A mum has bravely spoken out about her battle with alopecia and how it has affected her life.
Brittany Hardaker was bullied at school, failed to maintain relationships and lacked the confidence to be herself.
But thanks to the help of a wig specialist and a make up artist, she has found the strength to speak out for the first time during a fitting for a real hair wig.
The 21-year-old from Abergele struggled for years to cope with her hair loss condition and "got lost" in the NHS system until she reached out to salon owner and wig specialist, Rebecca Morgan.
It was Rebecca who approached the Little Princes Trust and they donated a real hair piece.
During the emotional fitting at Morgan's Hair and Beauty in Prestatyn, Brittany featured in a heart wrenching video in which she admitted what it's like to live with the condition.
The mum-of-one said: "Having alopecia has done a lot of bad things to my life.
"High school, I moved four times because of bullies.
"I've had people pulling wigs off me and taking the mick out of me.
"I've had a few relationships end.
"I hope to feel better about myself and I want to speak out because I don't want anybody to feel the way I do.
"If I was to give anyone advice about this, I would say don't let it beat you.
"There are options. There are a lot of things out there that you can do to make you feel better."
Brittany was diagnosed with alopecia at the age of 12 after she begged her mum to take her to the hairdressers to dye her ginger hair which she was getting picked on for.
She recalled: "The hairdresser parted my hair and noticed some bald patches so said she couldn't dye it.
"She urged me to see my GP and that's when I was diagnosed with alopecia.
"The bullying got worse to the point where I had to move schools several times.
"It was a horrible time of my life and my confidence was shattered."
In the video, Brittany is given a make over by Sarah Claire Hobson and reveals how wearing a wig and make up makes her feel normal.
"When I have make up and a wig on, I just feel myself again," she said.
"I feel happy. I can go out and don't have to worry about people looking at me or feel uncomfortable. "
Rebecca Morgan, who is an official NHS supplier of wigs for hospital patients across North Wales and West Cheshire, said: "Brittany contacted me on Facebook as she had been lost in the system of the NHS and hadn’t received help for some years, partly down to her moving houses a few times.
"She was in a pretty distressed state of mind.
"I contacted the Little Princess Trust to see if they could help fund a wig for her and they said yes straight away.
"So we chose a wig, ordered it and she came in for her fitting.
"She was like a completely different person walking out to what she came in. Happy, confident and with a massive smile on her face.
"She talked to me about how she had been bullied at school and after school years and her break down in relationships.
"I am so proud of her for sharing her experience with others as it will hopefully let others know that are suffering this condition that there is help out there.
"If they are 24 years old or younger, we can help through the Little Princess Trust or from our wig bank.
"Currently there is an 11 to 14 month NHS waiting list to see a dermatologist, that’s a very long time for someone with a hair loss condition to wait for a wig, especially if they are not in a position to be able to afford one."
For more information, visit morganshairandbeauty.co.uk or call 01745 798747.
