Nellie explains how our wigs make a real difference

The Little Princess Trust has now provided thousands of wigs to children and young people with hair loss. And behind every wig is a different story. As part of a series of stories marking our 20th anniversary, Nellie Dougherty describes the personal challenges of hair loss while also explaining how our wigs helped her.

My name is Nellie, I’m a student, I’m 21 years old, and I have been living with alopecia areata since I was about 11 years old, losing over 70% of my hair when I was 18.

Since then, I have been fortunate enough to have worn three beautiful wigs provided to me by The Little Princess Trust.

Naturally my experience with alopecia has been marked by many ups and downs; in the beginning, I grappled with ill-fitting hair pieces, itchy wig-caps, and most uncomfortably, the feeling of being abnormal and different from every other girl my age.   

I first heard about The Little Princess Trust through the doctor who diagnosed me. When I first considered the option of wearing wigs, I was 18, weeks away from my A-Level exams.

I felt totally overwhelmed with the gravity of what I was dealing with- seeing an entirely new appearance before me in the mirror, and the emotional impact that came along with this physical change. 

Naturally, I had always connected my long, healthy hair with my femininity and womanhood. When my hair disappeared, with it went my sense of self as I knew it as a young woman.

When I reached out to The Little Princess Trust, I was met with nothing but warmth, kindness, and total understanding of what I was going through.

I was given a colourful variety of options for wigs, myself the centre of the selection process, which really empowered me to feel in control of my appearance at a time when that aspect of myself felt so much out of my hands.

I was able that first time, and each time since, to find a wig that perfectly suited me, providing me with an invaluable sense of comfort, confidence, and agency. 

At first, having a wig really helped me feel like myself again, allowing me to go out without feeling the heavy weight of stares or awkward questions.

Soon, they became much more, evolving into tools of self-expression. Something I’ve really loved about my wigs is their versatility - I’ve had a lot of fun styling them, experimenting with curls, waves, fringes, layers, headbands, and scarves.

My wigs have allowed me to feel like I have options in my appearance, and that I could once again participate in fashion and beauty the way I did before. 

Having alopecia is much more than just losing your hair – it’s about learning to navigate a significant personal and physical difference, in a society that often isn’t quite sure how to react to it.

The journey from fear to confidence is one that happens in steps and stages.

For many people like me, the support The Little Princess Trust offers goes far beyond the beautiful wigs they provide free of charge. It is a lifeline, it's empowerment, for some, it is dignity.

For me, the most valuable thing the charity gave me was the space to rebuild my self-image in my own time, and on my own terms.

Wearing the wigs given to me by The Little Princess Trust helped me to regain my confidence and engage with the world while still grieving the loss of my hair and my appearance as I’d known it.

These days I often go without a wig, and I no longer fear being seen in my natural state. The Little Princess Trust gave me a bridge, on which I could gently be carried from feeling the need to hide to choosing to be visible and proud, whether wearing a wig or not.