Hair loss mum writes book about baldness for children's charities

Rebecca Dawe, 39, who wears a wig after losing her hair to alopecia at 16, wrote the Hairless Harri about a seven-year-old girl who’s shunned by her classmates because she’s bald. The book has a happy ending when Harri wins everyone round and becomes the coolest girl in the school.

Rebecca said: “At school it can be really brutal because children are scared of things that are different. I wanted to write a book that helped children to celebrate differences rather than fear them. I think it’s incredibly important to understand that it’s our diversity that creates all the wonderful things we have today.”

Rebecca, married with two young sons, writes a blog about hairloss at Hair Necessity and also designs and sells wigs.

She added: “I suffered years of wearing uncomfortable and ill-fitting wigs. I’d catch people staring at me or someone would make a nasty comment. I dreaded being exposed in public. So I wanted to make wigs that women felt confident and beautiful in.” Rebecca says she has accepted her hair loss and never felt better about herself.

She said: “I wear my wigs all the time and have fun creating different styles. I love how I look.”

If you’d like to buy Hairless Harri and donate to children’s cancer charities, the book is available on Amazon for £2.99.