When Jane (not her real name) first noticed her hair falling out, the 25-year-old was not overly worried. But when the bald patch on top of her head grew to the size of her palm and hair started coming out in handfuls, she knew something was terribly wrong.
"It is very upsetting," she says. "There are days when I am so low, so depressed, I can't face going out and going to work. I haven't been out at night and I'm really nervous about summer coming up and swimming because when my hair is wet the bald patches are more obvious."
Jane says a friend noticed it at first - a little bald patch about the size of a $2 coin. "We thought it was funny, that maybe I had caught my head on something, but then it got progressively bigger until it was the size of the palm of my hand.
"Then around July/August hair was coming out in handfuls, I was losing a lot. Bald patches started appearing on the sides of my head the size of mandarins and I became really worried wondering if I was going to lose all my hair."
Jane was diagnosed with alopecia aerata, a disease that causes hair loss and is characterised by round bald patches in the scalp. It can attack men or women at any age; there is no known prevention or reliable cure and doctors are unable to say whether her hair will ever re-grow.
Distressed at the thought she might eventually be permanently bald, Jane was in for more bad news when she decided to buy a wig.
"A decent wig was going to cost me over $2,000. It seemed like a lot of money, my partner and I have just bought a new house, we are trying to pay back a mortgage and to spend $2,000 on a wig - well that doesn't leave a lot for other things. I was in a real rut," she says.
Jane's story came to light during the 'Got a Plan - Now you Can' promotion run by Gem and ZM, offering people an opportunity to turn their plans into reality. She won big - receiving $4,500 for a wig and $600 towards an eyebrow "feathering". "This win is just incredible, so cool, it has changed my life," she says.
For a time however, Jane was worried her hair loss would impact her job. A graphic designer, she works with "high-end" products and clients and it is vital for her to present herself well when dealing with customers. She says it was "tricky and awkward" for her with the hair loss.
"My mood became very low but fortunately everyone is supportive of me at work. I'm also very lucky with my partner, he's amazing and awesome, he's been so supportive too," she says. "It's helped me realise it's not the worst thing that could happen - at least I'm not losing my fingers or toes."
Jane says she is trying not to stress out too much and is continuing to see her "awesome" group of friends from her school days, to work out at the gym and to take her 18-month-old dog Roberta for walks.
"In fact Roberta (a spaniel/poodle cross) has been great to have around. When I can't face the day she will come up and snuggle in close."
Although she has turned down steroid treatment for her condition, Jane is doing all she can to help promote re-growth using specialised ointment, nutrient-rich shampoo and conditioner, re-growth spray and vitamin supplements.
"It has slowed down a bit now, and I can see some signs of re-growth," she says. "I have noticed small black fluff growing on the patch, although there are new patches showing on the back of my head."
There is hope Jane's hair may yet re-grow. According to DermNet New Zealand - an organisation that provides authoritative facts about skin for health professionals - re-growth occurs within a year for 80 per cent of people with a single bald patch, while even in severe cases recovery may occur at some future date. Around 147 million people world-wide are said to suffer from alopecia.
Gem created the competition to promote their personal loans and to show its support of Kiwis achieving their unique future plans.
Kiwis have been in with a chance to win money to put towards their future plans in a competition partnered by NZME and Gem, the personal loans provider.
Watch one of the winners below.