My little girl went bald at just 7 – I’m worried it was caused by school bullies who trolled her with nasty comments
A LITTLE girl started going bald when she was just seven-years-old - with her mum revealing her fears it was caused by school bullies.
Mum Wendy first noticed a bald patch on her young daughter, Bonnie Pullan, during a half-term holiday.
To her devastation, her little girl's full head of hair then started to fall out over the next few years.
And ultimately, the young girl was diagnosed with alopecia universalis - a condition characterised by complete hair loss which is not expected to grow back.
Speaking to the , Wendy said she believes it was the stress caused by bullying and “nasty comments” which triggered the condition.
She said: "As a family, we engage with Alopecia charities and remind Bonnie every day that real beauty is on the inside, but the reality is we know the importance of hair to young girls.
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"As secondary school looms she says things to me like 'Mum, I don’t like myself' or 'Mum, all of my friends are pretty and I’m not'. It is heartbreaking to see the toll it has on her mental health.”
But Wendy, from Skircoat Green in Halifax, said she was proud to see her daughter take on the situation bravely.
She said that while all of Bonnie’s hair fell out, some did start to grow back while being homeschool during the coronavirus lockdown.
However, since returning to school, all her hair, including her eyelashes and eyebrows, have fallen out.
After speaking with the school, the bullying of young Bonnie has stopped.
And Wendy said: "Bonnie has always been so strong, winning awards at school.
“She won an award for Alopecia UK for her fundraising and spreading awareness. She’s the strongest girl I know."
Despite Wendy's fears, experts have not linked alopecia universalis to stress.
It is heartbreaking to see the toll it has on her mental health
Wendy
Experts think that the condition may in fact be caused by an immune system disorder, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles, causing it to fall out, a report in suggests.
Although it does state that this may not be the only cause and factors such as genetics and environment may also play a role.
The report says: “It is possible that extreme stress, combined with genetics and immune system problems, could trigger alopecia areata and universalis. No medical studies have proven this link, however.”
It added: “Hair loss caused by stress is known as telogen effluvium. This type of hair loss is temporary and not related to immune or genetic factors. Usually, telogen effluvium is caused by physical or mental stress, such as severe illness, surgery, childbirth, emotionally stressful events, extreme diets, and medications.”
Bonnie’s family have now set up a donation page in the hope of changing her life and returning the confidence she lost when her hair fell out.
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The Yorkshire Hair Clinic in Huddersfield is hoping to raise £5,000 for hair replacement for Bonnie.
Anyone wanting to make a donation can visit the .
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