Confidence After Hair Loss
- Mary Sickler— a 22-year-old Nevada resident living with alopecia universalis—made history by removing her wig and proudly showing off her bedazzled bald head during the 2025 Miss USA preliminaries this week.
- According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF), alopecia areata can present in different forms, each causing varying degrees of hair loss. It most often starts as isolated, patchy hair loss, and can be classified into three main types: Alopecia Areata Totalis, Alopecia Areata Totalis and Alopecia Areata Universalis (the type Sickler has, which affects her whole body).
- Changes to the physical appearance like hair loss with chemotherapy or alopecia can be a huge emotional burden. Wigs, head wraps, and hats are some of the options to consider; your insurance may even be able to cover the cost of your wig.
- Microblading can help with sparse eyebrows.It’s a semi-permanent tattoo technique that’s meant to offer more realistic brows. Service costs can range anywhere from approximately $200 to $1,000, but unlike wigs, insurance likely won’t cover the cost.
Sickler, just 22 years old, is living with alopecia universalis, a rare autoimmune disorder that leads to total hair loss across the entire body, but has chosen to live fearlessly and confidently.
Read MoreThe footage, shared by PageantTimes captioned their post, “Mary Sickler from Nevada has nailed both the rounds of Miss USA 2025 preliminary competition and is our favorite to win #MissUSA2025.”View this post on Instagram
Viewers commented, “It takes great courage and confidence to do what Mary Sickler is doing —and she could be an inspiration to other woman who believe an obstacle is an impediment to forging ahead.
“And she’s beautiful—inside AND out.”
Sickler also commented on the night on her Instagram story, featuring a screen shot of her bejeweled head, saying,”The biggest shoutout to my friends and family for making my beautiful headpiece. It means the world to me that the people who have been there for every step of the journey were the ones to make this iconic moment happen!
“Every rhinestone represents every tear and hardship we faced through this experience.”
After the event concluded, Sickler posted more heartfelt words to Instagram, writing, “I cannot believe I just walked THE Miss USA stage!! This dream has been so many years in the making, and to finally step into this moment feels surreal.
“I never imagined I would walk that stage in this way, but I always hoped I would do it with confidence, authenticity, and grace. I am so proud to have achieved that goal especially by being the first woman to walk the Miss USA stage without hair.”
View this post on Instagram
She concluded, “What makes this even more special is knowing it isn’t just about me. I am the first woman with alopecia universalis to compete at Miss USA.
“I am living proof that no trial can stand in the way of your wildest dream … Tonight, I walked with gratitude- for Nevada, for my sisters, and for every step that brought me here.
In an earlier post, Sickler shared a powerful quote by motivational speaker Les Brown, which reads, “Life has no limitations, except the ones you make.”
Writing alongside some photos of her flaunting her bedazzled smooth head, she explained, “I am proud to be the first woman who embraces having alopecia universalis to walk the Miss USA stage.”
View this post on Instagram
Sickler continued, “My confidence is not defined by hair, but by the woman I am and the values I stand for. True beauty is never about what you lose; it’s about the love, strength, and resilience you gain along the way.
“Thank you for following along with me today on this takeover! It has been such a gift to share my heart and my story. Be sure to follow my personal page @mary_sickler for more of the journey ahead!”
Understanding Alopecia & Redefining Beauty
According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF), alopecia areata can present in different forms, each causing varying degrees of hair loss. It most often starts as isolated, patchy hair loss, and can be classified into three main types.”
There are different alopecia areata types or forms, causing varying amounts of hair loss. It most commonly begins as isolated patchy hair loss and there are three types:
- Alopecia Areata Totalis (patchy hair loss on the scalp and other areas of the body)
- Alopecia Areata Totalis (hair loss over the entire scalp)
- Alopecia Areata Universalis (total body hairloss, including eyebrows and eyelashes)
Other types of alopecia are diffuse alopecia areata (sudden and unexpected thinning of the hair all over the scalp) and ophiasis alopecia (hair loss in patches on side and back of the head).
“With all types of alopecia areata, hair loss and regrowth can be very unpredictable and cyclical (happen over and over). For some people, hair may even regrow and not fall out again. Although there is no cure for alopecia areata currently, your hair follicles remain alive no matter what type you have,” the NAAF adds.
After winning Miss Nevada USA, Sickler went public with her alopecia diagnosis, hoping to inspire women of all ages, even young girls, that hair isn’t needed to feel beautiful.
