Bald is beautiful, and blogger Kylie Bamberger wants the world to embrace it.
The 27-year-old Los Angeles newlywed has been living with alopecia for 10 years and documenting her journey on Instagram for several months. But her story only recently reached the national spotlight when she posted a #tbt Instagram photo from her October 2016 wedding. In the April 13, 2017 post, she’s shown baring her bald head while hugging and kissing her groom.
“I really enjoy standing out and feeling different,” Bamberger told InsideEdition.com. “There was no way I was going to wear a wig at my wedding.”
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According to the American Hair Loss Association, alopecia refers to excessive or abnormal hair loss caused by an imbalance of hormones, a disease or another underlying genetic condition. The group estimates that about 40 percent of women in the United States suffer from hair loss.
Bamberger’s type of hair loss is alopecia universalis, which is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the hair follicles.
The inspiring Internet sensation was diagnosed with the disease at only 12 years old, Refinery29 reported.
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She told Health magazine in an April interview that she has not worn a wig in over 12 years.
“Hair loss doesn’t make you unhealthy, and it doesn’t make you ugly,” she told Health. “Those are two massive, massive misconceptions. I am not sick. I’m only stronger. If you’re out there, bald, it just means you’re becoming stronger. If you’re out there embracing your bald, you’re stronger. Period.”
Although Bamberger is raising awareness about the condition, she posted a video on her website, KBAM – Kylie’s Blog on Alopecia Moments, explaining why she does not necessarily want a cure for the illness.
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In fact, she is using her online platform to expand society's popular definition of beauty.
In a Feb. 26, 2017 Instagram post, she applauds Sports Illustrated for featuring more diverse bodies in its 2017 Swimsuit Issue but points out the magazine still has room for improvement.
“@si_swimsuit issue was more diverse than ever before, celebrating women's bodies as they are,” she writes in the post. “We still need more awareness for hair loss, maybe a bald model featured?!?!”
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The post has over 81,000 views and counting, plus dozens of supportive comments.
“I can't believe it took me this long to try to use IG to find strong beautiful women out there who also suffer from alopecia like I do,” one user wrote. “I try to find more strength every day, but I'm still not so comfy with myself taking off this hair prosthetic and going smooth. I am so very grateful and blessed to have found women like you who are so encouraging. Women like you are my heroes.”
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