Photos by @nikolekline / courtesy of @kyliebamberger Instagram

The internet is falling in love with the bride who recently rocked a bald head on her wedding day.

When thousands of magazine pages, hundreds of social media pages, and dozens of TV shows are force-feeding an idealistic — and sometimes unrealistic — one-sided portrayal of beauty, being authentic in every way possible on your big day can be one of the toughest status-quo challenges for a woman. However, actress and motivational speaker Kyle Bamberger made a conscious decision to exclude a wig from her attire on her wedding day. The reason was beautiful and awe-inspiring.

According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, or NAAF, “alopecia areata is a prevalent autoimmune skin disease resulting in the loss of hair on the scalp and elsewhere on the body. It usually starts with one or more small, round, smooth patches on the scalp and can progress to total scalp hair loss (alopecia totalis”> or complete body hair loss (alopecia universalis”>.”

The latest bride to go viral, Bamberger’s bravery in turning the other cheek to peers who encouraged her to believe that wearing long, straight hair on the big day somehow equated to her most beautiful self has become a beacon of hope for many women. Whether it was for purely aesthetic reasons or a health issue, Bamberger certainly cleared it up with this Instagram video:

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“When I lost my hair I was so focused on what I had lost, that I hadn’t necessarily realized what I had gained,” the newlywed explains. “I gained the ability to finally love myself. It’s something I encourage so many others to try and do. No one should ever be alienated because of the way that they look.” 

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Since her diagnosis Kylie has been an advocate for going against beauty norms with her photo activism (like this shoot where she had the words I have alopecia written across her back”>. By making it a point to showcase what non disease sufferers might perceive to be a flaw or a shortcoming became a beautiful attribute that has gotten her noticed, more recently in some of our favorite online publications.

In light of positive self-love rituals and affirmations (hopefully”> flooding our timeline more than negative ones that encourage unhealthy comparisons leading to self-hatred, we certainly hope to see more brave brides like Kylie Bamberger celebrating the true beauty of life in all of its forms.

 

Read 2 Easy Hacks For Hiding Your Traction Alopecia

Keep up with Kylie on Instagram 

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