Bride With Alopecia Takes Off Her Wig for Engagement Photos

It's no secret that weddings can prove an extremely stressful time for most, with the perennial planning, million and one decisions to make, and societal pressures to look a certain way on the big day. So, as you can imagine, for those who suffer from a condition like alopecia — which can result in partial or complete hair loss — the pre-wedding anxiety can take on a whole new meaning.

For bride-to-be Makenzee Meaux, this is her reality. But she's not letting alopecia, which she's had since she was 8 years old, hold her back this time. In fact, she's taking this time in her life to turn over a totally new leaf, one in which she no longer hides behind a wig and embraces her true self for who she is. Her first step? Engagement photos.

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Meaux took to Facebook to show off the stunning pictures she had taken with her fiancé to share her story and how it's impacted her. She started, "This is probably the most difficult thing I will ever do in my life," before going into more detail about her situation. "While taking our engagement pictures I decided that it was time to stop hiding from the one thing I tried hardest to hide for almost 15 years and embrace in my true self," she wrote, explaining that she was diagnosed with Alopecia Universalis when she was 8 and that doctors call it "the mystery disease."

She continued, "Nothing else is wrong with the body other than hair will not grow which as you can imagine for a young girl, is a huge confidence killer. A women’s hair is their beauty and a main part of their self image."

She then explained that, after years of bullying, she wasn't sure she would ever feel beautiful again — that is, until she met her now-fiancé, Bryan. "I have never felt more confident or more beautiful than I do with him by my side," she wrote. "He has helped me be brave and realize that hair is not what makes you beautiful and is not what makes people love you, it is truly all about what’s on the inside and for that I am forever grateful for him."

In the photos, Meaux is shown at first partially wearing her dark-brown wig, and then without it, smiling from ear to ear with her soon-to-be husband.

She finished, "He has shown me that the people who love you do not care whether or not you have hair and the ones who do are not worth your time or your love. So this is me, the true me."

Needless to say, Meaux's story is incredibly heart-warming and something to remember next time you look in the mirror and maybe see something you don't like. Perhaps instead of being harsh on yourself, you'll embrace it, and walk out the door with your head held up high, just like she did here.

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