Millie-Mae Adams was just about to compete in the final of Miss Wales when she discovered a patch of hair loss on her head. Before long, she found her hair would fall out in clumps while in the shower, in an experience she described as 'heart-breaking'. After calling her GP, Millie-Mae was told that she had alopecia.
Millie-Mae, the current Miss Cardiff, is competing in the Miss Wales 2023 pageant after originally entering in 2019. She says she was attracted to the world of pageantry after finding out about the charity work involved, adding that she'd had a "misconception" of it beforehand. Miss Wales fundraises for the Miss World charity, Beauty With A Purpose, which aims to help disadvantaged children worldwide.
It was while she was competing in her first Miss Wales pageant that Millie-Mae, 19, was diagnosed with alopecia areata, a condition that develops when the body attacks its own hair follicles which can cause hair loss. "It was right before the final I found my first patch. As a young girl, you can imagine, it's quite a traumatic experience to have your hair falling out," Millie-Mae said.
