Singaporean Girl Shaved Her Head After Contracting An Autoimmune Disease And Her Model Boyfriend Followed Suit Too!

She's a dancer, a student, a daughter, a girlfriend and most importantly, a fighter.

While everyone else her age were busy thinking about which city they want to travel to next or which cafe they wanna go over the weekend, Sandra Ng was home fighting the side effects from her medication.

At 22, the Marine Biology student was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata, an autoimmune disorder where her immune system suddenly sees her hair as a foreign body (aka enemy) and wants to get rid of it.

First, her scalp was itching excessively. Then, she started shedding hair. Lots of them.

At this point in time her hair got really dry they were also knotting up in clumps. For someone who's always had healthy and luscious-looking hair, this wasn't normal and it became a worrying concern.

The Diagnosis

After finally visiting the doctor, it was found that she had a bald spot the size of a 20-cent coin; something she'd never noticed, ever. And that's when she was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata.

Following the diagnosis, Sandra's condition worsened rapidly and the bald spots quickly multiplied to other parts of her scalp.

It was then when she decided to do what any other 22-year-old wouldn't do- shaving her head.

Coming to terms with her condition

Sandra found out about her condition while she was still studying in Perth. This meant that she was alone in a distant land without her family and loved ones.

When asked how she handled the situation, she said:

I got home, called Joey (her boyfriend), and cried. And then did it again the next day. But I only did it for two days because I told myself to get my act together.

At first I was… in disbelief. And then anger came next. I'm not going to lie. I was angry at the world. Like, why me? I already had a lot of things going on; struggling mentally, with school assignments and exams coming up. It was not a fun period at all. I was in denial for about a day and a half. But I quickly progressed from a crying mess to "You know what? (Screw) it. I'll rock a bald head," and I did. I was completely bald in exactly 10 days of finding that 20-cent bald spot.

When she finally came back to Singapore, Sandra's parents brought her to meet the specialists who then put her on trial for steroids for 2 weeks.

I suffered so many side effects.. I was nauseous every day, bloated and had the worst mood swings; I could not sleep.

At the end of the 2 weeks, I had to make the final decision as to whether I wanted to continue the steroids for I was flying back to Perth soon. I was so torn. I had not noticed much differences but 2 weeks is a very short time for effects to take place.

So the doctor recommended me to up the dosage of the steroids, and I did. I told myself, "Let's do this."

So I was up to 7 steroid pills, 2 calcium pills, and 2 gastric pills a day. The bitterness of the pills were the easiest part of it but the side effects worsened.

I persevered for awhile more before I told myself that the side effects were not worth the hair. I could not go around nauseous, always on the verge of vomiting, extreme mood swings, and extremely sleep deprived.

So I stopped. I made the decision and stopped all treatment. And surprisingly, the moment I stopped all treatment, my hair stopped falling and they began to grow again.

I guess what I learned from this is that sometimes we just have to let nature take its course.

Support from her boyfriend

If there's one person Sandra can never thank enough, it's Joey, her Singaporean model boyfriend who have been there for her since the start.

Despite the distance between them, Joey would always check in on her and support her in his own ways such as calling her, video chatting with her and even flying over to meet her in Perth.

And guess what? To support her, he shaved his head too.

To boost Sandra's self-esteem, Joey also approached his photographer friend to do a photoshoot for them. And the photos turned out awesome! N'awww, just look at them.

Photo from Kevin Foo (@kaleidoscovin)

We all know how important appearances are to models. It was the same for Joey. But for Sandra, he's willing to do anything; even if it means sacrificing his hair! #salute

Photo from @minimxlist_

Photo from @minimxlist_

People who follow him on Instagram would have noticed that he's stopped posting pictures and it's because he hasn't gone for any shoots of late. But it doesn't mean that he's stopped working.

According to Sandra, Joey is one of the most hardworking men she's seen. Besides running his own start-up, he's also holding up two other jobs.

Staying strong against all odds

Though Sandra had lots of support from her family and loved ones around, it wasn't always a bed of roses. She's had down times where she would wake up alone at 4am in the morning, crying and wondering: "Why me?"

Though she might have cried a lot, it doesn't mean she was defeated. Sandra knew very well how far she's come and how there's still a long journey ahead of her that she's willing to carry on fighting for.

There is absolutely nothing wrong in crying or being weak. It's all part and parcel of being human. We've all got our weak moments, and that is completely ok. What matters is that you pick yourself back up.

Also, the amount of support I've received from my family- it makes me cry.

I've always been a rather independent kid and was never the sort to go to my parents with any issue so I was afraid of how they'd react when when they found out about my condition.. But they reacted in the best way possible.

I've never felt this loved and supported in my life. Thank you Ma, Thank you Dad.

What would Sandra say to girls who with their own battle to fight?

The ever strong and independent Sandra said the following:

I'm not going to be all inspirational and say cheesy stuff like "you can do it!" In fact, I'm going to tell you this- I know it's difficult. I know you're angry. "Why you?" But I'd still answer that with "Why not you?"

Instead of hating on what has happened to you, try to focus on what you can gain from it. No hair? No more bad hair days! No more frizzy humid hair. For me, it forced me to become even stronger. To force myself to push through the dark days. And it isn't easy. I know.

You've got to find the thing that keeps you going. For me, it's to make a difference in this world. Remember, you are more than superficial beauty. What you have inside, is what matters. Believe you are beautiful, and you ARE beautiful.

I'm not the most attractive person, but I believe it is my confidence that allows me to pull of the bald look. True beauty comes from within and it is what will last. It is what will keep people around. Last but not least, breathe.

Give yourself a break. Stop being so hard on yourself. Everything is a process, so trust the process.

Sandra is currently in Perth, Western Australia as a double major student in Marine Biology and Conservation & Wildlife Biology and she aspires to be a Marine Biologist and to one day become a Cetacean Researcher.

Remember, girls. There is always help out there. If you're going through a difficult time, tell someone. Anyone. It could be your family, friends or loved ones; talk to them about what you're going through. Alternatively, you can pen your thoughts down somewhere just like what Sandra did here.

Know someone awesome with an inspiring story? Share it with us at [email protected]!

Photos by: Sandra Ng, Joey Desouza, Kevin Foo
Text by: Girlstyle SG