Sarah Knapper, from Sun FM, has hosted her first alopecia support group after being inundated with emails from fellow sufferers.

The Echo featured Sarah's alopecia story last year sparking a huge response from women wanting to share their experiences.

Now, Sarah has made it her mission to raise awareness and boost support for people suffering from the confidence-sapping condition.

Sarah, who co-hosts Sun Fm's Breakfast Show, said: "There were women aged four to 81 at the group, which was amazing. It just goes to show that alopecia doesn't discriminate.

"There were women there who were completely bald, others whose hair had grown back, it affects people to such varying degrees, but everyone wanted to share their stories.

"One 35-year-old woman had lost every single hair on her head in two weeks. There just seemed to be such a need for this in the North East, so I took it upon myself to provide a safe place where women could meet up to talk."

The group has gathered so much interest, that Sarah is also setting up a hair loss charity entitled Be Bold.

It will be aimed at raising awareness, giving people access to support and raising money for people who can't afford to buy wigs themselves.
Sarah suffered symptoms of alopecia for seven years before she was diagnosed.

Eventually, blood tests at Sunderland Royal Hospital revealed she had androgenetic alopecia, a form which means she never knows when or how her hair loss will flare up.

Now she is hoping that, as well as helping sufferers, the alopecia support group will encourage others to take female hair loss seriously.

She explained: "There's not a lot known about alopecia and I want medical professionals to sit up and take notice. Often they say it is just stress, but there are so many other things it could be.

"There is such a social stigma surrounding female hair loss, it's acceptable for men to lose their hair, yet for women it's taboo."

She added: "Hair is such a massive part of a woman's image and if you lose your hair you lose your identity. It's not until you lose your hair that you realise how important it is."

The alopecia support group meets monthly at Ramsay and Johnson Hair and Beauty on Blandford Street, Sunderland.

The next meeting takes place on August 6 and future sessions will include talks from a trichologist and a hypnotherapist.

For more information visit the Be Bold charity website at www.bebold.org.uk