Sitting in front of the TV beside my husband Jerry, then 46, I ran a hand over the base of my skull. It was December 2013 and I could feel a smooth patch the size of a 50p coin. Worry coursed through me, I loved my long locks.
‘What’s this?’ I asked.
Jerry carefully examined my head. ‘Just a small bald patch,’ he soothed.
Panic took hold.
I booked an appointment with my GP. She explained there was no definite test, but diagnosed me with alopecia areata – an autoimmune condition that can lead to unpredictable hair loss.
‘It often develops for no reason,’ she explained. ‘It’s more than likely your hair will grow back.’
I hoped she was right, but over the coming weeks, clumps of hair began appearing in the shower. I felt anxious and upset but tried to hide my worries from my children, Maddie, then seven and Alexander, four.
Thankfully the kids were too young to ask many questions, but Jerry was amazing. He held me when I cried and gave me the confidence to try wigs to cover my patchy hair.
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