Chan See Ting is a young, modern Singaporean woman. Her life changed completely when she developed Alopecia Areata, her journey and ultimate redemption grabbed our attention as a story worth sharing.
Alopecia Areata
Alopecia Areata is an incredibly challenging condition that can leave sufferers devastated. It affects millions of people globally and has no respect for age, gender or nationality. Around one in fifty of us can expect to endure a brush with Alopecia Areata at some point in our lives. It strikes without warning and is incredibly difficult to get rid of. Worse still, having got rid of it you remain vulnerable to a relapse and having to go through the whole thing again, albeit with an understanding of what to expect the second time around.
While there is no cure the condition is constantly becoming better understood as research pushes back the limits of our understanding. Alopecia Areata is now understood to be an autoimmune condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles. The precise triggers for this still elude the scientists but the condition is more prevalent among people with a history of other autoimmune disorders, rheumatoid arthritus and type 1 diabetes for example. Modern science is able to help the sufferer return more quickly to a full head of hair and help prevent recurrence.
Chan See Ting
Back in 2013, Chan See Ting was a student in Singapore when her hairdresser drew her attention to a small bald patch on her scalp. She brushed it off as stress-related and no doubt determined to live a little more healthily. But the fact she had a serious hair loss issue quickly became apparent as the shedding continued. Having read that steroids could suppress the immune system she endured a series of injections into her scalp, as well as taking oral steroids which, she says, made her bloat. She came across a topical treatment, DPCP, which worked briefly only to fall out again after just a few months.
In an interview for Channel News in Asia (see the full article by clicking here)she described how many young women feel about the condition, “It was a loss of my identity, and a loss of my femininity. I started to question who I was as a person, and who I was as a woman.” During the interview she takes us on her 3 year journey to a better place, unfortunately for her that is not yet a full head of hair… but according to See Ting the experience, however painful, has been enormously character building. As she says, “… I’m grateful that I had to go through all this and be forced to think about my identity at such a young age because now I can do different things, and lead my life differently.”
Two years ago See Ting published an emotional Facebook post which went viral. From the 15 000 shares it received See Ting found herself inundated with requests to speak publicly about her condition… which in turn has led to the confidence she finds today.
HIS Hair Clinic
It is great to read redemptive stories of emotional salvation, like those of Chan See Ting. At the same time we recognize that many struggle to find their peace with hair loss conditions like Alopecia Areata. The good news is that for them there are plenty of options available on todays market to help. For men, Scalp Micropigmentation is an option that is simply covered by the hair when it does return.
If you want to discuss your own hair loss situation with one of our friendly team of experts then simply complete the contact form at the side of this page, or click here to find your nearest clinic.
