Emily courageously shares her personal experiences living with alopecia. Alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss, can be a challenging journey for many, but Emily's story is a testament to strength, self-acceptance, and resilience.
In this blog, you'll discover:
✨ Emily's early experiences with alopecia and how she initially coped with the diagnosis.
✨ The turning point that led Emily to embrace her unique beauty and build unwavering self-confidence.
✨ Practical tips and tricks for managing alopecia and maintaining a positive outlook on life.
✨ Emily's inspiring journey of self-discovery, personal growth, and her mission to inspire others facing similar challenges.
My Journey with Alopecia
“My journey with Alopecia began on board a cruise ship. I trained as a performer at a couple of colleges, and I found this tiny bit of hair loss at the top of my head in my cabin. From there, it gradually grew into three other spots, and then progressively, all my hair had fallen out. That was about five years ago now. I'm now on my journey where I can accept who I am and raise awareness to help others.”
How do you feel about living with Alopecia?
"Having an alopecia is a real challenge. I won't beat you around the bush and say that it's not. It's a very hard journey to go through, but I hope that sharing my story will help others.
I think acceptance is key to your journey. It's an autoimmune disease where your body is just doing what it wants, it rejects your hair, and the follicles just fall out. So, if you can accept your alopecia, I think that's the key. And then you can go from there in trying different wigs, trying different makeup, trying different styles, seeing what works best for you, and then going from there."
How do you choose the right wig for you?
"When it comes to choosing a wig, there are so many wigs out there. The variety of brands and the variety of styles is just extraordinary, and that's amazing to some extent, but I do understand if you're just starting your Alopecia journey, how it can be a minefield and a big challenge.
I may suggest talking to the wig brand and seeing if they have a guideline in terms of the wig cap. For instance, my Joseph's Wig wig here is a small or the average size for a woman, and I found that they had a 'how to measure your head for a wig' guideline on their website, so I measured my circumference of the head and then went from there. Again, it could change from the wig brand. I might be an average size in one wig brand, and I might be a small size in another wig brand. It does vary.
When you're choosing your wig, you might want to consider whether a human hair wig or a synthetic wig will be your best option. For me personally, when I first started my journey with Alopecia, a human hair wig best fitted my lifestyle. As a dancer, I really wanted my wig to be secure. However, now progressing into a more corporate lifestyle, I feel I can just pop a wig on it. It doesn't have to be 100 % secure. So, a synthetic wig also does the job.
With human hair wigs, you've got a variety of different styles. You have no restrictions in terms of styling it, and they're usually the highest quality hair wig. However, you're likely to spend more money with a human hair wig. On the other hand, this is a synthetic wig, and I think the quality is just as good or even better than a human hair wig. You may have some restrictions in terms of styling, but some synthetic wigs do allow heat. So, it's all down to personal preference, what stage you are at with your alopecia journey, and just trial and error with those wigs."
What are the biggest emotional challenges with having Alopecia?
"When it comes to alopecia and emotional challenges, I think it's really hard to see maybe your friends that just naturally have hair that they can pop up in a ponytail, or it starts raining and they can just walk out and it's fine. So obviously there's a bit more thought process if you have alopecia and you're a bit different compared to the rest. But with a visual difference, just learn that you're not alone and also embrace what you've got."
How do you feel when you go out without a wig in public?
"I can change my wig from day to day. I can switch it up. I can be blonde one day and I can be ginger the next. That's really something exciting about alopecia. Emotionally, it is incredibly difficult, but I think talking to people with alopecia is key. Find people of similar age, for instance, when I first got diagnosed, I found a girl in Bath who was a nutritionist. She was studying at Bath University but had alopecia from a very, very young age, so she knew nothing different. I was sending her pictures of my hair loss, and she was giving me tips in terms of where to go to get wigs and who to talk to, who to follow on Instagram.
There are so many people on Instagram, social media, and TikTok nowadays that have alopecia. So just search #alopecia, and you can see so many people. Many people want to help others build an awareness of alopecia and give top tips that you can follow.
Also just talking to people. My friends and my family are an amazing support unit for me with alopecia, and now I've talked to them a bit more about it they are the first people I want to show a new wig to or my funny regrowth. There's so much to talk about now that I've been a bit more open and honest about my Alopecia journey.
There is also Alopecia UK. If you haven't heard of them, they're a charity dedicated to helping individuals with alopecia. They do monthly get-togethers all around the country. So, there are a couple in the Southwest where I'm from. I haven't been to one yet, but I'm hoping to go when I'm less busy with my life. But I did manage to go to the Big Weekender in March this year. And to be in a room full of people, young, old men, women, children that are going through exactly what you're going through. It's an emotional time, but it's amazing to see that people are willingly walking around with their bald heads out, and it's just fascinating to see. You can go and check out their website and see if you can go to any of the events they've got coming up.
Going out without a wig in public is a daunting aspect. Some people aren't ready to do that, and that is completely okay. I, at the moment, only go to the gym without a wig on, and I am actually wearing a cap, and sometimes I do work calls without my wig. However, when you put a wig on, the confidence you feel, it's just amazing.
