Please get in touch with Elaine ahead of a meeting and let her know if
you intend to go along so that she can let the venue know about numbers.
Elaine's link with alopecia:Elaine has had alopecia for over thirty years and currently has alopecia universalis.
From Elaine:
"I was first diagnosed with alopecia aged 19 and have had hair loss
patches of varying sizes over the 30 years until 2015 when it suddenly
progressed to Alopecia Universalis. I understand the fear and worry that
dramatic changes to your appearance can have on your emotional
wellbeing. Coming to Alopecia UK and meeting people with the same
condition and hearing their experiences, suggestions and positivity gave
me courage to accept myself with or without hair and face the world
without fear. Helping and supporting others on the same journey is my
way of saying thank you for the help I have received. The meeting is a
safe place to share our stories, learn more about alopecia in it's
various forms, gain understanding about the different ways we are
affected by our hair loss and the practical means by which we can help
ourselves feel more confident in the way we look, act and feel."
Need Advice or Support Outside of the Group Meetings?The
main role of support group leads is to facilitate, and answer questions
about, the group meetings. Some may offer additional support and you
can see what is on offer from Elaine below:
- Elaine has her
telephone number advertised and is happy to provide a listening ear via
telephone call if someone phones.
- Elaine is happy to receive support questions from those in her local area and
will answer to the best of her ability based on her own knowledge and
experiences. Please be aware that any questions Elaine is unable to
answer will be sent on to staff at Alopecia UK.
Please
note that all of our support group leads are volunteers and do this in
their spare time. As such please allow up to a week for replies to
emails. The majority of group leads are not trained health
professionals and will be helping from the standpoint of being someone
who is affected by alopecia themselves and wanting to reach out and help
others.
You can always
contact Alopecia UK head office direct during office hours should you have any queries that need a more urgent response.
Suggestions, Comments, Compliments, Complaints?If
you have any 'Suggestions, Comments, Compliments or Complaints' about
any of the Support Groups listed on the Alopecia UK website then you can
let us know by clicking
here.
Feedback is always appreciated. The information will be used by
Alopecia UK to help us understand what works and what doesn't in
order that we can support and advise group leads more effectively and
develop the Alopecia UK support group network.