Surrey & Greater London

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.