I can wear my red wig and no one's going to know, and I think that's something I'd like to portray to those people out there with alopecia. People who don't know about alopecia and don't know you're wearing a wig, really don't know that you're wearing a wig. There are so many high-quality wigs out there that you just don't know that people are wearing a wig anymore.
If you feel like you can go out and brave the bald, please do. But if you can wear that wig and feel confident and feel yourself again, that's what wig providers are trying to achieve."
How do you deal with self-care?
"Self-care is definitely something that I am pushing for, especially in this year, 2023. I made it my goal to feel more comfortable in myself, and I do believe that self-care is a huge part of that.
For instance, I'm making sure that I'm reading each night and putting that phone down, even though I'm so involved with social media and TikTok, it's good to put that phone away and just leave yourself and read a book if you can. I understand that reading a book sometimes isn't people's kettle of fish. So, if you like exercise, try and do a 20-minute walk and then go to some gym sessions. You might find that you go to a gym and I'm going bald.
I had a conversation with a lady who was going through chemotherapy, and she asked me, "God, how do you feel so confident going out to the gym bald?" - you never know what you're going to find!
Also, with self-care and my wigs, I make sure that I dedicate a day that I want to wash my wigs, really make sure that I'm using the shampoo and conditioner properly and a deep condition of those wigs. So, self-care for myself and also self-care for those wigs as well."
How do you feel about society and judgement with alopecia?
"When it comes to society and judgement of alopecia, I think there's a lack of awareness with alopecia. You might see someone bald walking through the street and immediately assume that they're going through cancer or that they're ill.
It's not necessarily the case, as with myself. I'm a 24-year-old girl who doesn't have any illnesses. I just have an autoimmune disease that's beyond my control, which attacks my hair follicles. It's just that lack of awareness where people think that bald means ill or through cancer, and it's not necessarily the case.
Also, when it comes to judgment, I've had a few people say it's just hair, and I really would like those people to go through what I've been through and see how they feel because it is just hair. Yes, it's factually correct. However, it impacts your life so differently. Five years ago, I didn't ever think that I'd be in this position. I thought I'd be still dancing on a cruise ship, and I can still do that. Now I've learnt that maybe I can go back on a cruise ship if I want to. My baldness shouldn't stop me from doing that. However, I know that it's very different and the industry may not accept that, and that's something that really needs to be changed, really. So yeah, I think that there is a lack of awareness of alopecia that needs to be improved.
Sharing my story will hopefully have a little bit of an impact to help people understand that alopecia is a thing. It's not people who are ill, and it's something that our bodies cannot control."
What's the biggest thing you've learned having Alopecia?
"The biggest thing that I've learned about alopecia is that you're not alone. When I was going through it at the very beginning stages, I was in a very isolated environment, and I thought I was the only person that was going through it. There are so many people on social media. So many people maybe in your local town that are going through alopecia or even some hair loss that really could do with your help or just want to chat to someone.
Just remember that you're not alone in this journey. There are so many people out there. Look at alopecia UK. There are so many different groups. I'm in a WhatsApp group with people that I met in Birmingham for the Alopecia Big Weekender. You're not alone.
My second top tip in terms of if you're going through Alopecia is that people really don't know that you're wearing a wig. And I know it's really hard to say at the beginning stages, but down the line in five years, I found that people have literally no clue. So just remember that."
How you can also help and inspire others with alopecia
Everyone can get involved. Here are some of the ways you can make a difference:
Make a donation
Donations to alopecia charities educate, raise awareness, and help charities reach more people who may otherwise feel alone or unsupported, while also driving the development of new treatments.
- Donate to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF)
- Donate to Alopecia UK
- Donate to Children’s Alopecia Project (CAP)
Share your alopecia journey
Whether it’s your journey with wigs for alopecia, your diagnosis or recovery, sharing your story can empower others and help to tackle the stigma surrounding this condition. Tell your friends, post on social media using the hashtag #alopeciaawareness or get in touch with our team so we can share your story with our community.
Join the community and read our customer stories.
Educate yourself
Even if you’re not experiencing it yourself, discover resources available to ensure you have all the information you need to support others, raise awareness, and learn the basics of what alopecia is and how it affects those living with this condition. Here are some resources to get you started:
- Helping children with hair loss
- The causes of alopecia
- What alopecia does to your health
- Why you should donate hair and what you need to know
You can also discover more in our blog about Alopecia Awareness Month which happened in September 2023.
How Joseph’s Wigs can help
With 50+ years of experience in supporting our hair loss clients, we are equipped with the knowledge and products you need to help you find your way. It’s our passion!
Our extensive collection features more than 1500 ladies' wigs, male toupees and hair pieces from industry-leading designers. We offer compassionate wig fitting services with the aim of helping all wig wearers find their perfect wig for alopecia to help regain confidence.
Alternatively, get in touch for more advice and allow us to guide you through your journey with alopecia.
