Star Interior Designer Redefines Beauty After Hair Loss

Sheila Bridges seemed to have it all. She became a superstar interior designer after graduating from Brown University and Parsons. Her clients ranged from entertainers to doctors, lawyers, even a former President. And her talents brought her magazine spreads, a store in upstate New York, and a television show. But after all those years of helping other people beautify their homes and offices, she had to learn to find beauty within herself.

In 2004, Sheila Bridges began losing her big, signature curly hair. It was because of an autoimmune disorder called alopecia. She joined Tell Me More host Michel Martin to share her story, which she writes about in her new The Bald Mermaid.

Interview Highlights

Losing her hair amid her TV show Sheila Bridges: Designer Living

"During the fourth season, my hair started to fall out. And I remember one day specifically, I was supposed to be taping an episode of my show, and when I washed my hair in the morning, the front section kind of came out in my hand. ... And it was one of those things that there was going to be no way that we could disguise it. Something that was very, very private was sort of happening to me in a very public way. And while I used, you know, wigs and hair pieces during that time frame because of the continuity of the show, which I had to do it wasn't something I really wanted to do. And everyone who knew me, knew that when I was done taping, the wig came off and I had shaved my head. And underneath it, you know, I was experiencing tremendous sense of shame, and of loss, and it was just a very, very challenging, you know, time for me personally."

Whether she lost her show because she lost her hair

"It seemed kind of odd that when I did lose my hair and I did make a decision that I didn't want to wear a wig anymore, I could never get back on television again. So again, the timing of it seemed a little odd. Obviously I can't say for sure, but I think that there is an idea that's put forth in the media about what we should look like as women. And certainly, rarely do you see women who have shaved their heads, women who are bald, in the media unless of course they have undergone chemo or they're sick, or you know like I think when Britney Spears shaved her head, you know then we're certifiably crazy or something in order to do something like that."

Sheila Bridges with her signature curly hair.

Sheila Bridges with her signature curly hair.

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Star Interior Designer Redefines Beauty After Hair Loss