"I don’t know why but I began losing my hair when I was just five-years-old. It started slowly at first, just circular bald patches the size of a 10p piece. When I noticed lots of hair on my pillow, I began to ask questions. Mum took me to a dermatologist who confirmed that I had alopecia areata. I didn’t understand what was happening to me.

 "Over time, the bald patches grew larger and started to join together and, by the time I was eight, I was wearing a wig.

"Then, just before I started secondary school, when I was about 10, my hair started to grow back for no apparent reason. But I still had the bald patches, so I'd disguise these by strategically styling my hair. Before classes, a couple of friends would help colour my head in with eyeliner pencils otherwise my white scalp would shine through.

 "I was 21 when my hair loss happened again. I was in the shower and suddenly ankle deep in water because my hair was clogging the plughole. I pretty much lost the lot in one go. I felt devastated. Just when I thought I was over it, it got me again. That’s one of the cruel things about alopecia.

"I eventually went to try some wigs on and chose a simple bob, just like the style I used to have. After a while I began to get used to it and started to buy different types of wig.

"In 1996, I began my campaign to raise awareness of hair loss. When I was featured in a national newspaper, the response was incredible. Since then I was very fortunate to take part in a television documentary about Gail Porter, the television personality, who was diagnosed with alopecia in August 2005. It was wonderful meeting and working alongside Gail and, since then, the awareness for hair loss has increased dramatically. Gail and I remain great friends, and we meet and speak as often as we can.  I am delighted and thrilled that her hair has come back! It just reinforces my words that alopecia is so very unpredictable.

"I’ve come a long way since those early years. I spend time as an ambassador and volunteer for the charity Alopecia Awareness and Bebold, which gives those experiencing hair loss the opportunity to communicate with others who understand the emotional trauma caused by the condition.

"I now have around 50 wigs in my collection: red, brunette, blonde, black, long, short, straight, curly. The one I wear depends on where I'm going, what I'm doing, what I’m wearing and how I’m feeling. There is definitely life after hair loss."