In this powerful episode, Dr. Alka Patel speaks with BAFTA Award-winning TV presenter Gail Porter about her remarkable journey through life’s most challenging moments. Gail opens up about her experiences with sudden onset alopecia while filming in America, the emotional impact of hair loss on her identity and confidence, and how she learned to overcome the anxiety and negative self-talk that often accompanies such trauma. With candor and humor, she reflects on how her young daughter’s simple acceptance of her baldness taught her a valuable lesson about overthinking and creating worry in worlds that don’t actually exist.
The conversation delves deeper into Gail’s struggles with depression, which she’s lived with since her teenage years, and the challenges of seeking mental health support within the NHS system. She shares her experience of receiving five different diagnoses from five different doctors in just minutes each, highlighting the importance of meaningful mental health care that goes beyond surface-level assessment. As her circumstances deteriorated—losing work, unable to afford rent, and eventually experiencing homelessness—Gail’s story becomes a testament to resilience and the power of shifting from self-harm to self-care. This is an essential listen for anyone struggling with body image, mental health, or life’s unexpected curveballs.
Main Topics
Hair loss is more common than we think—70-80% of people experience or worry about hair loss, making it an important health conversation
Sudden onset alopecia can be deeply traumatic, but our anxiety about it often causes more damage to our health than the condition itself
Children and animals model acceptance without judgment—Gail's daughter's simple 'Rock and roll!' response taught her valuable lessons about letting go of negative assumptions
Mental health diagnosis requires time and genuine understanding—Gail received five different diagnoses in 5-10 minute appointments, showing the limitations of quick assessments
Depression and mental health struggles are long-term conditions that need ongoing support, not quick fixes or one-size-fits-all solutions
Workplace discrimination and societal judgments about appearance can have serious consequences, including job loss and financial hardship
The journey from self-harm to self-care involves building resilience, changing negative thought patterns, and developing self-compassion
Full TranscriptYou're listening to Health Hacktivators with me, Dr. Alka Patel, on the Woman's Radio Station. Before we get into today'...▼
You're listening to Health Hacktivators with me, Dr. Alka Patel, on the Woman's Radio Station. Before we get into today's conversation, please do support today's show sponsor, Youth and Earth. Youth and Earth have a range of products that I love to use myself to supercharge my metabolism, to support my health, and to slow down cellular aging. So just be sure you click the link in the show notes for exclusive offers which Youth and Earth are so generously giving only for for listeners of this show. Welcome to Health Hacktivators with lifestyle medicine doctor, GP, and longevity expert Dr. Alok Patel. This show will help you to discover a hidden health hacking code that unlocks your phenomenal potential for an outstanding healthspan, lifespan, and wealthspan. The show features candid conversations with celebrities, influencers, and industry icons, real-life stories, and cutting-edge health hacktivating advice that other doctors might not tell you. Discover why now is the time to join the strategic self-care revolution and experience the profound effect this will have on your personal and professional success. Now, here is your host, Dr. Alka Patel. Hi, hey, and hello, health hacktivators. In today's show, I am joined by the incredible Gayle Porter, who's been a favorite on our screens since the '90s. We talk about hair and the impact that losing her hair had on her. Hair today, gone tomorrow. We talk about depression, suicide control, and I find out how Gayle moved from self-harm to self-care. I know that you're going to enjoy this whole conversation. So on my show today, I have the BAFTA Award-winning TV presenter, broadcaster, charity ambassador, author, and I think Star Wars superfan as well. It's Gail Porter, everybody. Welcome. That's really good. I like that intro. Could you do that for me every morning? Or I'll just say record it and I'll just play every morning and I go, yes! So then if I have a bad morning, I'll have that. I forget about things like that because, you know, people— I don't know. Well, I know that was superfan of Star Wars, so that's great. But everything else to go, yeah, do that. Yesterday I was doing a speech And then they introduced me. They were introducing all these lovely, wonderful influencer people, and then they got to me and they went, and then it's Gayle Porter. Well, Gayle's just Gayle. I was like, okay, I didn't get any of that sort of lovely stuff that you've just done. They were just like, oh, you know, Gayle, it's