I developed alopecia due to stress after a bad breakup. Now I want to find love again, but men are put off by my bald spots

A single mother claims years of heartbreak have left her bald – and now men on Tinder are rejecting her when she tells them about her alopecia.

Lynn Sinclair, who lives in Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, claims several men she met online have stopped talking to her after she revealed her diagnosis to them.

The 47-year-old said she wanted to be open about potential romances over her condition, but she claims her honesty has led to suitors ending any prospects of a relationship.

The mother of one was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease alopecia in October after a bald spot appeared out of nowhere on the top of her head one afternoon.

In the weeks following her diagnosis, more bald spots appeared on Lynn’s head, which she admitted were “devastating.”

She attributes the condition to a bad breakup that she believes affected her hair follicles, which were already damaged by “years of really bad relationships.”

However, this didn’t stop Lynn from continuing her search for love on dating apps, including Tinder, Hinge and Facebook Dating, but the guys didn’t seem to take kindly to her hair loss.

Lynn, who has worked as a van driver for the past 23 years, said negative comments from online competitions about her alopecia have made her want to swear off men for life.

She said: ‘I normally bring on the alopecia quite quickly, straight away. I just like to get it out there and be honest.

“I like to be honest and honest with people. My hair is getting thinner and thinner.

“They would probably notice, so I thought I’d just tell people and I expected people to say, ‘Yeah, it’s fine,’ but it was a completely different reaction.

“As soon as I tell them, they say, ‘Okay, I hope you find someone,’ and then the conversation is over.

‘Someone I spoke to for a few days and we got on really well so I thought I’d just say it and that’s the end of it.

‘It’s all about looks these days and not about personality. I thought people would say ‘you’re still you’, ‘you’re just you’.

‘That’s why I don’t feel like it anymore. I just don’t think the pictures are quite me anymore, so I still feel like I’m lying.

‘I don’t want them to say I misled them. I would hate it if someone did that to me. I really thought they were going to turn around and say, ‘That’s fine, I like you for who you are’.”

Lynn first noticed a small bald spot on her head in October, but said she didn’t think twice about the small change in her appearance.

However, just a week later the patch had grown to the size of a tennis ball, prompting the mother to seek medical advice.

Lynn said: ‘About six weeks ago I was driving my van to work and noticed my head was really itchy.

‘I thought: do I have nits? When I got home I saw a small bald spot and thought it must just be the light, but I didn’t really think about it.

‘A week later my hair was loose, I took a photo and saw that there was a quite large bald spot on the top of my head, about the size of a tennis ball.

‘I went to the doctors the next day, did some blood tests and they were all fine and they told me to go to a skin specialist and that it is definitely alopecia.

‘About a week ago I thought my hair was growing back but then I noticed some more bald spots, but apparently that’s what happens with alopecia.

‘A week earlier there was no bald spot, it really came out of nowhere. I was absolutely devastated. I called my sister and cried my eyes out.

‘There is nothing you can do about it. They don’t know if it will grow back or if I will be completely bald.

‘I told myself that if I go completely bald, that’s what’s going to happen and I’ll look into wigs.

“Even though it’s been about six weeks, the progression is scary.

‘I’m trying to stay positive, but I’m nervous about the future. I’ve read stories about people losing their entire head of hair in two weeks.’

Lynn believes her alopecia is the result of years of ‘bad relationships’, which have damaged her hair follicles.

However, a painful breakup didn’t stop the mum from giving love another try after joining multiple dating apps four months ago.

Lynn said: ‘I had a terrible break-up about six months ago and think it affected my hair follicles.

‘I think it was years of very bad relationships and that last one tipped me over the edge.

‘I joined dating apps because I was looking for a long-term relationship.

‘But I’ve had about three rejections in a row after telling men I had alopecia, but that shouldn’t be a problem.

‘I think they don’t know about alopecia or think I’m going to be completely bald and they don’t want a bald girlfriend.

‘I just think: how can I date now? I just can not. It affects my self-confidence, I try not to let it, but of course it does.

“It makes me want to swear off men!” I don’t need the stress of dating. I’ve put dating on the back burner for now.

‘These dating sites are full of idiots anyway – to get them to understand this state of affairs is a bit much.

“Hopefully there’s someone out there who understands.”