Southampton star James Ward-Prowse's support for sister Emma Turner who is battling alopecia

Emma Turner, 19, became one of the youngest people in Britain to be diagnosed with the hair-loss disease when she was just 16.

Emma struggled to cope with the loss of her thick blond locks but when she spoke to her doctors, they failed to recommend any successful treatment or social groups for people with alopecia.

Southampton midfielder James, 20, has a close relationship with Emma and would often spend hours searching for treatments that would help her come to terms with her illness.

Emma, from Portsmouth, said: “James is a very protective older brother and he is very sensitive about things.

“He is someone that I can always go to – I was feeling really down one day and he told me to come over and he sat with me for hours going through different treatments that I could try.”

Emma would often go into panic after finding clumps of hair about the size of a pound coin in the shower and doctors diagnosed it as alopecia areata – sporadic hair loss from the head caused by stress.

Emma said: “When I was diagnosed I didn’t really know what it was and I had to do some research to fully understand my condition.

“I was given steroids to try over the first couple of months and then I was given the option to go on oral treatment but these had side effects such as weight gain and hormone change.

“It was at that point that I realised that I was going to have to get over it as it was likely that I might never be cured.”

Emma would go through an excitement of a growth spurt followed by disappointment when her hair fell out just days later.

She now wears a wig so to cover her bald patches and reclaim her ‘inner girl.’ Animal care student Emma said: “I had to pin my hair down to the bold patches and some days this was really difficult. All I wanted to do was style my hair like any teenage girl would want to.

“When I first started wearing a I had embarrassing moment with my boyfriend - I was driving down the motorway in my soft top car and the winds made my wig slip and it started to come off it was so funny!

“Now I forget that I even wear a wig. I still won’t go out much without it on but when I am in college my friends always encourage me to take it off when it starts to irritate me.

“I have a close group of friends which makes it easier when I want to take my wig off – sometimes you do get people who stare but it doesn’t bother me.”

Emma and James’ mum Jackie-Ward Prowse admits she found it difficult to come to terms with her condition but has now set up a support group to help fellow sufferers.

Jackie said: “I felt racked with guilt as I thought I might have given it to her and it took me a while to get over this feeling.

“After a while I realised Emma was a healthy and happy girl and that was all that mattered.

“Emma and I found it difficult to find information on this condition and I felt the doctors didn’t provide much support and advice.

“We found lots of information on the Alopecia UK website and it was such a relief to finally understand the condition.

“It was then that I set up an alopecia group which allows people to come along and talk about their symptoms and issues that they’ve had.

“Since having this group I’ve seen Emma fully come to terms with her condition and it feels great that we can help other people in a similar situation.”

Visit alopeciaonline.org.uk for more information.