A FERMANAGH woman who lost her hair as a teenager is calling for better support for people across the North living with alopecia.
Stacey McCabe, a mother-of-two from Belcoo, recently underwent pioneering mesh hair integration treatment in London. It has transformed her confidence after years of struggling with wigs, sprays and self-doubt.
Speaking to the ‘Herald, she called for more support for young women, in particular, many of whom suffer in silence, too afraid or lacking confidence to seek help.
“Girls at that age – 16 or 17 – it’s all about how you look and how you feel,” Stacey told the ‘Herald.
“Losing your hair, you don’t feel feminine. Your confidence just goes. I remember feeling so awkward. You didn’t want people to notice, and you definitely didn’t want them to mention it.”
Stacey began losing her hair as a teenager, at the height of the stress of dealing with her late father Hugh’s illness.
In the years that followed, she tried numerous treatments and human hair wigs.
But with two young children and a busy life, the daily effort of wig-wearing became a struggle and Stacey felt she needed something more practical and permanent.
That search led her to London, where she underwent ‘mesh integration, a non-surgical method that attaches real hair to a lightweight mesh base secured to the scalp.
“I absolutely love it. I go to sleep with it on and wake up with it still there – it feels like my own hair again. It’s so secure and has changed how I feel about myself.”
But accessing this treatment wasn’t easy.
Despite alopecia being a relatively common condition, Stacey, pictured left, said there are very few specialists in the North, and those that do offer it are overwhelmed with demand.
Even sourcing quality wigs proved difficult.
“My hair got to the point where there was no hiding it any more. I couldn’t spray it or cover it. Me and my Mum drove up the country to try on wigs, but there just aren’t enough places here that help young women.”
Cost is another huge barrier, she added
“In the South, they have grants for wigs and treatments like mesh integration. They’ll cover a big chunk of it. Here, all you can get is VAT off – but only if you have a doctor’s note which is sent to the wig specialist.”
Through her TikTok page, Stacey has opened up about her journey and the response has been ‘shocking, but in a good way’.
“People are going through it and not talking. But in this day and age, we should talk. It’s not doom and gloom forever. Nobody’s looking at you – it’s all in your head. People care more about who you are than what you look like.”
She urged anyone facing hair loss not to hide away.
“Talk to your family, talk to your friends. Explore what options are out there. Don’t bottle it all up, you’ll only make yourself feel worse and more anxious. There are things that can help.”
To read more on this story see this week’s Fermanagh Herald. Can’t get to the shop to collect your copy? No problem! You can download a copy straight to your device by following this link… Subscribe to current edition