03 / 20 / 14

Danielle’s Hair Loss Helps Her Find Confidence

Danielle, 31, who was brought up in a tough housing project in Cardiff, Wales in the UK began losing her hair at the vulnerable age of 16, and she confides that it was a huge blow to her self-confidence.

She says: “At the time it was very hard, it was awful. I remember going to the doctor and he said, ‘I don’t know what’s causing it’ and that was really frightening because I thought I was dying. I was only 16 and kept thinking, ‘hair falls out when you’ve got cancer’.

As it turns out, Danielle has Alopecia Areata, an autoimmune disease that causes her hair to fall out is patches. Although she is still prone to the condition occasionally, she has learned not to worry about it. “It doesn’t bother me any more. Now I get the odd little patch – I’ve had one recently – but thankfully it always grows back,” she says. “But alopecia is a difficult problem – no one knows much about it.”

Danielle has come a long way. She is now studying to fulfill her dream of becoming an actor. “I want to learn the trade and start with theatre to prove that I can do it.” And on top of that, she is now the London Daily Mirror’s new beauty columnist, sharing all the insider tips she’s picked up from make-up artists on photoshoots.