At the tender age of 23, this stunning and vibrant woman was struck by alopecia universalis. But rather than hiding in the shadows, she decided to share her story on social media and in the process be a guiding light for those who may be battling the same condition. In this exclusive interview, Rashi Singh opens her heart to us, recounting the ups and downs, the triumphs, and the moments of vulnerability she has encountered on her path.
How did alopecia start for you and had you heard about it beforehand?
I started having extreme hair fall when I was 23, everyday when I would clean my room, there would be chunks and chunks of hair that I had to pick up. But I didn’t see any doctor. Then my mom noticed a few bald patches on my head one day, that’s when we got really worried and consulted a dermatologist. The doctor told us about Alopecia. I had never heard of this condition before. My medication started right after, which were basically steroid creams and hair growth tablets and some supplements. But within a period of two months I had lost around 40% of my hair, which was basically in the back portion of my head. In the next 3 months, almost 80% of my hair was gone.
What was your initial reaction and how did your family react to the situation?

I got extremely worried about the condition. I started reading articles online, did as much research as I could to find a treatment type or doctor who can treat this condition, but none of it was very promising.
Seeing my hair fall day by day for five months is a nightmare that I have lived through, day and night it was the only thing that I thought of. Getting ready for work was the most difficult task of the day, because I could see my confidence falling to the ground day after day. I did not cry much during that time, instead I became very numb to everything.
My family was obviously very concerned too, they got worried about marriage prospects. Being an Indian household that is the first thing they thought was going to get affected by it. But it was not just about that, I had a certain notion about beauty, and for me beauty was incomplete without hair. I could not imagine myself being beautiful anymore. My confidence was gone.
Were you able to find the emotional support you were looking for?
Few doctors were kind enough to show me some empathy and told me not to worry alot about it. They asked me to practice yoga. They also explained to me how they will take forward my treatment and that I need to keep patience as it’s going to take a very long time to get my hair back.
I did get the support I needed from my family and friends. My family was always with me, gave me all the care I needed, and were there if I needed to talk about it. I had a close circle of 2-3 friends who knew about my condition. And they used to keep a check on how I’m doing emotionally. I needed to vent out all the emotions I was feeling at the time, and I got that by talking to them. But still there were times when I felt alone and thought nobody can understand how I’m feeling.
Did you initially try to hide the condition from others or were you open about it?
I wanted to hide it from everyone. I didn’t want to go out of my house, and I was constantly under stress and worried if people around me would see any of the bald spots. The patches were increasing so quickly, I didn’t get any time to adapt to this sudden change in the way I started looking. I would even be cautious when I turned my head, because that is when people might see the bald patches. I remember that my colleague once asked me if I have a problem in my neck since I was not moving it at all, I lied to him that I did.
If any conversation would come up about hair or hair fall or anything, I would rather leave the room, since I didn’t want anybody to take note how drastically thin my hair got. I told a few friends about it, but I was very scared to show them the patches in person, that was the most traumatic thing I could think of at that time.
On social media, are people mostly supportive or do you receive hate too?
Social media has been good for me personally. When I shaved my head, I posted my photos and my video of doing it online. And told everyone about my condition. And I think that is the best thing I did for myself. What I was hiding from everyone for the past 5 months was eating me from inside while the outside world was thinking I’m having this perfect life. But as soon as I opened up about my condition, I felt such a relief, I felt empowered, I felt bold and I felt proud of myself. I did what I couldn’t have imagined doing ever in my life.
Some people were stupid enough to still text and ask me why I did it and pass their comments, but it did not affect me much because there were way more people who understood me, showed love and care and told me that I still look beautiful. I got hundreds of compliments in my dms and comments and that lifted me up like anything.
Sometimes I get bullied by some strangers, but now I’ve become very strong, and prone to such comments, and I have developed the strength to just oversee people like them and stay unaffected by their comments.
Do you think hair is overrated? There are women who shave their head out of choice too.
Yes definitely, from my experience shaving your head does bring freedom; freedom from all the hair care routines that we do or at least procrastinate about doing, freedom from buying all those products, freedom from all the insecurities we have about having a receding hairline, daily hair fall, etc. but most importantly,we get freedom from our conditioning, that “I am only pretty, till my hair looks fine”.
Well I’m a bald girl, I don’t even have eyebrows as a matter of fact, but I know that I’m beautiful. I now genuinely feel beautiful from inside. I know that in a room full of people, I am someone who for sure will never get unnoticed. People might have their opinions on the way I look, but shaving my head gave me the actual strength to not give any f**** about what they think.
This is my life, it is me who has suffered, it is me who has to live with it, I don’t have any role models or people to look upon, so it is on me how I train myself to get through this time and I choose to do that with a smile!
Are there any Alopecia support groups in India [online/offline]?
No, I don’t think there are. I tried looking, but I couldn’t find any support groups.
What do you wish would be different for those with alopecia?
I wish there were more support groups. That people normalize having a condition like this. That families don’t focus more on how to hide Alopecia but spread more awareness on how to help people suffering from it and give them the emotional support they require. Only if people knew about Alopecia, they might start educating themselves on how to treat people suffering from it.
What’s your message for those diagnosed with Alopecia?
Well I’m no expert, but all I can suggest is that; take your time to process your feelings, allow yourself to be sad or cry if needed. Remember that it’s essential to acknowledge your emotions, as only you truly understand how you feel.Though others might say it’s okay, deep down, we know it’s not easy to cope with. But once you’ve allowed yourself to mourn your hair loss, shift your focus to the positive aspects. One consolation is that alopecia doesn’t cause physical pain, which is something to be thankful for.
The main battle with alopecia is within our minds. It’s a mental struggle, but the good news is that we can train our brains. Just as we’ve learned to perceive things as beautiful or ugly, we can redefine what “pretty” means to us. We don’t have to prove our beauty to anyone; the first fight is with ourselves. Once we win this battle, self love becomes our strongest weapon to fight with all those stares and glares we get from the outside world. Learning to appreciate how we look, thanking our body for all it does, and embracing our inner beauty is the most important thing.
If there is no mud, there will be no lotus. I read this somewhere and it has stuck with me. Once you get diagnosed with alopecia it is natural to feel sad and scared. The images you see online will be horrifying for you at first, and you might go to the lowest place that you have ever been, but it is only a matter of time that you will see your potential, come out of all the misery and trauma you have had because of Alopecia and bloom like a lotus and see yourself with more kind eyes! We are our home, and we should give ourselves all the warmth and love that we are seeking outside!