September is Alopecia Awareness Month

For many women our hair is an asset that we take for granted. But sadly for 1 in 8 women under the age of 35, the joy of having luscious locks is no longer a luxury.

Alopecia is a hair loss disease that has no cure.

Alopecia is an autoimmune disease that affects the hair follicles, and can be a life changing and psychologically damaging illness for any woman. This hair loss occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles where the hair begins to grow, resulting in total or patchy hair loss.

Alopecia areata is considered an autoimmune disease, in which the immune system, which is designed to protect the body from foreign invaders such as viruses and bacteria, mistakenly attacks the hair follicles, the structures from which hairs grow. This can lead to hair loss on the scalp and elsewhere.

In most cases, hair falls out in small, round patches about the size of a fifty pence coin. In many cases, the disease does not extend beyond a few bare patches. In some people, hair loss is more extensive. Although uncommon, the disease can progress to cause total loss of hair on the scalp (referred to as alopecia areata totalis) or complete loss of hair on the scalp, face, and body (alopecia areata universalis).

The course of alopecia areata is highly unpredictable, and the uncertainty of what will happen next is probably the most difficult and frustrating aspect of the disease. You may continue to lose hair, or your hair loss may stop. The hair you have lost may or may not grow back, and you may or may not continue to develop new bare patches.

An estimated 8 million people in the UK suffer from Alopecia. Despite there being a large amount of people suffering with this illness, experts, still to this day, do not know the cause of Alopecia, why it happens, and know of any cure to help these vulnerable women. Doctors can often refer sufferers to treatments, such as steroid injections, re-growth hair mousse and many more. The steroid injections are brutal. Described to me as being nail gunned in the head. The area immediately swells and often bleeds. The pain can last a day or so and even trying to hide them under a wig or hat can really hurt. Prolonged treatment can cause dimpling and thinning of the skin in the treatment areas.

It is very difficult to talk about something which is so distressing. Much time is taken to disguise the hair loss and with it a paranoia develops thinking other people can see it and will judge you and your appearance. Wearing wigs can help but even this can become stressful. Finding the right one, the right colour, the right fit, the right shape. You are constantly thinking when am I going to get my next wig, how am I going to style it, where will I buy it from and most importantly how am I going to fund it? As with everything the better ones are incredibly expensive and whilst there is some help from the NHS some of the wigs feel and look fake, and often do the opposite of boosting women?s confidence. Resulting in ladies looking elsewhere and paying extra for better quality wigs.

That is why I have decided to donate my hair and also to raise money for research. I have witnessed the devastating affects of this condition. Each day the fear of finding more patches, watching the hair fall out during hair washes or combing, not wanting to look in the mirror to be confronted and have to face up to what is happening - watching confidence ebb away and wanting to hide away from the world ending up with severe anxiety and depression.

Alopecia UK raises money to help and support those affected by this condition and for medical research and hopefully, eventually, to find a cure.

Please can you help support by donating. I will post before and after photos of my hair being cut and I will send it with all our blessings to help those who suffer from this condition.

Thank you so much for your support. You have all been incredibly generous. xxxx