Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Armani Latimer has spoken about her decision to perform without a wig for the first time, in a bid to raise awareness about hair-loss condition alopecia areata. 

She performed without her wig on Monday (9 December) as the Cowboys took on the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL, in support of the My Cause My Boots campaign. 

Latimer was diagnosed with the autoimmune disorder, which attacks hair follicles, when she was just 12, and, writing in Women’s Health magazine, admitted that “alopecia was hard to navigate” in the early days of her cheerleading career.

“At first, I was unsure, but at the beginning of this season something felt right about it. I spoke to our director about the potential of going wig-free for our annual My Cause My Boots game and she loved it,” the cheerleader said.

Latimer featured in Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and has taken part in photoshoots, as well as posting social media videos, without her wig, but had not done so in front of home fans at the famous AT&T stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“At first, I was a bit scared to commit to it because doing a photoshoot or taking a video of yourself and posting it on social media is not in real time,” she wrote. 

“Knowing the game would be live in front of over 80,000 people and I may end up on TV is a bit intimidating. But I’m reminding myself that I’ll be out there dancing with my best friends, and my family will be there. I know that it’ll be an impactful moment for whoever it touches.”

If this story has affected you, you can call Alopecia UK for advice and support on 0800 101 7025 between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday. 

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
 

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