Sophie Kasaei has revealed she tried to ‘hide who I am’ while on Geordie Shore as she discussed her battle with traction alopecia.
In an exclusive chat with MailOnline, the reality star detailed the impact that years of TV work has had in damaging her hair, as she developed Traction Alopecia from extensions and heat damage.
Sophie, 32, told how she has launched her new hair brand, Mane London, to stop others from feeling the same as she has.
Candid: Sophie Kasaei has revealed she tried to ‘hide who I am’ while on Geordie Shore as she discussed her battle with traction alopecia
Speaking of her time on Geordie Shore, Sophie revealed appearing on the reality show led to her ‘following with society’ and covering up her naturally curly hair to fit in with the other girls.
She said: ‘I tried to fit in with everyone else looks-wise and hide who I actually am, but ended up just doing more damage.
‘On Geordie Shore we lived up to our reputations, going out every night, it was tough on my hair.’
Suffering: Sophie developed Contraction Alopecia from years of extensions and heat damage
New venture: Te star has revealed she has launched her new hair brand, Mane London, to stop others from feeling the same as she has
‘At one point I even had bleach blonde hair and put in blue contact lenses, but that’s not who I am at all – I’m half Arabian and from a Persian background.’
‘It wasn’t until lockdown, when I couldn’t get my hair done, that I realised how much I love my natural hair and that I needed to embrace where I’m from.’
Sophie said she ‘didn’t realise’ the damage she was doing to her hair while on Geordie Shore – revealing the toll that alopecia and hair loss has had on her confidence.
The reality star added that the condition also impacted her dating life.
She said: ‘My confidence does get knocked – especially when I’m dating and I’m lying in bed with a boy because I get worried he’ll see my bald patch. Or if I’m outside and it’s windy and the wind blows my hair up.’
‘I suffer from endometriosis as well so that’s a cause of hair loss too.
‘But I now realise I’m not alone, so many people suffered from hair loss and have alopecia and I think me talking about it can help them too.’
‘I’ve thought about getting hair transplants, but I don’t think I need to do that yet.’
Sophie is reaching out to the younger generation to ’embrace their natural hair’, saying: ‘believe it or not, for someone like me – who is so open about getting fillers and cosmetic work, my hair is natural and I want to embrace that. I want young girls to as well.’
She continued: ‘The first time I put in curly clip extensions I felt like an alter-ego and felt really empowered.
‘I got them from the US and realised there was a big gap in the market for extensions like these in the UK, so I created Mane London.’
Next generation: Sophie is reaching out to the younger generation to ’embrace their natural hair’
Further action: Sophie shared that she has thought about hair transplants, but doesn’t feel she needs to do that yet
Sophie launched her new brand, Mane London, on Tuesday – which offers clip-in extensions for curly and thick hair, alongside a range of hair care products.
Looking to the future, Sophie sees Mane London ‘going massive’, as she says celebrities around the world are starting to embrace their curly hair.
While she works on her new venture, she described TV as ‘always a part’ of her, saying she will take opportunities that come along in the future as TV goes hand-in-hand with her new business.
Launch day: Sophie launched her new brand, Mane London, on Tuesday – which offers extensions for curly and thick hair and hair products