just Gayle. Well, it may be Gayle because you don't need any introduction, right? Because you are this super household name. You've shot to stardom. You've got your celebrity status from the '90s, and just, you just— that's the intro. It's Gail Porter. So look, Gail, I guess it's pretty, uh, pretty fair to say your life's had its fair share of ups and downs, or maybe unfair share of ups and downs, hasn't it? I think in terms of, as you say, what do people know Gail for? It's lighting up the Houses of Parliament, you've been through divorce, you've had sudden onset of alopecia, all of this whilst you were in America filming your TV series. So I guess the question that I'd love to ask you is How has all this roller coaster of life really affected your, your health over these years? Well, to be honest, it's not until I hear it all packed in together that I think, yeah, that was actually quite a lot. But loads of people go through stuff, um, every single day, as we know. But I think, I think the, the divorce was not easy. I mean, it's never easy. I think this, you know, it's just not pleasant, and, um, that was unfortunate. The hair loss was very traumatic because it was so unexpected. You know, I was working in America looking for— I was doing a program called Dead Famous. We were looking for dead famous people. Even now I laugh thinking I was doing what? And then I remember when my hair started falling out, it was like one clump here, one clump there. Within 3.5, 4 weeks, nothing whatsoever. And I had very long hair and then suddenly it's all gone. And, um, so I think that was something that really, really upset me because my daughter was at home with her dad in London and I was in America. And so I'd left my tiny daughter, who was I think 2 at the time with loads of hair, gone to work, and I had to phone home and say, "Mummy's coming back completely bald." And my ex was just saying, well, That's ridiculous. And I said, well, it's not something I'm going to make up, is it? I said, all my hair is just falling out. It's just all falling out. And my daughter's going to see mummy go away, um, you know, hairy, and then come back with absolutely nothing. So, um, the flight home was awful. I was overthinking everything, just thinking, oh my gosh, what if she doesn't accept me, doesn't recognize me? And yeah, I got home, I cried the whole way home, I think. Poor, poor staff on the airline dealing with me the whole way. I got lots of hugs and stuff because we were allowed hugs then. I mean, we're allowed hugs now, but you know, um, but, um, yeah, but then when I got home, she just said, "Rock and roll!" And I was like, "Oh, okay." It was that simple. There was no questions, no nothing. And I thought, well, do you know what? Do you know what? Children are the best. They are actually. We know that children and animals are the best. And she just accepted it as it was. I mean, I saw a little boy the other day and he's pointing at my hair and he's just going, "Where's it gone?" Yeah. And I went, "Oh, it's gone on the bus." And he went, "Oh, okay." He thinks I've left it on the bus. And it is that almost childlike curiosity, isn't it, that sometimes we kind of need that for ourselves because all of that overthinking you did on that plane back, you created your own anxiety in a world that didn't even exist. You kind of— we love our minds, right? We love our imagination and our creativity, but you just created this world that wasn't even real because of what you thought might or might not be. And we live there, don't we, in terms of kind of worry and anxiety? We're very good at creating our own inner world that doesn't really exist. And as you say, the real thing is your daughter just was like, "Hey, Mom." Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah, you're completely right. Our imaginations are wonderful. That's Ziggy. That's Ziggy Stardust in the background there. She loves to come into a bit of a— you all right there? She's like— but yeah, we're all very good at thinking negatively. And, you know, I try my hardest to think positively about everything, and that could be quite tricky when I live in London. But like you say, it's not good for your health. So when I get up in the morning, I think, hey, I'm going to play you saying that introduction to me every morning. And then— but yeah, you have to get up and think, even because I suffered from, um, I get quite anxious. I suffer from depression, which I've talked about quite a lot. And, you know, I know losing your hair is not a silly thing, but in the, in the whole scheme of things, it's not that bad, you know. I just embraced it and got on with it. And I actually probably made myself more ill by worrying than actually just losing my hair. So it's more the stress of thinking, oh, can I go out? Are people going to make fun of me? Is my daughter going to love me? Um, do I have to stay in forever? Does that mean I'm going to be cat lady? Oh yes, I am. I'll take the last bit. It's just, um, it's my own, my own, my own