Sunday, 19 November 2006

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Cheryl Baker: My hair fell out

She felt shame and embarrassment

Singer and TV presenter Cheryl Baker says she was devastated when she found out she was losing her hair.

‘My hair’s never been luxuriously thick, but I was happy until a few years ago when it started falling out. I felt like I must be the only woman in the world who had thinning hair and it’s only now I’ve gone public about it that I realise how many women suffer from hair loss.’

Studies show that around 50 per cent of women will start losing their hair by the time they’re 50, and over a third of all women will experience thinning hair at some point in their lives. (Cheryl was born in 1954.)

I couldn't talk about it to anyone

Yet most women suffer in silence, as Cheryl did. ‘I didn’t even tell my closest friends because I was so embarrassed,’ she admits. ‘It’s alright for men to lose their hair. Bald men are considered virile, but for women it’s so unfeminine.’

Cheryl, who lives with her husband Steve and twin daughters Kyla and Natalie [born in 1994], says she first started noticing her hair was coming out while she was showering.

‘One morning in the shower the plug got blocked and I realised it was choked with my hair,’ she explains. ‘My doctor told me it was probably due to the change in my hormonal levels because I was going through the menopause. I was also under a lot of emotional stress at the time because my mother was very ill’

According to medical experts, these factors can contribute to hair loss in women, although it can also be due to hormonal changes after childbirth, a diet low in protein and iron, thyroid disease or a side effect of medication.

Mum had thinning hair too

Also, like men’s baldness, it can be hereditary, which Cheryl believes is a factor in her hair loss. ‘My mother had very fine hair that got thinner as she got older, to the point that you could see her scalp through her hair.’

Although Cheryl’s condition never got that severe, it was bad enough to completely undermine her confidence. ‘If you start losing your hair, you feel so self-conscious and it knocks your self-esteem,’ she says. ‘I tried all sorts of things to disguise it, like backcombing my hair. I even bought a wig, although I couldn’t bring myself to wear it.’

Cheryl was so embarrassed that she tried to keep it hidden from everyone, even her husband. ‘I didn’t talk to Steve about it and he never mentioned it either, although I’m not sure if he noticed because I disguised it well,’ she confesses.

In the meantime, she spent a fortune on potions and lotions and even resorted to various old wives’ remedies in a desperate bid to halt the loss. ‘The most ridiculous thing I tried was rubbing mashed avocado into my hair,’ she laughs. ‘Some of the lotions did work, but only by making my hair appear thicker rather than actually making it grow back.’

A hair supplement changed my life

It wasn’t until a male friend called and tentatively mentioned Nourkrin, a natural supplement for hair loss, that things began to turn around for Cheryl. ‘My friend mentioned this product, so I went to my local pharmacist to find out about it.’

The remedy is a natural food supplement made up of a protein compound of marine extracts. It helps slow hair loss and promote growth. ‘It made perfect sense that if I wanted my hair to recover I should feed it from the inside rather than rub stuff on my head,’ says Cheryl.

‘After four months my hair started to look so much thicker,’ she says. ‘And then when I went on holiday with friends two months later, everyone kept saying how fantastic my hair looked – even my hairdresser mentioned it.’

She now credits the treatment with completely changing her life. ‘I can’t tell you the difference it’s made,’ she says. ‘Although my self-esteem never got so low that I couldn’t go out the front door, I’d reached the stage where I hated myself because of how I looked.’

Since Cheryl went public about her hair loss, she’s been stunned by just how common the problem is among women and she’s glad she’s able to do something to ensure other women don’t feel as desperate as she did. ‘It happens to lots of women,’ Cheryl says. ‘You’re not alone.’

Rachael Woolston

Nourkrin Hair Recovery Programme costs £49.95 for one month’s supply. For more information, visit www.lifes2good.com or call 0845 3990022.

For support and advice about hair loss, contact Hairline International at www.hairlineinternational.co.uk or by calling 01564 775281.