Alopecia sufferer mother-of-two, 27, sick of struggling to cover up her bald patches embraces condition by shaving her head completely bald

An alopecia sufferer who first lost her hair when she was just two-years-old has finally decided to stop the condition ruining her life - and has gone completely bald. 

Robyn Bridge, 27, shaved her head after being sick of trying to cover up ever-increasing bald patches that left her feeling 'disgusted' with herself.

The mother-of-two, from Westhoughton, Bolton, Lancashire, took 39-year-old fiance Andrew Farrell's clippers and shaved it all off in June.

Robyn Bridge, 27, shaved her head after being sick of trying to cover up ever-increasing bald patches that left her feeling 'disgusted' with herself

She said: 'I then cried for three days and then I felt free. I felt an enormous release of pressure and stress. I have felt amazing since.'

She added: 'I went swimming with my boys for the first time ever as I didn't have to worry about wearing a wig.

'I can now go to the gym without fear of messing up my strategically styled hair. This has been the most freeing thing I have ever done.' 

The carer, who has two boys aged one and three, had her first episode of hair loss when she was just two-years-old, when her parents split up. 

She said: 'Of course, I wasn't aware of that incident. It wasn't until I was around 11 or 12-years-old that I had the first episode that I was actually aware of.'

The mother-of-two, from Westhoughton, Bolton, Lancashire, had her first episode of hair loss when she was just two-years-old, when her parents split up

Robyn says her alopecia is caused by stress, with her hair falling out at trigger points in her life like taking exams and taking her driving test.

She added: 'I was never an overly anxious person, but the hair loss made me anxious, it is a catch 22 situation.

'Aside from losing my hair, my hair is actually really thick and long, I loved my hair, so losing it was particularly hard.'

Robyn would fashion her hair in different styles and partings, use root spray, or wear cheap £30 wigs from Amazon or a baseball cap.

But her main way of hiding her hair eventually became to hide away altogether and said: 'I thought that I was disgusting.' 

Robyn tried hair loss treatments, including one where a mesh is bonded to the existing hair and strips of extensions are sewn through.

At one point had a full head of hair but this was fleeting, only lasting until she had her second child in February 2019 when her hair loss went into overdrive.

Her long dark tresses were now barely covering her head and it was impossible to cover meaning she couldn't continue with hair loss treatment.  

Robyn says her alopecia is caused by stress, with her hair falling out at trigger points in her life like taking exams and taking her driving test

As she spoke to others in alopecia forums Robyn came across other women who had embraced their bald heads.  

After shaving her hair off, she first continued to wear her wigs but would take them off without a thought when it rained as you can't get synthetic wigs wet.  

She said: 'There was no big moment when I decided to brave the world with my new self, I slowly eased myself into it so that I didn't actually even notice the transition.

'But now I don't wear a wig at all.

'The benefits of no hair are amazing - I can shower in two minutes, I save money on hair products, I can go out in the rain without a care and not worry about my boys pulling at my hair.

Robyn tried hair loss treatments and at one point had a full head of hair but this was fleeting so she couldn't continue with hair loss treatment

'I have had a few funny looks and some will even ask me what's happened, but I expect that and I'm fine with that.

'People mainly think I am going through chemotherapy, but I am happy to explain about alopecia. The more people know about the condition the better.'

She added: 'Luckily, I do not have a life-threatening condition, I am fit and healthy and I now embrace that.

'The way I feel now, I can honestly say I am not wishing for my hair back.

'Of course having a natural head of hair would be a bonus but I am completely happy the way I am.'