Rollergirls Shave Heads for UK Hair Loss Charities

Two members of a popular roller derby team from Preston, Lancashire, have shaved their heads to raise money for two hair loss charities.

Sponsored head shaves

The girls 21-year-old Alyce Brown and her 25-year-old team-mate Ashleigh Jenkinson held a charity fundraiser, the proceeds of which are to be donated to Alopecia UK and the Little Princess Trust. The latter is the much-loved British charity which makes real human hair wigs for children who have lost their own hair, primarily as a result of cancer treatment and Alopecia Areata.

Alyce (roller name: Chewbash’er) also donated her hair to the charity so that it could be used to make a wig. In June of this year alone, an incredible 4.084 people did the same though it is worth remembering that the charity typically needs donations from five people to make a single wig.  Continues below.

Getting to grips with new look

Both Alyce and Ashleigh play for Preston Roller Girls, and according to blogpreston.co.uk they are now getting to grips with their new look.

“My roller derby helmet and woolly hats practically Velcro to my head and (the new hair style) is so low-maintenance I can shower ‘like a boy’,” says Alyce. “Also,” she adds, “I can’t stop stroking my head, it is so delightfully fuzzy.”

Ashleigh (roller name: Ferris Crueller), meanwhile, told blogpreston that she found the experience “quite fun and liberating,” and pointed out that she was “grateful that I was able to make the choice for myself, as many people [who lose their hair] don’t make that choice.”

“I do keep flicking my head as though I’m trying to shake hair out of my eyes, though,” she says. “I guess that habit may take a bit to break.” Continues below.

Raising money and awareness

At the time of writing, the girls have raised 91 per cent of their £650 target so far, and their JustGiving page is still open for donations.

You may notice more reports about this type of charitable activity relating to hair loss causes at the moment. This is due to the fact that September is Alopecia Awareness Month, specifically concentrating on raising awareness of the various types of Alopecia Areata. These range from mild forms of Alopecia Areata which cause patchy hair loss of the scalp, to Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis which cause complete hair loss of the head and body respectively.

Each year UK hair loss charities dedicate this month to a host of events and activities to promote and educate - as well as fundraise - on behalf of people with Alopecia Areata. Although the hair loss it causes is not painful, having this autoimmune condition can be incredibly traumatic due to its highly visible nature. This can cause confidence issues and the general lack of understanding surrounding it can often mistakenly lead people to believe it is cancer-related.

If you are interested in getting involved, there are many ways you can help, through fundraising or donating your hair to help make wigs for children with hair loss.