LOSING her hair was a "terrible" experience for Turvey Park's Bek Cairns, who has chosen to speak out about her alopecia to raise awareness of the common condition.
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Last year, when dental assistant Ms Cairns was taking a shower, she began to notice that her hair was falling out.
She was referred to a dermatologist who confirmed she had alopecia areata - a disorder where the immune system attacks the hair follicles, which can lead to differing degrees of hair loss.
"My confidence was completely depleted," she said.
"I didn't wear makeup anymore, I didn't feel good in myself anymore because for my whole life I've had a whole head of hair, and I didn't know where or not it was going to come back."
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According to the Australia Alopecia Areata Foundation, around 2 per cent of all Australians will experience alopecia at some point in their life.
However, the stigma and lack of awareness of the auto-immune disorder made it difficult for Ms Cairns to discuss her condition openly.
"When I tried to talk to people about it, they didn't quite understand what I was going through, and they didn't know what to say," she said.
"Not that I expected them to say or do anything."
Surprisingly, two of her colleagues revealed they too have alopecia and opened up about their experiences which gave her some solace.
She also found an online support group with many users sharing their lived experiences of alopecia and offering support to new members as they wrapped their heads around their diagnosis.
"It was an outpatient group, and its got so many people - women, men, and kids, and they all support each other," she said.
Alopecia has been leading headlines around the world following an altercation at the Oscars involving actress Jada Pinkett Smith who has the condition.
A joke made regarding Pinkett Smith's shaved head has seen many men and women speak out about their alopecia - something which Ms Cairns said is not a funny punchline.
"I feel like if someone has alopecia and they're in a good mood they may joke about it with you, but joking about it at their expense is not the way to go," she said.
And while she does not condone the use of violence during the broadcast, she said she is just glad to see the condition in the spotlight.
Ideally, Ms Cairns would like to see a local support group established within Wagga that provides advice and education beyond what is available from the GP's office.
She also hopes that raising awareness will help those feeling insecure about their alopecia to regain some of their confidence.
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