Bald Beauty Queen Shares her Experiences of Alopecia

Since being crowned Mrs Black North Carolina last year, Sandra Dubose-Gibson has been on a mission to spread hope to anyone with the hair loss condition Alopecia. Last March, she became the State’s first bald beauty queen, and she has used this platform to raise awareness of Alopecia Areata and to inspire those who also have this condition.

She admits that when she first began suffering from Alopecia, “I started to feel very depressed...I looked and felt a mess.” This caused her to start wearing wigs. But, as she explained to an audience about to view her self-made documentary, Project Liberation: My Alopecia Experience, she eventually decided to let the world see her true hairline.

According to Star News Online she asked the audience at the New Hanover County Public Library, “You wanna see bald?” Without waiting for the answer, she continued, “I’ll show you bald.”

A message of hope

In her film, she shares her personal experiences of dealing with Alopecia, and learning to accept her baldness. She describes making and sharing the film as her “medicine”, and before the screening she explained to the audience, “It has really become not just my personal experience but a calling, an assignment. If you can shift your thinking about something, you can change the experience itself.”

Sandra began suffering from alopecia when she was 25, and noticed her first bald spot at her birthday party. When it began to spread she was soon diagnosed with Alopecia Areata. Eventually her condition progressed to the extent that she lost not only all the hair on her head but also over her entire body. When Alopecia reaches such an extent, it is known as Alopecia Universalis. She explains on her website that she also suffers from Cicatrical Alopecia, or Scarring Alopecia, in which the hair follicle is destroyed and replaced with scar tissue. This latter type of hair loss is permanent, while in cases of Alopecia Universalis it is not impossible for hair to re-grow, but it is less likely than with lesser forms of Alopecia.

But despite her condition, Sandra says that she is, “committed to beating Alopecia because I’m not going to let it beat my self-esteem.” She encourages others to do the same.

Treatment for Alopecia

Alopecia is an auto-immune disorder in which the body’s own natural defences attack healthy hair follicles, causing them to cease production and the hair to fall out. The exact causes of the hair loss condition are not fully understood, but it is widely believed to be linked to stress and traumatic events.

In its most common form, Alopecia Areata, patchy hair loss is experienced across the scalp, often striking individuals in their childhood or adolescence. This can be highly distressing, but with the right help, the hair can often grow back fully.

At The Belgravia Centre we often treat men and women who are suffering from patchy hair loss caused by Alopecia Areata. Our hair loss experts have experienced great success in treating mild-to-moderate cases of the condition using high strength minoxidil from Belgravia.

To find out how we can help, contact us to arrange a consultation at our London clinic. Alternatively fill in our online diagnostic form to receive a home-use treatment kit tailored to your hair loss, wherever you are in the world.

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