In a video she posted to her Instagram in September, Sickler announced she had alopecia universalis and learned she was going to lose her hair “everywhere.”
View this post on Instagram
Despite the heartbreaking news, she was determined to achieve her goals and empower others, saying, “My motivation to keep competing in pageants is Miss Universe. I’ve been competing in pageants since I was just 10 years old.
“I knew I had the capabilities to compete. I knew I had the capabilities to work hard. But the biggest thing that I want to do is I want to represent this country. And I want to represent it as a beacon of hope. I can win with no hair. So can you.”
She added, “And I want every little girl and every woman to know that you are beautiful. And you are worthy. And you can be on that stage. We can come together and we can break the mold.
“We can break beauty standards. Because I just won Miss Nevada USA.”
View this post on Instagram
Feeling Confident in Your Own Skin
For many people who lose their hair during chemotherapy, radiation, or from a health condition like alopecia, part of regaining confidence can be getting a wig.
The American Cancer Society (and this SurvivorNet guide) explains where to find them and how to purchase one through your insurance company or at a low cost. Ask your insurance company if you have coverage for “cranial prosthesis” or “hair prosthesis” for cancer treatment-related hair loss. Those are medical words for wigs and the terms the insurance companies use.
Additionally, eyebrows can sometimes be affected by chemo-related hair loss or alopecia, but microblading can help with achieving a natural look. It’s a semi-permanent tattoo technique that’s meant to offer more realistic brows.
Microblading costs can range anywhere from approximately $200 to $1,000 but unlike wigs, insurance companies aren’t likely to cover the procedure. But an encouraging number of microblading salons do claim to offer free services to people with cancer or alopecia (hair loss).
Resources on Finding Self-Confidence
- Brave, Bold, and Beautiful in the Face of Cancer — Reclaiming Confidence Through Makeup And Skincare
- How to Find Your Confidence and be Bold
- If You’re Looking For Ways To Deal With Hair Loss During Cancer, You’re Not Alone
- Living With Cancer: Coping With Hair Loss & the Anxiety it Brings
- Preventing Hair Loss During Chemotherapy: Scalp-Cooling Devices
Coping With Body Image & The Power of Positive Psychology
It’s natural for individuals facing cancer to inspire their friends and family, as witnessing their strength and resilience often helps others gain a new perspective on life. However, survivors themselves often continue to face challenges with the physical aspects of their recovery journey, clinical psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin previously told SurvivorNet.
“Your body has changed and represents this difficult chapter in your life and simply accepting all of that is far too simple,” said Strongin.
RELATED: Body Image, Sex, and Adjusting to a New Normal After Cancer Treatment
To help combat these feelings, Strongin suggests to spend time in front of the mirror looking at the parts you truly love, adding, “Give them time, honor them and then thank them.”
Strongin encourages individuals to take time to gently acknowledge and observe the areas of their body affected by cancer or illness—such as the chest after a mastectomy or the scalp following hair loss.
Positive psychology like Sickler has can help many to focus on their strengths and how they can help themselves rather than just trying to curb individual symptoms and/or diagnose a disorder.
“It is a fundamental sort of different way of thinking about patients, thinking about their experience,” Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, previously told SurvivorNet.
“It’s not just focusing on what’s the matter. It’s also asking them, what matters to you?”
What is Positive Psychology & How Can it Help Cancer Survivors?
Dr. Boardman noted that positive psychology is a reimagined approach to dealing with mental struggles. “Making people feel less bad is not the same as making them feel good,” she said, referring to how this new approach encourages people to try to find happiness rather than just try to stop sadness.
This approach can be a major benefit to people who are dealing with an illness like cancer because it focuses on finding those great parts of life, as celebrity stylist and survivor Ann Caruso can relate to, sharing her own experience with SurvivorNet.
Celebrity Stylist Ann Caruso says dressing your best can make you feel better while going through cancer.
“As breast cancer survivors, society has us thinking that our breasts are what makes us sexy … but there’s so many other things,” Caruso said.
“Find the beauty that lives in so many other parts of your body and mind, and remind yourself that you can be sexy no matter what treatment you have to undergo.”
Questions To Ask After Being Diagnosed With Alopecia
- What type of alopecia do I have?
- Is my hair loss permanent or can it grow back?
- How can we tell if it’s autoimmune, genetic, or triggered by something else?
- What treatment options are available for my type of alopecia?
- Are there counseling or support groups for people with alopecia?
- How can I cope with the emotional impact of hair loss?
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
