Long hair was incredibly important to Chi Nguyễn. They were devastated when it started to fall out
By Jackie Carlos, producer, Hairy Tales
In 2021, Chi Nguyễn was busier than ever.
Their passion for baking had landed them a spot as a contestant on The Great Canadian Baking Show, they had just received a big promotion at work and they were juggling it all with family life.
"When I got a call that I got onto the show, I was so excited. It's been, like, my dream for such a long time. But then I started noticing hair on my pillow. I started noticing a lot more hair in the shower drain," said Nguyễn.
Just before Nguyễn began filming for The Great Canadian Baking Show at home, they noticed fist-sized patches on their head where the hair had fallen out completely.
"I have a pretty demanding job, and then I also was taking care of my six-year-old, and I was trying to develop all of the recipes for the show. It was so stressful," they said.
A visit to the dermatologist revealed that it was alopecia areata, very likely stress-related. Alopecia areata causes unpredictable hair loss and it can affect anyone, at any age. Approximately two per cent of Canadians are affected by alopecia areata.
"I was like, 'Well, I'm in a very stressful period of my life right now'.… Was it the promotion at work?... [Preparing] for the show?" wondered Nguyễn. "I think it's so hard for us sometimes to see and understand what's going on underneath the surface of our bodies."
Dr. Carolyn Goh is a clinical professor of dermatology in California who also has alopecia areata and lost her own hair when she was three years old.
"Alopecia areata's proven to be an autoimmune disease. An easy way to think of it is like your immune system is an army. It's what protects your body from external things.… Your body is reacting to your hair as if it's a problem," she says in Hairy Tales, a documentary from The Nature of Things. And there's lots of evidence that shows stress can trigger autoimmune disease.
Long hair had always been part of Nguyễn's identity
When Nguyễn auditioned for the show, they had long green hair. "My hair had always been part of my identity, so losing significant parts of my hair was like losing a part of my identity," said Nguyễn.
They were worried about appearing on the show after such significant hair loss.
In Nguyễn's family, hair was culturally important — their pride and joy. It was a devastating loss.
"In Vietnamese culture…I grew up with my dad really wanting me to have long hair, and my mom has super long hair, too," said Nguyễn. They were worried that their parents would be disappointed.
"They were not disappointed, but they were scared. They were worried that it [might mean] bigger health concerns…. I appreciated my dad telling me it [was] going to be okay, it [was] going to grow back."
Spending money on home remedies was spending money on hope
Common treatments for alopecia areata include topical steroid creams and steroid injections. Nguyễn opted for a prescribed steroid cream, as well as some popular home remedies. "I probably spent way too much money [on different remedies], but you're sort of spending money on hope," they said.
A few people recommended rosemary oil, so Nguyễn started applying rosemary oil to their scalp — and going to bed smelling like a pizza.
Eventually, Nguyễn decided to take control of the situation before filming started.
"I thought about a wig, but the idea of wearing a wig in a 45-degree tent while baking didn't seem like the best idea for me," they said.
Nguyễn decided to shave their head. "When I chose to buzz off my hair, it was because I wanted to take control of my life," they said. "It was very emotional, but when I see somebody with really buzzed short hair, I think that they're, like, a total badass, right?
For Nguyễn, their alopecia areata diagnosis and treatment was a very solo journey.
But after they appeared on The Great Canadian Baking Show, others with alopecia sent messages about how much it meant to them to see Nguyễn on TV.
"That meant something." And the Canadian Alopecia Areata Foundation reached out to them and asked them to speak at a conference.
"Stepping into that community felt really validating," said Nguyễn.
