Two weeks after leaving hospital, my hair rapidly began to shed. Ironically, the day my Mom noticed my hair loss we went on my first ever trip to Alton Towers, now the very place I love to go with Alopecia UK each year!

Mom says she saw there was a 50p sized patch of shiny skin on my head when we were brushing my teeth. There was no sign of scratching or redness, just smooth nothingness. Obviously I was Oblivious (note the Alton Towers reference!)

Two weeks later, it was all gone.I’ve lived with alopecia universalis for 10 years now. It is a huge part of my identity.

I am a very athletic guy. This means I (like many of us!) have to find suitable headwear all year round. Having no hair of course means I sweat lots and there's nothing to collect it, or stop it getting in my eyes. You guys know the drill, in Summer it's suncream ALL THE TIME, and in Winter you basically live in your thickest, woolliest hat. I have now taken to wearing plain glasses to protect my eyes, whether it's from pollen in Summer or bits and debris in Winter.

Of course over the years, I've had a lot of stares, questions, and comments. Some are downright rude, but most are just inquisitive or uneducated, and that’s where I like to step in and explain why I have no hair, and educate others a bit about living with alopecia.

I’ve also loved raising awareness through Alopecia UK's September fundraising months for the last two years, and I was on the front cover of the first Alopecia UK online magazine!

The thing I love most about having alopecia (there has to be a silver lining) is the community it has given me. From the online Zoom meetings and crazy quizzes, to the face-to-face meets and advice on email, every single person knows your story because they are living it too in some way. When we go to Alton Towers you just FEEL it, you are one of a sea of heads that look like yours, you aren’t stared at before there’s so many other people who are just like you, and you feel free to own exactly who you are!