Whether they love or hate their tresses, most women have a special relationship with their hair - so coming to terms with hair loss can be a difficult thing to do.

While alopecia is a topic that is rarely discussed in relation to women, an estimated eight million women in the UK suffer from hair loss, with one in eight of those being under the age of 35. Over in America, 40% of women are estimated to have visible hair loss by the time they’re 40.

These statistics, coupled with the impossible beauty standards that women are expected to uphold, can make a diagnosis of alopecia even harder to deal with – and the shame can stop women from speaking out about the condition.

So, all hail Makenzee Meaux, a 21-year-old alopecia sufferer from Texas who decided to use her engagement photo shoot to make an important statement about women, hair and beauty.

Proudly removing her wig midway through the shoot, which she shared in an empowering post on Facebook, Meaux wrote that she had realised that, “it was time to stop hiding from the one thing I tried hardest to hide from for almost 15 years and embrace my true self”.

Alopecia sufferer reveals "true self" by taking off wig in engagement photo shoot