Head to Head lifts the lid on the subject of female balding
Around 85 percent of men and 33 percent of women will have to cope with hair loss at some point in their lives. That’s well over half the human population, and when you think of it like that, it seems strange that the topic has attracted such little attention on the big screen. After all, we have seen dozens of movies and documentaries on other medical conditions, and how they affect people’s lives.
Perhaps it is because hair loss is not seen as a big deal. As we said, it affects most men sooner or later. Those who try to fight it are mocked for their vanity, especially if they are in the public eye. Just see the headlines surrounding the likes of Elon Musk, Drew Brees and Steve Carell. Also, treatments were seen as little more than quackery in the 20th century, just more comedy material.
New hair loss solutions that actually work
But things have changed. Many of those celebrity hair transplant cases have actually been highly effective. That’s fine if you have tens of thousands of dollars to spare. For those of us living in the real world, an FDA approved hair growth cap costs between $750 and $1,500 and can bring proven results.
These solutions are equally effective for men and women. We have mentioned that affecting 85 percent means hair loss is something most men will have to face. But although 33 percent is also significant, hair loss among women is something that is seldom spoken of.
Head to Head breaks new ground
That’s one particular taboo that is well past its sell by date, and in her directorial debut, Andrea Alberti blows it well and truly out of the water in Head to Head.
The feature length documentary follows six women who are all experiencing devastating blows to their self-image as a result of sudden hair loss for different reasons, ranging from Alopecia to Lupus to chemotherapy. Each of the women feels the impact in terms of their mental wellbeing, relationships and even financial health, but they also find different ways to come to terms with what is happening to them and to overcome the challenges they face.
Alberti’s most significant previous role behind the camera had been sound production assistant in Jordan Vogt-Roberts 2013 coming of age drama The Kings of Summer. Since then, she has established her own indie agency in Chicago called Amelia Street Studio. This is her first feature length project and it provided an opportunity to stamp her identity on a project that deals with matters that are clearly close to her heart.
She told reporters: “I believe the most important element of getting this film in front of viewers is not to create sympathy or merely inform others about a medical condition, but to allow viewers to see their own feelings and struggles reflected in the lives of these women.”
Albertini went on to say that the documentary takes a head-on approach to exploring such fundamental questions as what it means to “be yourself” or “show authenticity” when you are in a group that is marginalized from the outset.
Worth watching, now more than ever
Head to Head was initially given a limited release in US movie theaters. It is now available across a variety of online platforms including Amazon Prime, iTunes, Hoopla, Google Play and YouTube. Once you have watched the movie itself, there are some interesting interviews and backstage stories available on its website.
Female hair loss is a topic that many people still find uncomfortable to address, in an age when we might have thought reality TV has left nothing taboo. Head to Head has come at the right time, opening up the conversation at a time when there are genuine options out there for dealing with the problem once and for all.
