MY 20 YEAR SECRET - IT'S NOT ALOPECIA OR CANCER, I HAVE TRICHOTILLOMANIA
A mum who has hid behind the hair loss condition alopecia for the last 20 years has bravely revealed a secret compulsion to tear out her own hair that has tormented her since she was a child. For more than two decades, Zena Williams has allowed anyone who noticed her bald patches to believe that she has the auto immune condition that causes her hair to fall out on its own. But in the wake of No Pulling Week, the mum-of-one has now bravely revealed that she has been pulling out her own hair since she was a child. At various stages in her life, Zena has been left almost completely bald by her compulsive addiction to hair-pulling - a little understood psychological condition called trichotillomania. When age 11, having removed most of her hair over the course of a single summer, she returned to school wearing a wig, cruel classmates soon spread the rumour she had cancer, calling her 'cancer face' and subjecting her to relentless bullying. But still Zena refused to reveal the truth about her condition, believing no one would be sympathetic to the compulsion which has blighted her life ever since.
Other great stories
THE DOCTOR WON'T SEE YOU NOW
ONCE A doctor’s surgery, family home and office, an array of medical equipment is scattered throughout this abandoned home .
JUSTIN BIEBER FAN LOSES 7 STONE TO BE HIS 'GIRLFRIEND'
Bryanna Debinder, 20, from Pennsylvania in the USA, has lost 7 stone in order to impress her idol .
BRAVE TOT ALLERGIC TO SUN
HOTSPOT MEDIA - BRAVE TOT ALLERGIC TO SUN: Leighton Brownrigg, 2 .
SWALLOW WHOLE - YOUNG BIRD ENJOYS DINNER TIME
PERCHING on top of a gate, this young barn swallow waits patiently for his mum to return with dinner .
£34m TAX FRAUD RACKET JAILED
A man who conned tax officials out of £34 million and funded a lavish lifestyle of luxury hotels and restaurants has been jailed for one of the longest sentences in British criminal fraud history .
CAVE ROOM HOTEL
THIS unique holiday accommodation allows you to enjoy a full Flintstones experience .
THE DANGEROUS WORK OF SULPHUR MINERS
These are the men with one of the most unpleasant jobs in the world .
SPRITE LIGHTNING CAPTURED IN AURORA LIGHTS
The aurora lights captured in Blair Nebraska, America - WITH electrifying purple and illuminous green brightening up the night sky, this is the rare moment a flash of 'sprite' lightening was captured on camera .
ADORABLE SHELTER DOGS STRIKE A ‘PAWS’ TO FIND FOREVER HOMES
A group of shelter dogs showcase their loveable personalities in a series of passport-style photographs - in the hope of finding their forever homes .
MENINGITIS BOY TAKES FIRST STEPS ON PROSTHETIC LIMBS
An eight-year-old boy who lost his legs and left hand to meningitis is standing tall after learning to walk on his prosthetic limbs .
STRANDED MOOSE RESCUED FROM FROZEN LAKE
A terrified moose, trapped in a frozen lake, bobs her head above the icey water and awaits her rescue .
ENGLISH SEASIDE SPLIT SHOTS
From a floating jelly fish to a relaxed seal, Britain’s unappreciated beach life is captured above and below the water .