This September I’m going sugar free for Alopecia UK. 30 days of no chocolate, sweets, biscuits, fizzy drinks or processed foods such as bread with added sugar to raise funds for Alopecia Awareness Month.

I’ve been involved with Alopecia UK for a long time now, attending in person and online groups, making use of the peer support Facebook page and attending events such as the big weekend and Alton towers. There is also a huge range of online resources and the team are contactable for a chat too.

They do so much for such a tiny team, covering the entire of the UK and providing vital support for people. I’ve volunteered in a number of roles to help give back and it’s meant I have a first hand view of how much they really do and it’s not just the support and awareness element we mostly see but also how much they work with medical professionals in the background and being a vital part of getting new treatments approved.

It sounds like a cliché but I’m going to say it anyway - Alopecia is a tough journey and one many of us battle with for years. Even when accepting of the condition as I am now, there are days where it still affects your mental health and there are the physical elements as well that people don’t think about (reduced ability to filter out dust and light from our eyes with no lashes and control body temperature with no arm and leg hair to name a couple).

So I’m fundraising for all of us, new and experienced, so we can keep our community and our connection with others who understand and to give us the best chance of a future where we have a choice. Dawn Warden