6 women get real about living with alopecia
Made in Chelsea's Olivia Bentley photographed six women who have the same hair loss condition she has.
Alopecia, a condition that causes hair to fall out mostly in coin-sized, round patches on the scalp, is perhaps more common than you think. It’s thought that two in every 1,000 people have alopecia - and one of them is Made in Chelsea star Olivia Bentley. In the November issue of Cosmopolitan, Olivia opened up about what it's like to live with hair loss, and how she's managed to overcome the insecurities it can bring.
Passionate about empowering other women with alopecia, Olivia Bentley photographed six people with the condition, and it's hard not to agree that the pictures are beautiful.
Nichola McAvoy
Age: 26
Her story: Nichola was 11 when she gradually started losing hair. She wore hats to begin with, then wigs until she was 24, but in recent years she stopped wearing them completely because of how expensive and uncomfortable they were.
She says: "You don’t have to be ashamed of the way you look. It's just hair, and although it feels like it’s the biggest deal because you don’t look like everyone else, there are so many more important and beautiful things that you should focus on. That will take a while to get used to, but once you do find a way to come to terms with it and love yourself, that’s the most important thing.
You can find her at: @baldgalnini
Amy Harmsworth
Age: 29
Her story: Amy developed alopecia at 10-years-old, and she had a tough time at secondary school as a result. When she was young, her mum found another mum online whose daughter also had alopecia and lived nearby - and they became the best of friends. Amy currently runs the Alopecia UK support group in London for both adults and children.
She says: "Ultimately alopecia has made me the person I am today, which I believe is someone who’s very strong and cares a lot about other people."
You can find her at: @alopeciaamy
Farah Mohidin
Age: 26
Her story: Farah has had alopecia since she was a child, and this photo shoot was only the second time she's appeared in public without her wig on. She makes jewellery to raise awareness for hair loss.
She says: "I don’t think people realise how common alopecia is, so raising as much awareness as we can for it is really important. I want to help remove the stigma of hair loss being seen as an unattractive, ugly thing. Losing my hair did make me feel unattractive and ugly, but we should all just embrace our differences."
You can find her at: @farahmltd
April Dawn
Age: 45
Her story: April has had alopecia for fifteen years and originally wore wigs, but eventually decided to ditch the wig and embrace her bald head status. Now she helps others with alopecia to gain self-esteem and confidence.
She says: "I was wearing the wig to satisfy other people around me, so they could be more accepting of my look. But I was done living for other people. I love the uniqueness of [being bald]. I can be myself, and that is a woman without hair."
You can find her at: @lovingalopecia
Sara Bonakdar
Age: 27
Her story: Sara first got alopecia at eight-years-old, losing all the hair on her head and her body. It started to grow back after about a year, but it came back patchy. After years of feeling self conscious - and never wearing her hair up - Sara got a tattoo at the bottom of her scalp and she has grown in confidence ever since.
She says: "My relationship with my hair only changed when I got my tattoo. Before that I just hid it from everyone, but it makes you feel quite suppressed constantly hiding it; it’s exhausting. I posted a picture of it on my Instagram and the amount of comments I got from everyone was just amazing. Now I just wish I’d not waited as long to talk about it. I waited 20 years and let it take over my life - but it shouldn’t have."
You can find her at: @Sara1191
Phoebe Dove
Age: 27
Her story: Phoebe has had alopecia since she was six years old, after contracting salmonella poisoning which caused an immune system break down, triggering the hair loss condition. Currently, she has several bald patches and some spiky regrowth patches.
She says: "When I was younger, if I had met even one other person that I could relate to [about alopecia] it would have made a huge difference.But I think the older you get, the more you become confident in your skin."
You can find her at: @phoebedove
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