A SINGLETON claims years of heartbreak left her going BALD – and now cruel blokes on Tinder REJECT her when she tells them ahead of their date.
Lynn Sinclair was shocked when multiple men refused to carry on a conversation with her online after sharing she has alopecia.
The 47-year-old, who lives in Stockton on Tees, Durham, wanted to be open with potential romances about her condition – but her honesty has led to suitors ending all prospects of a relationship.
The mum-of-one was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease alopecia in October after a bald patch appeared out of the blue one afternoon on the top of her head.
In the weeks since her diagnosis, further bald patches appeared on Lynn’s head which the singleton admitted was ‘devastating’.
She puts down the condition to a bad break-up that she believes affected her hair follicles, which had already been damaged by ‘years of really bad relationships’.
However, this didn’t deter the mum from continuing her search for love on dating apps including Tinder, Hinge and Facebook Dating – but blokes proved less than amicable about her hair loss condition.
Lynn, who has worked as a food van driver for the last 23 years, said negative reactions from matches online about her alopecia has made her want to ‘swear off men’ for life.
Lynn said: “I normally bring the alopecia up quite quickly like straight away. I just like to get it out there and be honest.
“I like to be upfront and honest with people. My hair’s 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’s been a very different reaction.
“As soon as I tell them, they’ll say ‘okay I hope you find someone’ then that’s the end of the conversation.
“Someone I was talking to for a few days and we were getting on really well so I thought I’d mention it and that was the end.
“It’s all about looks and not personality these days.
“I thought people would say ‘you’re still you’, ‘it’s just you’.
“I don’t really bother going on them now because of it. I just think the pictures aren’t exactly me anymore so I feel like I’m lying anyway.
“I don’t want them to say I’ve misled them. I’d hate someone to do that to me. I just really thought they’d turn around and say ‘that’s fine, I like you for who you are’.”
Lynn first noticed a small bald patch on her head in October but said she didn’t give the minor change in her appearance a second thought.
A week later my hair was down, I took a picture and I noticed there was quite a big bald patch on the top of my head about the size of a tennis ball
Lynn Sinclair
However, just a week later the patch had grown to the size of a tennis ball – prompting the mum to seek medical advice.
Lynn said: “About six weeks ago, I was driving my van for work and noticed my head was really itchy.
“I thought do I have nits? When I got home, I saw a little bald patch and thought it must just be the light and didn’t really give it a second thought.
“A week later my hair was down, I took a picture and I noticed there was quite a big bald patch 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’s definitely alopecia.
“About a week or so ago, I thought my hair was growing back but then I noticed some more bald patches but apparently that’s what happens with alopecia.
“A week before there was no bald patch, it’s really come out of nowhere.
“I was absolutely devastated. I rang my sister crying my eyes out.
“You can’t do anything about it. They don’t know if it’ll grow back or I’ll be completely bald.
“I have said to myself if I go completely bald, that’s what’s going to happen and I’ll look at wigs.
“Even though it’s been about six weeks, the progression is scary.
“I am trying to stay positive but I’m nervous about the future. I’ve read stories about people losing their complete head of hair in two weeks.”
Lynn believes her alopecia is the result of years of ‘bad relationships’, which has impacted her hair follicles.
However, a painful break-up didn’t deter the mum from giving love another try after she joined multiple dating apps four months ago.
Lynn said: “I had a horrible break up about six months ago and think it’s affected my hair follicles.
“I think it was years of really bad relationships and that last one has 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 it shouldn’t be a big deal.
“I think they don’t know about alopecia or think I’ll end up completely bald and they don’t want a bald girlfriend.
“I just think how can I date now? I just can’t.
“It affects my confidence, I’m trying not to let it but of course it does.
“It’s made me want to swear off men! I don’t need the stress of dating. I’ve put dating on the backburner for now.
“These dating sites are full of idiots anyway – to get to them to understand this condition is a bit too much.
“Hopefully there’ll be someone somewhere who does understand it.”
