A new documentary 'My Alopecia and Me' is now available to watch on the BBC iPlayer, just in time for the start of Alopecia Awareness Month 2024. 

The half-hour episode features interviews and soundbites from a variety of people in the alopecia community, with different experiences with alopecia. Please note, the episode contains upsetting scenes and mentions suicide. 

Watch 'My Alopecia and Me' Here

The introduction to the episode does a good job of explaining that 'alopecia' simply means hair loss and that there are different types of alopecia. 

The film mainly features people with alopecia areata, and the NICE-approved medicine ritlecitinib is one topic of discussion. 

Presenter Thomas Mackintosh has alopecia areata himself so brings his own experience to the interviews with others, which is good to see. Thomas' own perceptions that alopecia is worse for women than men were challenged after speaking to both men and women affected by the condition, and he was left with different thoughts and feelings on the matter. 

The episode also features Alan Green, who lost his step-daughter Alicia to suicide in 2020. The coroner cited Alicia's alopecia as a factor in her death. Special thanks to Alan, and wife Cheryl, for contributing to this piece. 

You may recall a couple of other contributors to the episode from other articles we have shared in the past. Actor Sam, who last year took his play 'Truly Madly Baldy' to the Edinburgh Fringe, and photographer Orlando who took portraits of men with alopecia for a Wellcome Trust project. 

Thomas also calls in on one of our Glasgow support group meetings, with one of its attendees Megan featuring prominently in the film. 

A huge well done and thank you to everyone who contributed. It's great to see an alopecia episode in the 'And Me' series, which highlights several health conditions and issues, including Anxiety and Menopause.  

Alopecia UK is proud of the part it played in this awareness piece, supporting the producers in finding contributors. Awareness is one of Alopecia UK's aims and we are keen to support projects which help to raise the profile, increase understanding, and reduce stigma. 

On the matter of the medicine ritlecitinib, we would like to reiterate what was said by Consultant Dermatologist, and Chair of British Hair & Nail Society, Dr Leila Asfour in the documentary. Ritlecitinib is not a cure. It will not work for everyone who tries it. Clinical trials show that it will work in approximately 50% of people with severe alopecia areata. You can read our latest update regarding ritlecitinib here. 

Watch 'My Alopecia and Me' Here