates among Black and Hispanic service women. Non-Hispanic Black women in the active component were more than twice as likely to receive a diagnosis as non-Hispanic White women, according to the agency.
Veterans' Services Commissioner Viviana DeCohen said the program is intended to provide a respectful setting for questions about treatment choices, benefits and other resources. Registration is available through the event's Webex page.
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