Ayanna Pressley on Having Alopecia

shiftframe • June 25, 2020

Up until the making of the video , US Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley had only been bald around close friends and in the privacy of her own home. She believed that a public revealing was important. Wearing a wig after losing all her hair made her feel like she was lying to the people that looked up to her so she wanted to show the truth.

The Early Days

Ayanna Pressley was an only child, born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised by a single mom in Chicago, Illinois. Her mother, Sandra Pressley, instilled a strong civic duty in her daughter from a very young age. In addition to working multiple jobs, she was a community organizer for the Chicago Urban League. They were advocates for tenants’ rights. Pressley’s commitment to public service began in high school where she was voted “ Most Likely to be Mayor of Chicago ” and she was voted class president from seventh grade through senior year. She was elected president of the student government as well. 

Soaring Through Government

She worked for Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III and Senator John Kerry before she was elected as the first woman of color on the Boston City Council in 2009. In 2018 she was elected to the US Congress .

The Hair Makes the Woman

Throughout her life, she had done everything with her hair, even wore wigs and extensions, but when she got Senegalese twists , she said they made her feel “like I met myself fully for the first time.” She felt like she could take on the world. And she did. Women and girls alike would write her letters telling her how much they loved her choice of hairstyle. She was so proud. She represented these women in congress and she wanted to do her best. 

Alopecia Strikes

Then her world changed. She started losing her hair. It started falling out in the sink one day so she tried everything to combat it. She slept on a silk pillowcase, she wrapped her hair and wore a bonnet while she slept, she used elixirs to keep it healthy, yet every morning she woke up and found more hair in the sink. It worried her so much that soon she did not want to go to sleep for fear of what she might find in the sink in the morning. 

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

She had alopecia and no matter what she did, her hair fell out in patches until one day, the day of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, the last bit of her hair was gone. She had no time to dwell on it, she had a job to do so she walked in and did her civic duty. When she went home, she felt inauthentic. Wearing a wig made her feel as though she was lying to the women and the little girls who wrote her the letters. The ones who looked up to her. Her husband told her not to worry, but she did. 

A Hairstyle Becomes a Political Statement

Congresswoman Pressley wants to be transparent about her getting alopecia and being bald because her hairstyle became her “political brand”. She was aware that the hairstyle was a political statement. Ms. Pressley felt as though she was not being authentic with her fans without her braids, it felt like a cultural betrayal to all the little girls who came up to her for selfies with her wearing t-shirts that read #TwistNation, so she made the video to show the world. 

SMP Ink Can Help

Alopecia areata is not an easy thing to deal with. If you are experiencing hair loss from alopecia areata and you want to make your hair look thicker or fill in bald spots, we can help! At SMP Ink we specialize in scalp micropigmentation , a non-surgical way to add hair that lasts for years. It won’t come off in the shower or while swimming. Contact our professionals today to see what they can do for you!

 

By Marvin Furrow • September 26, 2026
Can Scalp Micropigmentation Fix a Bad Hair Transplant? A hair transplant can be life-changing when it goes well. But sometimes the final result still leaves visible scars, thin areas, or uneven density. Scalp micropigmentation (SMP) can help improve the appearance of many hair transplant concerns by adding realistic pigment impressions that blend with your existing hair and reduce the contrast between the scalp and surrounding follicles. SMP does not regrow hair or physically repair a transplant. Instead, it can make certain problem areas look fuller, more balanced, and less noticeable. SMP for Low-Density Hair Transplants One of the most common concerns after a hair transplant is that the result still looks thin. Even when transplanted hair grows successfully, there may not be enough density to fully hide the scalp, especially under bright lighting or around the crown. SMP can be placed between existing hairs to reduce visible scalp and create the appearance of greater density. This is often called density SMP and can work well alongside both natural and transplanted hair. Can SMP Hide FUE and FUT Scars? Hair transplant procedures can leave different types of scarring. FUE procedures may leave small dot-like scars throughout the donor area, while FUT procedures can leave a more noticeable linear scar across the back of the scalp. SMP can help camouflage both by blending pigment into the surrounding area and reducing the contrast between scar tissue and the scalp. The scar itself does not disappear, but it can become much less noticeable, particularly with shorter hairstyles. Improving Uneven Donor Areas Some people are left with patchy or overharvested donor areas after a hair transplant. When too much scalp becomes visible between the remaining hairs, SMP can help create a more consistent appearance throughout the area. By adding follicle-like impressions where density is lacking, SMP can make the donor area look more balanced without another surgical procedure. Can SMP Improve an Unnatural Hairline? In some cases, yes. If the hairline looks thin , inconsistent, or lacks density, SMP can help soften the transition and create a fuller appearance. However, SMP cannot reposition transplanted hairs or change the direction they grow. If the issue is related to the placement of the grafts themselves, surgical correction may still be needed. SMP and Hair Transplants Can Work Together A hair transplant and SMP do two different things. A hair transplant adds real, growing hair. SMP helps create the appearance of additional density underneath and around that hair. For some people, using both treatments can create a more complete result than either one alone. SMP may also be used specifically to improve donor scars or areas where the scalp still shows through after a transplant. When SMP May Be a Good Option SMP may be worth considering if your hair transplant has left you with: Visible FUE scars An FUT strip scar Thin or low-density areas Patchy donor areas Visible scalp between transplanted hairs An uneven overall appearance The scalp should be fully healed before SMP is performed, particularly following a recent transplant. Hair Transplant SMP in Scottsdale, Arizona Every hair transplant result is different. At SMP INK AZ , we use scalp micropigmentation to help blend visible scars, improve the appearance of thinning areas, and create a more consistent look across the scalp. If you're unhappy with the appearance of a previous hair transplant, schedule a consultation with SMP INK AZ in Scottsdale to find out whether SMP can help improve your result.
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By Marvin Furrow • June 21, 2026
Considering SMP in Scottsdale? See why scalp micropigmentation is a low maintenance option for thinning hair, shaved styles, and summer confidence.