Hey, I’m Dan.

I am running the Great North Run for Alopecia UK on 13th September.

I’ve been living with alopecia universalis for around 7 years, and I wanted to share my story of what it's been like living with this disease.

Back in 2018, I noticed a few bald patches in my beard. Over the course of six months, it got worse until my beard had completely gone. For anyone who knew me back then, you would know my beard was my pride and joy!

My GP said it could be Alopecia Areata and referred me to a dermatologist. I waited around three months for the appointment, and by the time it came, I’d started losing the hair on my head too.

My dermatologist gave me steroid injections and told me to come back in a month. But when I went back, things had moved fast and every hair on my body had fallen out.

I was told there wasn’t really anything they could do and my dermatologist told me that, as a man, I was “probably going to lose my hair anyway.”

This was tough to hear. I know some men might lose the hair on their head as they get older, but do they expect to lose their eyebrows, eyelashes, and beard too?

I felt less like a man and because it happened so quickly I didn't recognise the person that was staring back at me in the mirror anymore. I asked my GP for support and he referred me to NHS talking therapies. I had one session, and was told the same thing, “you’re a man, you were probably going to go bald at some point anyway.”

At this point, I stopped trying to seek support.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, just like everyone else, I ended up cut off from the world. I was living alone, and like so many people, my mental health took a huge hit. After so long without real contact, I genuinely felt like I’d forgotten how to talk to people.

I’d been fortunate enough to make it through my life without ever really being picked on, but when I tried going back out into the world after the pandemic, the comments started. Grown adults were referring to me as “Duncan Goodhew” or “Matt Lucas” (two people I have massive respect for, by the way) like it was just a harmless joke, but it hurt.

I started drinking more and binging on takeaways. I wasn’t physically dependent on alcohol and I didn’t drink every day, but I used alcohol to cope with my anxiety.

This continued for a number of years, and eventually (partly down to genetics, and partly down to not taking care of myself), I ended up developing gout. This is the most excruciating pain I’ve ever experienced.

This was a wakeup call. It made me realise I couldn’t keep going the way I was , physically or mentally.

I got treated for the gout, and not long after that, I noticed a few hairs starting to come through on the back of my head. This may have been a coincidence however gout involves inflammation too and I think it may have been an underlying condition which caused the disease.

Not long after that, I started seeing another therapist, and she was amazing. She gave me the tools I needed to manage my anxiety. In addition to this.

More and more hair started to appear and I started moving more too. At first it was just walking, then walking turned into running, and this ended up being a massive turning point for me.

Running helped me manage my anxiety in a way nothing else had. I’ve now stopped drinking too, which has also been great for managing stress and anxiety.

My hair hasn’t fully grown back, but it’s definitely making a bit of a comeback. And even though I’m grateful for that, I’ve realised it’s not really about the hair anymore. Over the last few years I’ve learned so much about myself, and I’ve found strength I didn’t even know I had. Alopecia took a lot from me, but it’s also taught me a lot too.

Which brings me to now.

I’ve been lucky enough to be given the chance to run the Great North Run in Newcastle for Alopecia UK, and I want to do it to raise awareness for alopecia and raise money for a really good cause.

Alopecia is an autoimmune condition that’s not just about hair loss ,it can affect confidence, mental health, and overall wellbeing too. Alopecia UK supports people living with it through information, awareness, and community. Every donation helps them continue that work

If you’re able to sponsor me, honestly, anything you can donate would mean a lot! Thanks for reading!

Dan

Dan Staunton