'Everyone is their own kind of beautiful' says 25-year-old Shannon Hyne who is setting up a support group and fashion shoots to build confidence of fellow alopecia sufferers in Norfolk.
Shannon, from Dereham, has spoken about the trauma of hair loss as Perth model Lara Kitchen shared heartbreaking images on social media of her 12th suicide attempt due to alopecia.
Shannon's battle with depression began after she discovered a small bald patch at the back of her head at the age of 10.
Within four years, a large patch of hair had fallen out at the front of her head and at the age of 16 most of her hair had gone.
As a young teenager, Shannon struggled to cope with the impact on her hair loss and the isolation she felt. She started self harming by cutting her arms with a knife and ended up leaving her Suffolk school due to bullying.
But thanks to support group Alopecia UK she was able to turn her life around and is now a mother to two toddlers as well as studying an Open University degree in forensic psychology. She is determined to think positively about the disease.
'I still get my days sometimes it does feel like it is end of the world as it is something you have to learn to live with it especially with the society we live in now and you see women like Kim Kardashian with their flowing manes of hair!
'It has definitely held me back in some aspects and I still won't go swimming but I have got my health and it is now part of me so I won't sit at home moping about it.
'It is not going to change who you are as a person it just changes way you look.'
In July Alopecia UK set up its first research committee in July to look into the little known causes of the disease, which has affected eight million women in the UK including celebrity Gail Porter.
Shannon is calling for fellow alopecia sufferers to join in a series of fashion shoots and will select images to create a calendar to raise money for Alopecia UK
'I may be bald but this doesn't mean I am not beautiful'
The fashion shoots organised in conjunction Wireloose Pix with are sponsored by Positively Hair If you wish to join in the fashion shoots or sponsor the event then please email shannon.hyne@hotmail.com or for further information go to www.alopecia.org.uk
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