Edinburgh student takes on seven-day hike to raise money after alopecia diagnosis

An Edinburgh Napier student will complete a sponsored 96-mile hike to raise money for the charity Alopecia UK.

Film student Rebecca Chapman was diagnosed with the unpredictable condition while she was still in school, and struggled with the lack of control she has.

The 19-year-old, from Morningside, first experienced alopecia when she was 13.

She says she first discovered a bald patch 'the size of a coin ' which led to an initial appointment with a dermatologist.

She said: "The dermatologists said ‘We can give you steroid injections but because it is such a small patch you might be better just leaving it’ and it eventually grew back.

"Then the more severe alopecia started in May 2023. It started as two small patches and since then it progressed. The two patches that were originally there, spread and joined. I have more patches now and it keeps spreading."

She added: "My hair is quite curly now so I tend to wear it always down. If I wear my hair up I can brush it to kind of cover the patches. You can still see the patches but it doesn't bother me too much.

"I think when I first got it the biggest thing was that I am fine with how it is now, but the most stressful part is the thought of losing more. And because I have been losing more and more you don't know how much you are going to lose."

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Rebecca said there was a long process of trying to figure out the trigger for the alopecia. She said: "I originally thought it was down to stress as I do suffer a lot from stress.

"Then my family and I realised that we do have a family history of autoimmune diseases."

The student had been told by her GP it was a long wait on the NHS to see someone about her condition. Her mum convinced her to go private after her hair started falling out at an alarming rate.

She said: “My mum found a private dermatologist back home in Manchester. The doctor is well known for treating alopecia.

"So I went to see him privately because my parents wanted to give me the best chance possible of getting it to grow back. He said it was most likely that I have an autoimmune disease that is expressing itself through alopecia."

Rebecca was given a few choices for treatment including an ‘aggressive approach’ which included steroid injections and cream but unfortunately, it did not show much improvement.

She added: “He did give me more options for treatment but the thing was the options are so expensive.

“I have just been seen by a dermatologist through the NHS and been put on a new medication, so I am seeing if that works or not.”

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Rebecca said in her experience that GPs are not well versed in alopecia. She said: “I understand that it is an unpredictable condition. So it is difficult to say ‘Oh will it grow back’ or ‘What will help it grow back?’”

The student will be taking a 96-mile hike from Milngavie to Fort William, known as the West Highland Way this summer to raise funds for Alopecia UK. Rebecca’s brother Alex will be joining her for the first few days of the hike.

“There is not a lot of control I have over my own alopecia so being able to raise money for the charity felt like a good thing to do. I'm really happy with the amount I have raised.”

She said: "Alopecia UK was one of the very few resources that provided in-depth guidance and research alongside a community of highly inspirational individuals."

If you would like to donate to Rebecca's fundraiser you can find out more here.

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