News & blogs Blogs My Journey to the Finish Line My journey with alopecia began in March 2023. It started with a couple of small patches in my beard. A month later, at the barbers, I noticed a bald spot on the back of my head about the size of a penny. From that moment, everything changed. Things escalated fast. By July, almost all my hair had fallen out across my entire body. The speed was shocking and I became completely consumed constantly checking, worrying and feeling like I was losing my identity. I tried everything. Private appointments, steroid injections, trips to Harley Street, minoxidil, and eventually cyclosporine, an immune suppressant. It worked—my hair started growing back and I felt incredible. But I ignored the cost to my health. Soon, I was constantly ill, had high blood pressure, kidney problems, and swollen gums. After 5–6 months, I realised this wasn’t sustainable. When I stopped the medication, my hair fell out again within weeks. My mental health hit rock bottom. When I was first offered therapy through work, I turned it down because I thought I didn’t need it. But over the next couple of months, things became much harder and even people at work had started to notice a change in me. I realised how much I had been holding in and not talking about and eventually I made the call to take them up on the offer. Once I finally opened up, everything came out. Therapy helped me take small but important steps, even silly things like feeling able to take the bins out without my hat on, to gradually getting back to activities I enjoyed but had stopped doing, including exercising more. Slowly, I stopped hiding away. At first, I avoided social events, terrified of what people would think. Alopecia had stripped away my confidence and sense of self. Looking back now, I feel stronger for walking away from the medication. It might be the right path for some, but it wasn’t for me. Alopecia completely turned my life upside down—I became a dad and a few months later, I lost all my hair. I wasn’t present and I was numb. Today, things are better. It’s still an ongoing battle, and my confidence isn’t where it used to be, but day by day, I’m rebuilding. One thing that made a huge difference (and something I rarely see discussed for men) was getting my eyebrows tattooed and SMP (Scalp Micropigmentation). It boosted my confidence massively—so a big shout-out to Will at Scalp Nation and Miriam at Tracie Giles. I would highly recommend both! I was very apprehensive about trying therapy, but it turned out to be invaluable to my recovery and so I really hope that sharing my experience might make others feel more comfortable reaching out for this type of support too. Fundraising for Alopecia UK has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Completing the Great North Run and raising £4,438.75 for this incredible charity filled me with immense pride. If you’re going through alopecia, please remember this: brighter days are ahead. Keep moving forward, even when it feels impossible. Focus on what truly matters—I lost sight of that for a while, but once I found it again, life started to feel good. Alopecia UK has amazing resources and support—I wish I’d found the charity sooner. Alopecia is life-changing, but with every step and every day, it does get better. You just have to keep fighting. Crossing that finish line for Alopecia UK at the Great North Run was about more than miles, it was about showing resilience and raising awareness for everyone on this journey. Manage Cookie Preferences