Actress Sue Holderness speaks out on her battle with female hair loss
Speaking to the Mail Online last month, actress and household name Sue Holderness has spoken about her lengthy battle to beat hair loss, after suffering from female hair loss since her 30s.
Sue, 60, is best known for her character Marlene Boyce from hit comedy series Only Fools and Horses, as well as spin-off show The Green, Green Grass. Many fans will be surprised to learn that Sue suffers from alopecia areata – a hair loss condition which causes the hair to fall out in patches – as a big, bouffant hairstyle has always been her trademark.
Sue says that she has tried every trick in the book to disguise her thinning hair or bald patches, using everything from human hair wigs to clever use of make-up when appearing on television. She explains how her hair loss started after having children, saying:
“Initially, I thought it was maybe part of being an exhausted new mum and didn’t do anything about it. But as I got older it got worse and, one day, after I turned 40, I woke up and saw a carpet of hair left on my pillow.”
Like many women, Sue’s hair loss became worse after she went through the menopause, but she also believes it was triggered by emotional stress at various times in her life, such as the death of her father.
Sue’s hair loss affected her whole outlook on life, plaguing her with insecurities and low self-esteem. Now, however, her condition is much more under control and her hair is thicker than ever before, which Sue believes is helped by a good diet.