heads that makes me unwell sometimes because I'm overthinking and thinking negatively when I should be thinking, do you know what, I've got this. But you can't have it every single day. No, no. And you're right. And interestingly, I was talking to my hairdresser recently about about hair, as you do, to your hairdresser. And she said that about 70 to 80% of people who sit in her chair worry about hair loss or are experiencing hair loss. So I think that's a really important point that you're raising, um, Gail, and so grateful that you're bringing this into, into the limelight. Is, yes, it's important. Yes, it feels like it's part of your identity. And creates that level of confidence for you. But look deeper than that, right? Well, I had, um, I was out at a lunch thing the other day there, and it was a couple of people I knew, a lot of people I didn't know. You know, you're very polite, you do your thing. And then, um, one of the guys just suddenly went— he was chatting about me while I was next to him, and he said, oh, um, he was speaking to an American couple, and he went, oh, this is Gail Porter. Oh my God, you should have seen her when she had hair. She was so pretty. And I was just like, do you know what, you can say that in your own mind, you don't have to say it out loud to a table of 10 people when I only know 2 of you. And it's as if, you know, she's got no hair, so she's nothing now. I was like, you know what, my mum lost her hair through chemotherapy. Don't ever, don't ever say things like that because you don't know what people are going through. And, you know, if you think I don't look great, then that's fine. I mean, I didn't think I looked great with hair or without hair. Doesn't matter, but don't say things like that out loud. It's just very rude because people can get very upset and hurt by those things, you know. So I just thought, that's a rubbish thing to say. So I kept my dignity and I got up and I made my excuses and went, because the Scottish person inside me wanted to go, right, outside! But no, I didn't. I wouldn't do that. But in my mind I did, but I kept that to myself. Yeah, but you had a tough time, didn't you? I mean, you mentioned depression, that That hit hard, didn't it? So it sounds like Gail of today is a very different Gail to a couple of decades ago. What was it really like at that time? Well, um, I always find it a bit weird to talk about. Yeah, it's not weird, it's just hard, I think. But, um, there was a time— so divorced, lost my hair, hardly got any work because I looked different and it's all changed. And, um, The only things people wanted me to talk about was hair loss or depression, because I've talked about depression since day one, uh, because I've had it since I was a teenager. So, you know, up, down. I did a documentary, the documentary you were talking about called Being Gil Porter, and I actually saw 5 doctors for about 5-10 minutes each while we were filming around the country, and I got 5 different diagnoses. They didn't even know me. And I thought that was really interesting. So I was bipolar 1, bipolar 2, manically depressed, depressed, totally fine. I don't know you people. So it was just so bizarre seeing all these different responses to what they thought I had. And so it's not putting anyone off going to doctors because obviously doctors are great and wonderful, but for me, when it comes to mental health, you have to give me more than 5 minutes. Yeah, and I understand that mental health and, um, with the NHS, I know it's extremely difficult. I know that the funding is terrible, and, um, it's, you know, mental health is— it's not like you've got a broken arm, or it's not like you've got a tummy upset. It's not something you can just go, do you know what, we'll give you that, you'll be fine. It's just ongoing. So that's the good thing about talking to people and doing these sort of things, that, you know, you've got platform. I love my Instagram and I love my Twitter and people say, oh, do you know what, you know, social media can be a really dangerous place. Well, do you know what, if somebody's horrible to you on it, you just block. It's really simple. And if somebody reaches out to you, you've done something good. We're good. But anyway, back to the depression stuff. So, um, so what happened yet? So the work kind of dried up, couldn't afford my rent, um, so lost my flat. And then I was homeless. And then, um, obviously homeless is not great. Um, so I was kind of— I stayed on a few people's sofas every now and then, but then I got so embarrassed because I thought, at my age, I'd done okay, I'd been okay, it'd all been fine, and then suddenly I've got one black sack of clothes because I put everything in storage and I couldn't afford to get it out, so we sold all my stuff. So I was like, oh my gosh, I'm actually genuinely starting from the beginning. So I thought either this is going to break me or it's going to make me. So it broke me for a bit. So I had a complete breakdown and I phoned an ex of mine and asked if I could get some help. I said, you know, I've been to the doctors, they said, you know, what are you doing, 4 weeks on Tuesday or 4 weeks on Thursday? I was like, no, it's now, I need help now. And then eventually some police officers turned up and said, oh, we've heard that you're not feeling great. And I was like, what's the police got to do with this? 