We are dedicating a week in Alopecia Awareness Month 2021 to wellbeing. As part of 'Wellbeing Week', we have written this blog of six wellbeing tips for those with alopecia. We hope you find the suggestions helpful.

1. Try relaxation

When we are stressed, stress hormones are released which lead to a range of responses in the body which include:

• Heart beating faster
• Tension in the muscles
• Sweating
• Upset stomach
• Increased blood pressure

All of these things can feel uncomfortable and sometimes frightening. Relaxation can help to reduce the levels of stress hormones and relax the body.

A quick relaxation exercise to try:

• Sitting or standing, whichever is most comfortable for you, place both feet flat on the ground, hip width apart
• Let your breath flow as deep down into your belly as is comfortable
• Try breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth
• Now, breathing in gently count steadily to five and then without a pause or holding your breath, exhale slowly to the count of five
• Keep doing this for around three to five minutes

2. Get writing

Writing down your thoughts can help in a number of ways:

• Help to explore your feelings
• See if there are any patterns to your moods, any times when you seem to feel better or worse?
• Help explain how you feel to others
• Help to express how you feel and get those difficult emotions ‘out’

3. Schedule in some ‘you time’

It is important to prioritise yourself. Don’t forget about the little things. Even just doing the little things that you enjoy can help you feel better, improve your mood and relieve feelings of stress and tension.

For example, you might enjoy a relaxing bath, a long walk, treating yourself to something indulgent or watching a favourite film. Whatever you do, be kind to yourself!

4. Accept support

Most of us rely on our friends and family to help us when we have problems. Alopecia should be no exception. Friends and family will most likely want to be there to support you. If your friends and family are struggling to know how to help you, let them know that they can also contact Alopecia UK for support and advice.

5. Acknowledge your positives

You are so much more than how you look but alopecia can make it very difficult to focus on anything else. Try and take some time to think about all the things you can do well and all the things that people say are your good qualities. If it helps, why not ask people you trust what your best qualities are.

6. Speak to others who ‘get it’

If you don’t know anyone with alopecia, it can feel quite isolating. Speaking to other people affected by alopecia can help. Meeting others is also a great way to get practical advice and support on your options for managing hair loss.

We hope the wellbeing tips are helpful. Remember, it can take different people different amounts of time to start to feel more positive. Try not to feel bad for feeling bad as it’s perfectly normal to feel down. Try not to compare yourself to others who you feel are coping better or worse. We are all very different human beings.

If you have found this blog post helpful and would like to support more content like this in the future, please consider a small donation to Alopecia UK this Alopecia Awareness Month. 

Make a donation to Alopecia UK's 2021 Alopecia Awareness Month Appeal