We are delighted to introduce Sam MacGregor, the winner of our second Alopecia Awareness Fund award!

The Alopecia Awareness Fund was introduced by Alopecia UK to help fund individuals with alopecia awareness projects in local communities across the UK.

Congratulations Sam! Tell us why is raising awareness of alopecia important to you…

I am a 27-year-old writer and actor from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. I made the big move to London in late 2019, and after two weeks of moving I soon found myself losing my hair at a rapid rate. My mother lost all of her hair around 15 years ago, so the topic of alopecia has always been important to me.

It turns out that I became very comfortable with my hair loss within a short amount of time. I do remember brief occasions where I had quite bad anxiety seeing people back in Newcastle who had not yet seen my new look. However, in London my friends have only ever known me as being bald.  

Thank you Sam for sharing your alopecia journey with us. Are you able to tell us a little bit about your alopecia awareness project?

This project initially started out as a monologue/reaction to my hair loss and I performed this for a short period between lockdowns. It was received very well, which was great. I then adapted it into a longer piece with a second female character being added in. Finally, I developed this into a full-length script, taking the focus away from my own storyline and shifting the plot into two women of colour with alopecia. With the addition of live music (which has been funded by Alopecia UK’s Alopecia Awareness Fund), the entire show will be electric and vibrant and will give the audience laughs and moments to ponder. Ultimately, I want to educate and entertain people, and I think this project will do exactly that!

As anyone with alopecia knows, there are common misconceptions about our appearances and what it is we are going through, both mentally and physically. This show aims to raise awareness about alopecia, in a positive and entertaining way. A goal of mine would be to tour this show across different cities and especially in schools. I believe there needs to be a more solid approach to teaching young adults and children about body image, and I think a show such as this could be something that would have a positive impact. 

Ultimately, I feel there is insufficient funding into alopecia and support for hair loss, whether that relates to wigs, mental health support or diagnosis, etc. A show such as this, and many other forms of artistic practice will raise awareness, which will be pivotal in helping people understand and cope. 

I would like to thank Alopecia UK for their support in funding my passion. 

We believe Sam’s project and story is going to resonate with so many people within the alopecia community. Congratulations Sam on becoming the recipient of our Alopecia Awareness Fund award! It was an incredibly hard decision for the Judging Panel, but we have another 2 funding rounds for 2022. If you have a new, innovative alopecia awareness project that you would like to get off the ground, please consider applying for our next round of funding. All the information you need to apply can be found here.