Not having any hair can be difficult culture in a world that views hair as a sign of youth and good health. One in every five women suffers from a disease called alopecia that causes extreme hair loss and most of these women don’t know that they have the disease. These women are forced to live in shame and hide their heads with wigs.

It is against this back drop that Afro Jazz artist, Vumile Mchunu wants to be the champion of young women who are experiencing hair loss. Mchunu has initiated a campaign in installing confidence in women who are affected by the disease by telling them that their hair does not define their beauty; you can still be beautiful and confident even if one’s are bold.

The KwaZulu-Natal born songbird’s campaign is dubbed ‘Bold is brave and Beautiful’. The social media campaign is aimed at addressing stereotypes and taboos that affect women who are bold. Mchunu herself does not have hair; she contracted alopecia when she was in tertiary. The life changing experience changed Mchunu’s perspective on life and how society can judge one on just one';s looks. The embarrassment she endured made her to lose her confidence, adding to her being very self conscious and self aware of her looks. The singer was always alone and was afraid to pursue her dream to become a musician because of alopecia.

Alone, confused and with no one to share her experiences with while she was at school, the singer was forced to adhere to society’s standards by wearing wigs and trying to fit in. Slowly as time went on, she realised after completing her studies that she didn’t have to prove anything to anyone and with her family supporting her; she decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a musician despite her looks. She then chose to relate her music with her looks as the two relate to the message that she is spreading on her songs. To her surprise, her journey and boldness had a positive impact on other women who are affected by the disease and it helped them to also to come out of hiding.

The messages of support, plus the interaction that she has been having with some of the alopecia patients has motivated her to start the campaign in order to spread awareness about the disease. The disease is not deadly but it can derail one’s aspirations and confidence. Noticing the symptoms of the disease and seeking medical help early can help curb the disease before one completely loses hair like way Mchunu unfortunately did.

Mchunu says that if alopecia is not detected early, it can be painful and expensive to cure. She says the treatment for the disease includes injections on all hair cells and it can be hefty if one does not have the financial means. That’s the reason why she is encouraging women who are affected by the disease to learn how to live with it. 

The songbird who has recently released her single buya, is talking to highschool and tertiary students about the symptoms of the disease and how to combat it while studying. Mchunu is encouraging the women that she speaks to share their experiences about the disease and to be proud of their looks, through social media platforms.

Mchunu, who strikes an unforgettable appearance, beams with confidence and elegance, and says that she didn’t always feel this beautiful when she started losing hair. “I was in school and was reading a lot and was stressing, and that’s when I contracted Alopecia, my confidence took a knock. I think no one, given the choice, would want to lose their hair. The emotional aspects of living with hair loss can be challenging.”

Through her music and career, the 27-year-old is sending a strong message to young ladies who don’t have confidence in themselves because of their looks. Mchunu says these ladies should focus on establishing themselves as young and successful women and they should go out and make new friends. Part of the campaign is to emphasise that no needs to hide when they are affected by this disease.

“You can still be beautiful even if you bold or if society deems you as ugly, you just need to stop listening a lot to people who get you down and start paying more attention to people who matter the most to you. With this campaign we just talking to young ladies on social networks, schools and giving out advise and motivating them to share their experience. Most young ladies who are in school, or at home or at work suffer in silence because hair loss is a taboo in society.”

The disease is a condition that must be addressed appropriately. Understanding the causes of this problem will help females to deal with it in the best possible way, Mchunu aims to raise awareness about the disease. Anxiety, emotional stress, overdoing things and fatigue can cause sudden hair loss in young women. If these factors are not controlled, they could make a woman emotionally unstable and cause imbalances in the body, resulting in sudden hair. Usually these cases are temporary and the condition stops when the stressful time ends.