A teaching assistant has opened up about life with alopecia and why she rocks a glamorous bald head at school to tackle stigma around hair loss.

Grace Davies-Friend, from Shrewsbury, England, first started noticing her hair thinning and falling out, accompanied by weight loss, in 2021 and went to her GP for answers.

The now 23-year-old was initially devastated as doctors diagnosed her with alopecia areata, the milder version of the autoimmune disorder.

The condition can lead to unpredictable hair loss on any part of the body, though it’s most common in the head but the symptoms can also have a big impact on the person’s mental health and self-confidence.

“They told me then and there that it was alopecia,” Grace told http://NeedToKnow.co.uk

“I was so upset but I was also relieved because I finally had an explanation as to why my hair was so thin, breaking off and falling out.”

Doctors recommended Grace come in for more tests and wanted to refer her to the hospital for further advice, but she decided against it.

Instead, in February 2022, she decided to shave her head.

She said: “It may seem controversial but I didn’t go for it [the tests].

“I have had various medical issues through my life, and at the time I really didn’t want to add it.”

“I’d always thought about shaving my head.

“I just never imagined it would actually happen.

“For me, it was more painful to keep it and watch it fall out, feel the itching that comes with it, then to shave it.

“When I finally shaved it it felt relieving, and freeing.

“It just felt like the right decision.”

However, not long after, she tragically discovered a lump in her thyroid, which she says could have been a factor for the previous hair loss.

It is worth noting that alopecia areata can be caused by various reasons – with some cases connected to genetics – and it is often difficult for doctors to ascertain exactly what this reason may be.

She added: “About a month later, I found a lump on my thyroid, which was later removed – both the lump and my right thyroid.

“It was later thought that it may have been this contributing to my hair loss, as my body wasn’t producing what it should to allow my hair to grow, along with stress being a contributing factor.”

But it’s shaved now, and I feel much happier.”

Grace also works as a teaching assistant full-time, so was aware that going into the school with no hair would turn some heads.

But she was determined to embrace her new look and “break stereotypes and stigma”.

She said: “At first, they took a little while to notice, I was wearing a head covering of some kind each day, and then a wig after a few weeks.

“But once it twigged, everyone was accepting.

“I was very open about it from the beginning.

“I made it so that they felt they could ask questions, but we spoke about how to do that respectfully.

“I wanted them [the students] to know they could ask [questions], that it wasn’t a ‘forbidden’ subject, to break the stereotypes and stigma.

“They would ask which is my favourite wig, if I had any hair, or remind me it was swimming the next day so not to wear my hair.”

Now, Grace continues to spread awareness about alopecia and continues her work in schools.

She added: “I’m doing okay, there are times when my hair has looked like it’s been growing ok!

“But then it comes out with the patches again or thins a lot.

“I tend to just shave it, as it’s emotionally and mentally easier.‌”

ENDS

A teaching assistant has opened up about life with alopecia and why she rocks a glamorous bald head at school to tackle stigma around hair loss.

Grace Davies-Friend, from Shrewsbury, England, first started noticing her hair thinning and falling out, accompanied by weight loss, in 2021 and went to her GP for answers.

The now 23-year-old was initially devastated as doctors diagnosed her with alopecia areata, the milder version of the autoimmune disorder.

The condition can lead to unpredictable hair loss on any part of the body, though it’s most common in the head but the symptoms can also have a big impact on the person’s mental health and self-confidence.

“They told me then and there that it was alopecia,” Grace told http://NeedToKnow.co.uk

“I was so upset but I was also relieved because I finally had an explanation as to why my hair was so thin, breaking off and falling out.”

Doctors recommended Grace come in for more tests and wanted to refer her to the hospital for further advice, but she decided against it.

Instead, in February 2022, she decided to shave her head.

She said: “It may seem controversial but I didn’t go for it [the tests].

“I have had various medical issues through my life, and at the time I really didn’t want to add it.”

“I’d always thought about shaving my head.

“I just never imagined it would actually happen.

“For me, it was more painful to keep it and watch it fall out, feel the itching that comes with it, then to shave it.

“When I finally shaved it it felt relieving, and freeing.

“It just felt like the right decision.”

However, not long after, she tragically discovered a lump in her thyroid, which she says could have been a factor for the previous hair loss.

It is worth noting that alopecia areata can be caused by various reasons – with some cases connected to genetics – and it is often difficult for doctors to ascertain exactly what this reason may be.

She added: “About a month later, I found a lump on my thyroid, which was later removed – both the lump and my right thyroid.

“It was later thought that it may have been this contributing to my hair loss, as my body wasn’t producing what it should to allow my hair to grow, along with stress being a contributing factor.”

But it’s shaved now, and I feel much happier.”

Grace also works as a teaching assistant full-time, so was aware that going into the school with no hair would turn some heads.

But she was determined to embrace her new look and “break stereotypes and stigma”.

She said: “At first, they took a little while to notice, I was wearing a head covering of some kind each day, and then a wig after a few weeks.

“But once it twigged, everyone was accepting.

“I was very open about it from the beginning.

“I made it so that they felt they could ask questions, but we spoke about how to do that respectfully.

“I wanted them [the students] to know they could ask [questions], that it wasn’t a ‘forbidden’ subject, to break the stereotypes and stigma.

“They would ask which is my favourite wig, if I had any hair, or remind me it was swimming the next day so not to wear my hair.”

Now, Grace continues to spread awareness about alopecia and continues her work in schools.

She added: “I’m doing okay, there are times when my hair has looked like it’s been growing ok!

“But then it comes out with the patches again or thins a lot.

“I tend to just shave it, as it’s emotionally and mentally easier.‌”

ENDS