10 Year Old Cuts Hair for Alopecia Charity After Friend is Affected

A young girl from Gateshead went off to the hairdressers this week to get seven inches cut off her hair in a show of solidarity for her best friend, whose hair loss was caused by the autoimmune disorder Alopecia Areata.

Ten-year-old Charlotte Saxelby hoped to raise £300 for Alopecia UK, but the generosity of friends and family quickly swelled that amount to more than £1,000. At the time of writing, her fundraising total was over £1,500 in excess of five times the amount the schoolgirl had been hoping to raise, and she's still accepting donations!

Charlotte and Lucy

Lost all hair to Alopecia Areata

Charlotte’s inspiration was her friend Lucy who arrived at her school two years ago having lost all of her hair to Alopecia Areata or possibly a more severe form of the condition known as Alopecia Totalis which causes complete baldness of the scalp when she was six.

The two hit it off and have been best friends ever since, though not everyone has apparently been so nice, with Charlotte stating on her JustGiving fundraising page that, “Although Lucy has lots of friends, some people can be mean when they shouldn’t be.”

“I’m feeling a little nervous about the haircut!” said Charlotte when talking to Alopecia UK before her date with the scissors. “I am amazed at what I have raised so far. Everyone has been very generous and supportive and I’m very grateful.”

As well as raising a hugely impressive amount of money for Alopecia UK, Charlotte will be donating her hair to the Little Princess Trust.

This acclaimed British charity makes real hair wigs for children who have lost their hair to cancer treatment, as well as the various forms of Alopecia Areata. For many youngsters struggling to come to terms with hair loss, the trust’s free, high-quality wigs can go a long way to restoring much-needed confidence.

Alopecia Areata in over 16s

While Belgravia does not currently treat Alopecia Areata in young children, it is a condition that can be treated in adults and teenagers once they reach their 16th birthday. The reason for this is that the key component in our Alopecia Areata treatment courses is a medication called high strength minoxidil which is only suitable for over 16s.

The key tell-tale sign that you may have Alopecia Areata is sudden hair fall which leaves bald patches anywhere on the scalp. This can be anything from a singular patch to a number and the patches may even join up to form larger areas of hair loss, or they could be as small as the size of a coin.

It is a highly unpredictable condition and may sometimes regrow by itself in a matter of months, the shedding can also intensify, sometimes spreading to the whole scalp. For this reason, it is always a good idea to have a hair loss specialist take a look so that you can get a professional opinion on what is happening and how best to deal with it. For under 16s we recommend speaking to your GP at the first signs of hair fall.