'Well, just in case you hurt yourself.' And then they took me into a hospital and I sat there in a room for 12 hours. And then I started kicking off, you know, I just wanted to go home. Well, there was no home to go to, I didn't want to go anywhere. And then eventually two doctors came in and they saw me again for about 5 minutes and they said, 'We need— we think we should— we need to put you into a section.' home place. And I was like, no, I don't want to go there, I just want someone to talk to. And, um, they said, well, we need your mum or dad to sign this form off. And I said, well, my mum's dead and my dad lives in Spain, so, so they signed it. And then they said, you're sectioned for 28 days. And, um, and I never saw a doctor at all when I was locked up. I was just locked up with another bunch of people for all different reasons. So, you know, this one guy that I'm completely I've kept in touch with. He's an amazing artist, wonderful, lovely guy. Um, there was a guy that was in, he was waiting to go to prison, but the prisons were full because he'd done— it was an attempted murder. It was just like, it was literally like one flew over the cuckoo's nest. And then eventually the doctors came in after, I don't know if it was 12, 13, 14 days, don't know, came in, sat me down and said, we're really sorry, you shouldn't have been in here. And they let me go with a bag full of medication because they've medicated me all day, every day, and then that was it. Let's just pause there because this, this— you can't make this up. I mean, this, for me, the word negligence keeps coming up. That's the one word that I'm hearing as you're, as you're saying this, because this isn't care, this is not healthcare. No, it was just getting you off the street. It's like, oh well, we don't know how to deal with that. And so, but that place has been closed down, unsurprisingly. And I understand that it's a difficult situation to deal with, but don't lock people up. I was just sitting there thinking, I've got no idea what I'm doing here. And then I was not going to take any medication, but they said you have to because you're in here and you can't get out. So eventually I was just taking, you know, whatever they gave me. I actually wrote a list of it when I got home. And I, I was just— showed it to my friend who's a doctor and she was just like, you were taking all that in one day? And I was like, yeah, every day, that's what they gave us. And what, what did make the difference? Because it wasn't going to be the medication, it wasn't going to be hooked up as you put it, it wasn't going to be seeing your GP for 10 minutes and getting a label which doesn't even mean anything. And I, and I think we label too easily and I have to call that out really because labeling, giving you a diagnosis. It's, you know, it's a double-edged sword. It can either help you because it helps you understand yourself. Yeah, it does totally the opposite, and you just get cast with this diagnostic label that doesn't help you at all. And it sounds in your case as though that wasn't— nothing that you've described so far was what was helpful. What was it? What did make the difference for you? Well, firstly, I totally agree with you because you have to say something. If someone comes in to see you and asks you about these things, you know, Sometimes a label is great for someone to think, right, okay, actually, do you know what, I've got that symptom, this symptom, that, that makes sense to me. It was me getting so many different labels, it was making me worse because I was thinking, am I terrible? Am I a bad human? Um, is there something like really wrong with me? But, and what made me better, okay, so when I got back home, it was a bit, you know, I was very nervous about being home. I was very anxious. My phone was being hacked at the time. So there was, you know, stuff about me being sectioned in the papers, and I didn't, I didn't know if it was a friend that had done it. I didn't know. So that was not good for my mental health either. And then it wasn't until a lot later that I found out that people were listening to my phone calls. And yeah, anyway, so that was not great. But then, um, I was thinking, right, this is terrible, I've got no money, I've got no nothing. And then, you know, that weird program Big Brother, they contacted me. And I think, do you know what, they do kind of prey on the vulnerable or people that are, you know, they're going to make good telly because they think, we don't know what's going to happen with this one. So they said, could you, do you want to do it? And of course I was like, no, but yes, because I need some money to