A new era of civility?

It's shocking that discrimination still permeates society in this day and age. It's even more so when it's directed at people suffering from a physical ailment or disease.

Such was the case when a young woman from Winnipeg shaved her hair off to support her uncle, who was stricken with terminal cancer. The young woman - a waitress at a restaurant in Winnipeg - filed a complaint with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, which was rebuffed! This woman should have been praised for her bravery and compassion. Instead, she was singled out - not once, but twice - by both the restaurant and the Commission.

What if she had been victimized by cancer, and lost her hair due to chemotherapy? What if she had been afflicted with alopecia areata? Would she have been fired then?

Life can be cruel, especially if you are the person affected by a disease or an ailment. If our politicians can promise a new era of civility, then we as humans should pledge to do the same. Here's hoping we can start today.

Baldness - has a cure been found?

A cure for baldness has been sought for years - with little results.  A simple glance at the people around you should be a reminder.  But perhaps we've reached a point where science can over come nature - researchers in Germany recently announced that they successfully grew hair follicles from animal cells, and that within a year, they would be able to do the same with human hair follicles and skin.

The news gets better - the University of Pennsylvania also announced that stem cells may be able to regrow hair for bald people.

Finally, Allergan revealed that it is testing Latisse, a popular eyelash growth solution, for hair growth on the human scalp.

It all sounds encouraging, and those of us that suffer from balding hope it is true.  However, claims such as these should be taken with a "grain of salt" - they've been promoted before with little success.  Case in point - some women that have used Latisse noted a discoloration of the skin.  Skin discoloration might be easier to conceal on your eyelids than on the top of your head.

It's been said that you should set your goals high, but your expectations low.  If you have a solution that works today - whether Rogaine or a concealer - best to continue using it until further validation can be made.