TV personality Gail Porter has made an honest and vulnerable confession about her experience with alopecia.
The 51-year-old presenter spoke out on social media about feeling 'insecure' about being bald due to her alopecia. The star was first diagnosed in 2005, and has since lost her hair, eyebrows and eyelashes.
Porter has been vocal about her experience of the condition and has refused to wear wigs in the past to cover up her hair loss. As a result, she saw presenting work dry up after her initial diagnosis.
Today Porter has shared how feelings of insecurity have prompted her to head for a beauty treatment.
The presenter, who used to host shows including Top Of The Pops and The Big Breakfast, shared a selfie in black and white as she showed off false eyelashes in place of her own.
Writing on Twitter, she said: "Today I got some lashes attached to my wee bald head. I did it as I was feeling insecure about being bald. Alopecia is not the worst thing.
"I lost my mother to cancer. So my baldness is nothing. Just be kind to everyone. X have a beautiful Christmas time x."
Fans have rushed to share their support for the star, with one replying: "You continue to be such an inspiration and beacon to us all. If only more people had your spirit and determination the world would be a better place indeed."
Another added: "Eyelashes or not, you’re a beautiful person inside and out."
"i love your wee bald head and your big big heart," said a third.
Another praised Gail for being so honest, as they wrote: "You look fab. You be kind to yourself. Alopecia IS quite a big deal and YOU make IT rock you. Because you rock it. Never forget that."
In the past, Gail has opened up about losing her hair and how it made her feel on the Sacrifice and Success podcast : "My personality took a bit of a knock. Jobs just stopped, because you don't look the same. 'Would you wear a wig, would you mind wearing a wig?' No I don't want to wear a wig. This is how it is.
"I was going through a divorce, no money coming in. So eventually I had nowhere to stay. It just went from bad to worse.
"Things like, what do you do? Do I drink? I've got no clue whatsoever, I don't take drugs so…"
The TV star was later sectioned under the Mental Health Act in 2011 and admitted that she was motivated by her daughter to 'save her own life', as she later sought treatment.
She explained: "I went to rehab for my depression, self-harming, if I didn't have Honey I wouldn't be here. One hundred percent. I would not be here. But I thought, I could not do that to my daughter at all."
