Nadia Sawalha has shared an emotional video with fans, revealing she’s losing her hair.
The ‘Loose Women’ star breaks down in tears in the clip she shared on Facebook as she explains she is going bald as a result of the perimenopause - the phase which takes place before ovulation stops.
The teary 52-year-old explained: “I used to have the most amazing hair. It was my crowning glory. It was my favourite thing about myself.
“My hair is not like that anymore, my hair really started to change after I had my kids. Bloody kids. I lost a lot like a lot of new mums do but it started to change a lot, the texture…having gone from naturally curly hair. It would go frizzy.
“But when I started going through perimenopause I think I lost a third of my hair.”
She continued: “People always say my hair is so thick and amazing. This is where it’s balding. I’m losing it all over.
“It sounds awful saying it as people lose all of their hair to alopecia or cancer treatment but it doesn’t make it any easier, the fact that I’m losing my hair.”
As the video continues, Nadia starts to cry as she reveals she had been told she was a carrier of the bald gene.
Nadia explained through her tears: “I went to the top hair guy, a specialist, who said to me that I have the balding gene.
“I didn’t know women could have it. He drew this picture of my hair follicles and he was saying the follicles have closed [in some areas] and they aren’t coming back.
“Sometimes I think I shouldn’t be ungrateful. On Loose Women the make-up artists do all sorts to my hair. It sounds pathetic saying it.
“It makes me really sad, it just makes me feel old and I know I should feel grateful, I do try to and I do say I’m grateful but it doesn’t mean that I don’t miss my hair terribly.”
After she shared the video, many fans sent messages of support to the presenter.
One wrote: “You know what? Your beautiful your hair doesn’t make you, your heart does. Thanks for being honest you made me laugh and cry.”
Another added: “Thank you for being so open and honest. You are amazing and beautiful and such an inspiration.”
“Bless you Nadia. So many women have to face this and you do not realise how much you have helped others by being so honest and showing your feelings about this,” wrote another.
Earlier this month, Nadia joined eight of her fellow ‘Loose Women’ panellists to pose in their swimwear without airbrushing or filters, to encourage all women and men to feel confident in their bodies.
The presenters also opened up about how they felt about their bodies and revealed the things that had previously made them feel ashamed.