Sherrie Hewson lost her hair "through stress".
The ‘Benidorm’ actress has joined hair loss support group Women Warriors as an ambassador after going through her own follicle struggles, which left her having to wear wigs when she was a panellist on ‘Loose Women’.
She said: "I lost my hair through stress and I know what they are dealing with and what they are going through.
"I understand their emotion and how it feels. A woman’s hair is their crown and glory, it’s your femininity and to lose it is very stressful.
"I know what it’s like to look in the mirror, I know what they are experiencing."
Sherrie’s hair began growing back when she started taking medication and vitamins, and she has praised members of the Sunderland-based support group – who are aiming to raise £100,000 to create a hub for other alopecia sufferers – for "embracing" their hair loss.
She said: "These women are embracing their hair loss and by doing that and understanding it, then that helps them cope.
"It’s brilliant what they are doing and I’m happy to put my name to it."
Hannah McKay, of Women Warriors, approached Sherrie about being ambassador when she met the former ‘Coronation Street’ star at the Radio Newcastle studios.
She added to Chronicle Live: "I’m a great ‘Benidorm’ fan, so meeting Sherrie was like meeting Beyoncé for me. We told her about our Women Warriors and she opened up to us and told us about losing her hair.
"She understood what we are going through, our emotions and what it’s like to cope. We asked her if she would be an ambassador for us and she said yes."
Sherrie quit ‘Loose Women’ in 2016 after 14 years on the lunchtime talk show, and she praised her fellow panellists for being there for her during her hair loss and other issues.
She said: "These girls have been amazing. They’ve got me through everything."