American beauty queen stands up for hairloss
- By Jeremy Harkin
- Published 6th September, 2010
- Hair News
- Unrated
Jeremy Harkin
Jeremy has enjoyed a varied career in advertising and media. He is now a freelance editorial consultant working with mainstream men's mags and their associated websites.
The American beauty queen who suffers from alopecia areata, leaving her almost completely bald, has said winning her way to the finals of Miss USA will be a valuable platform from which to raise awareness of the condition.
21-year-old Kayla Martell won the title of Miss Delaware this year, and became the first Miss USA finalist to suffer from the condition, which afflicts around 4.7 million Americans and approximately 0.2 per cent of the global population.
The pageant winner beat 15 other contestants to take her crown and said it was her determination to stand up to the condition that made her compete.
"I knew that I had to be on Miss America's stage, and I had to get there somehow," she told an interviewer.
In her previous pageant experience she had jumped between wearing a wig and not wearing a wig – but she has decided to leave the hairpiece at home for the big competition.
"I think I can be a better Miss Delaware and a better Miss America by taking the wig off," she added.
She began to lose her hair at the age of 10, but did not detract from her ambition of stepping out onto the stage with other beauty queens. "People are sometimes stunned and uncomfortable that I take my wig off, but this is who I am," she added.
21-year-old Kayla Martell won the title of Miss Delaware this year, and became the first Miss USA finalist to suffer from the condition, which afflicts around 4.7 million Americans and approximately 0.2 per cent of the global population.
The pageant winner beat 15 other contestants to take her crown and said it was her determination to stand up to the condition that made her compete.
"I knew that I had to be on Miss America's stage, and I had to get there somehow," she told an interviewer.
In her previous pageant experience she had jumped between wearing a wig and not wearing a wig – but she has decided to leave the hairpiece at home for the big competition.
"I think I can be a better Miss Delaware and a better Miss America by taking the wig off," she added.
She began to lose her hair at the age of 10, but did not detract from her ambition of stepping out onto the stage with other beauty queens. "People are sometimes stunned and uncomfortable that I take my wig off, but this is who I am," she added.