'Losing my hair was like losing part of me'
It is more than 10 years since Caoilfhinn Ní Choiligh was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata. She was 15 at the time and the supports available to her were few and far between. “I loved my hair,” she said. “When I did start losing it, I felt like I was losing a part of me. We decided to go to the GP and she was nonchalant, she wasn’t very helpful.”
Now Caoilfhinn has made it her mission that no one going through hair loss would be left with questions or seeking support.
She began Hair Loss Haven and on March 1 she is hosting what she dubbed, “a self care day”, to launch it.
“Recently, I started doing TikToks about my experience and that made me connect with so many other people who were experiencing the same thing. “What I really struggled with was just finding a community because I think it’s something a lot of people hide. It’s still taboo, like people don’t like to tell you that they’re wearing a wig or a hairpiece.”
Hair Loss Haven is about creating a community for those experiencing hair loss, about removing the stigma and shame that surrounds it, especially for the older generation.
“So many people get it, maybe not to the degree that I have – I’ve lost 90% of my hair – but a lot of people have it.
“Whether it be menopause, perimenopause, pregnancy, stress, treatment, weight loss, a lot of people have it and they’re alone battling it.
“So that’s why I said I would love to do something to just be accessible for people to have an open conversation about it and find support.”
Caoilfhinn is not alone in organising the event, she has teamed up with Saoirse Cleary, another Westmeath native living with alopecia.
“She has quite severe alopecia like myself,” said Caoilfhinn. “She actually turned her story around and started a wig business because she, like me, couldn’t find realistic, natural wigs on the Irish markets.”
Other people involved in hair loss and alopecia support will be involved on the day as well, including Sarah Cummins, a trichologist, and Jill Maloney, a Dublin based woman running a wig bank, and guests will have the chance to try on wigs and see what they like.
The wigs idea came to Caoilfhinn after meeting with a small group of women in Dublin who also have Alopecia. “They were so eye opening because I got lots of information, but I was the youngest there. I could really see how my attitude to hair loss is completely different to theirs.
“They felt so limited by the constraints of wearing a wig or a hairpiece. Some of them were saying, ‘Oh I don’t go on boats in case it slides of’, because god forbid if it does.”
For that reason, Caoilfhinn wants to provide attendees with the opportunity to try on wigs, and see how good they could be. “I wanted the day to be like a self care day, I didn’t want it to be all medical talks, I wanted it to have a loose structure.
“So there are loads of stalls on the day both from national and local brands and people can kind of frequent whenever they want.
“There’s going to be a panel discussion with experts but also local advocates.”
The event is in the Annebrook House Hotel on Sunday March 1. Tickets (€25) on eventbrite cover goodie bags and spot prizes and lunch is included.