'Don't let alopecia steal your bridal moment'

Jade wants brides to feel "beautiful with or without hair"

A woman who lost her hair to alopecia aged 16 is raising awareness of the autoimmune condition through a bridal photoshoot.

Jade Jarvis will model as the bride at Penn Castle on Portland, Dorset, in the hope of challenging what she calls "narrow beauty standards".

"I never saw bald brides when I was growing up, and that made me feel like I couldn't be one," said Jade, from Eastbourne in Sussex.

Alopecia can cause hair loss or thinning and, according to Alopecia UK, it impacts 50% of women over the age of 65.

Ms Jarvis hopes the photo shoot will inspire others

Being joined by her partner, Danny, at the photoshoot, Ms Jarvis said it was about more than just images.

"It's about redefining what beauty looks like as a whole," she said.

Since working in the wedding industry, Jade has come across other women with alopecia who wear wigs on their wedding day.

She added: "They feel as though they can't be their authentic self and, for me, that is heartbreaking.

"I'd love to show brides that you can be beautiful with or without hair.

"If this inspires just one person with alopecia to feel confident and worthy on their wedding day, then it's done its job."

What is alopecia?

• Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks hair follicles, leading to it falling out.

• In severe cases, hair is lost from across the body, affecting eyelashes, nasal hair or hair on the skin.

• Severe manifestations can leave people more vulnerable to infections and reduces their ability to regulate their body temperature.

• Living with alopecia can also be profoundly challenging, causing anxiety and stress.

• People may experience difficulty at school and in the workplace, and it can lead to social isolation, experts say.