"It's a massive insecurity" - Big Brother UK's Feyisola opens up on her alopecia and confidence struggles

Feyisola, a contestant on Big Brother UK, has discussed the impact of alopecia on her confidence and sense of identity. In a conversation with fellow housemate Teja, she revealed the personal challenges she has faced with hair loss, stating,

"It's a massive insecurity."

She explained that her alopecia worsened in her twenties and led her to shave her head in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. She shared the effect of alopecia on her self-perception and the steps she took to navigate these changes, including adapting her appearance and daily routines.

Big Brother UK's Feyisola on alopecia, confidence, and identity challenges

Alopecia and early experiences

Feyisola described the onset and progression of her condition. She said that her alopecia started to get worse in her twenties, affecting her confidence and daily life.

During the COVID year, she decided to "shave" her hair off, emphasizing her sense of isolation as she never once "left the house like that," and had to adjust to the changes in her appearance. She reflected on her past behavior, adding,

"I never had my hair out, I never wore wigs, I did this, I did that."

Teja responded by acknowledging the lack of confidence, and Feyisola confirmed the emotional impact, emphasizing that it was an "insecurity." Their conversation underscored the personal challenges she faced when coping with hair loss.

Identity and societal expectations

The talk has also revolved around the link between one’s hair and identity, the case of women in particular.

Teja pointed out that the term "everything" is usually applied to the hair of women, mainly those of the Black community, noting that it is the way that sets others and how they set themselves in relation to, through one’s own eyes and the eyes of others.

Feyisola expanded on this, explaining that going bald led her to question whether she had lost her sense of "identity" and prompted her to reflect deeply on who she was and how she defined herself without her hair. She added,

"You question a lot of things, and I really questioned my identity, like big time."

She highlighted the significance of hair within societal perceptions of identity and the role of appearance in shaping personal confidence and self-recognition.

Public encounters, harassment, and social perception

Feyisola recounted experiences of public harassment related to her appearance while speaking to housemates Zelah and Cameron.

She described an encounter near her home, emphasizing the man's "disgust" at her appearance, which left a strong impression on her and contributed to her feeling of vulnerability during the incident. She added,

"He shouted that I was always going to be a 'man' while pointing me out to his friend."

She explained that these interactions made her feel "vulnerable" and unsafe. Zelah noted that societal views on femininity affect both cisgender and transgender women. Feyisola agreed, stating that after shaving her head, she began receiving "quite a few weird looks from others."

She further explained that societal expectations influenced her behavior, saying she started "wearing a lot more pink and doing her nails."

When Feyisola spoke, she also mentioned the interaction of race and gender with the experiences she has had. She said that being both Black and bald was the reason for most of the "comments" that people made to her, showing that not only did her look cause her to be noticed, but also the way people treated her because of it.

She described what she characterized as transphobic abuse, explaining,

"This man, I didn't know what he had, what he was capable of… And I don't often feel that way, but I did. And it was, it wasn't nice."

Stay tuned for more updates.