Welcome to my So-Bald Life

The hair loss journey that inspired Lady Alopecia – and why I’m here.

Girl with alopecia looking curious

Hi. I'm Emma.

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!)

My Alopecia Story

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.

Girl before alopecia

The Old Me

Alopecia used to get the better of me. Then it led to the best of me.

A Decade Later...

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.

Patchy hair loss

The Patchy Years

The Cruel Hair Loss Cycle

The cycle of hair loss

Taking Control

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.

Girl with bald alopecia head

The Bald Egg

The New Me

Now I wear the mohawk that's grown back like a badge of defiance. I get VERY mixed reactions – but that's ok.

Alopecia girl looking fierce

Why I Created Lady Alopecia

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.

Lady Alopecia Kawaii Style Logo

Lady Alopecia is about life as an alopecian: the highs, the lows and everything in between.

It’ll help you rock your alopecia – whether you're bald, wearing wigs or head scarves – so you can find confidence again.

Most of all, it’s about owning alopecia. And not letting it own you.

Why Should You Care?

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:

Alopecia Diva

Be An Alopecia Diva!

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!)

Every day, I show hair loss who’s boss. And I’d love to help you do the same.

Pop in your email address and I’ll update you with all things Lady Alopecia.

Yay Friends!

Join the gang and receive semi-regular news and joy from someone with very irregular hair.