The hair loss journey that inspired Lady Alopecia – and why I’m here.
Copywriter, yoga teacher and fancy dress fanatic, mildly obsessed with the colour yellow. And glitter.
I’ve had alopecia areata on and off for most of my life. So I’ve got really smooth arms and legs. (Yay!) But I’ve also got giant bald patches. (Boo!)
I used to have a mop of auburn curls – they were sort of my trademark.
But when I was 11, I got my first bald patch. My mum had just died from Lupus – another autoimmune condition – so maybe the shock of losing her shocked my body into another loss. Although there are lots of different reasons for alopecia.
I had a receding hairline. At only 23. Peekaboo patches that spread until my supply of stretchy headbands couldn’t stretch far enough.
It was a slow and steady process. Some alopecians lose their hair overnight – a trauma I can’t imagine. But watching clumps of hair collect on my pillow and in the shower drain over the next few months, was another kind of torture.
I felt like I was responsible. And yet, helpless.
After wearing wigs and extensions for two years, I made a major decision. Because I’d felt like I’d been hiding, lying to everyone – most of all, to myself. (Of course, some alopecians rock their wigs; they just weren’t for me!)
So I asked my boyfriend Andy to shave my head. And despite the initial shock, I felt so free. Like myself, for the first time in years.
The further I went in my own hair loss journey, the more I realised how many others were going through the same thing. And I saw first-hand the support and hope that comes from a shared pain.
So I felt inspired to contribute to this community of alopecians, and to help those dealing with hair loss for the first time. To show solidarity through my stories. To empower through my experiences. And to share the adventures you can have with alopecia.
Unlike many other hair loss websites, I share information that people can actually understand. No confusing medical terms, whenever I can avoid it. I won’t promise to cure your alopecia – but I will do my damnedest to help you feel comfortable again, with or without hair!
Here’s what you can expect:
Over the past few years, I’ve found a strength and confidence in myself that I never knew I had. Hair loss has turned me from shy, insecure Emma into a bald-headed badass called Lady Alopecia.
I don’t know if my hair will ever grow back. If it does, great! If not… well, that’s ok, too. Because I know there’s much more to me than hair. (Thankfully!)
Pop in your email address and I’ll update you with all things Lady Alopecia.
Every month, thousands with hair woes visit my site. The more the merrier! But it takes AGES to write posts and reply to emails. Don’t get me wrong, I love it! But running a website isn’t free. So I’m trying something new: I’m asking for your support. If Lady Alopecia has helped you, please consider buying me a (virtual) coffee or even become a patron of the site. Thanks!
I’m Emma. I’ve had alopecia for 24 years and I’m here to inform/hopefully empower people like me! Read my full story here. But I’m not a doctor, so any advice here is based on my own research and experience. I’m also in a few affiliate programs – see my disclaimer page for more. Or contact me here. Also, why not join a thousand fellow alopecians and get my-semi regular hair about life with irregular hair?
Psst… If no welcome email shows up, check your spam.
Small print time: Ladyalopecia.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Copyright © 2023, Lady Alopecia. All rights reserved. Important – By using this website, you promise not to steal stuff. Thank you kindly.
Join the gang and receive semi-regular news and joy from someone with very irregular hair.