get me back on my feet again. And I thought, wait, I've been sectioned, I can handle a Big Brother house. Tell you what, I'd rather be sectioned again. Wow. But you know, it got me on my feet and it was, um, very intense. I think it was kind of a bit of a weird thing to do right after being sectioned. So you're in a whole place with people you don't know, and then you're going into another place with people you don't know, but you're getting filmed at the same time. Yeah, yeah. And then when I came out of that and I had enough money— I mean, they didn't pay great, but they gave me enough money to put a deposit on a rented flat. And when I came out of that and I thought, you know what, I've done, I've done both of these things, I've got this now, and I'm not going to let anyone put me down. You can say what you want. And when I came out of Big Brother Everyone that worked on it was lovely and they said, do you want to, do you want to see any of the episodes? I was like, no, I've just lived it. I don't care how you've edited it. I don't care. They went, do you want to see the press cuttings? No, I don't care what people think of me. I've done it. I've done my job. I've got a roof over my head and now that's it. Onwards and upwards. And I'm going to start talking about what I went through, which I didn't want to talk about before because I felt embarrassed and ashamed. And I thought, yeah, I'm going to start doing this. And then things started happening, and then the documentary— BBC contacted me and they said, 'Do you want to do a documentary about what's happened to you?' And I thought, 'Oh gosh, no.' But then I was like, 'Yes, I do actually. Yeah, let's see.' And it was really hard to film. Why did you do it? What was it? What's that— what was that driving force behind 'I'm gonna lay myself bare'? I know your book's called Laid Bare as well, isn't it? What— why did you do that? I think it was because when it all started happening to me, I thought I was the only person that ever gone through this. And I didn't speak to anybody because I was ashamed. I didn't speak to anybody because I was, you know, embarrassed. And then when I did attempt to try and see a doctor, they were too busy, or— and I was just— which I understand completely, wholeheartedly. But then I started feeling more and more, you know, of an outcast. And then once I went through the sectioning, then I went through the Big Brother thing, and I thought 'What? It's just like from one thing, one minute I'm being sectioned for being whatever, I don't know what the correct term is to use when you're not feeling quite right in the head. And then the next minute I'm getting filmed and people are watching and either laughing at you because you're not quite right.' So it just starts like that. And then I thought, 'No, I'm gonna talk about this now. That's it, I'm done.' So when the documentary, they came to me and I just thought, ideally, no. And then I thought, yeah, do you know what, this could help a lot of people. You know, a lot of people might be sitting at home like I used to do on my own, thinking, I'm on my own here. And then the amount of people that have contacted me since I did the film that said, oh my gosh, I felt like that, oh my gosh, I did that. And so, you know, even if it made difference to one person, then I was happy. But it seemed to make a difference to quite a lot. Oh, I think it did. I think it's made a difference to more than quite a lot for sure, because I think it's It's taken some of this, that the whole mental health approach, out of the doctor's surgery because it doesn't belong there. Those conversations don't belong there. Unfortunately, the doctor's surgery is set up to try and fix you as quickly as possible, which means here's your, here's your packet of pills and off you go. And I, and I say this very crassly, but that's genuinely how it's set up because there isn't space for anything more. But it needs more. It needs connection. It needs community. It needs to share. Yeah, it's not doctor's fault. You know, we need— you need finance, you need somewhere to go and talk to people, you need the time, you need, you know, at the moment everyone's struggling, we're all struggling, we don't know what's going on at the moment. So it's trying to find places, you know. I'd love to do a talk once a week somewhere, but if I get a job, I have to go because I'm freelance. And a lot of people are the same, you know, we can't just go, do you know what, every Wednesday I'll be there. I can't say that, you know. Yeah, no, look, I mean, there's so many interesting points to, to talk about. I guess it's What do you, what do you say to your daughter, Gail? What do you say to, to Honey? She's, you know, a special woman in, in your life. What do you, what's the message for her? Well, Honey and I have talked about it ever since she was old enough to understand what was going on. So for her, I don't think she thinks it's kind of an issue. She just thinks, you know, she thinks, well, I'm just her mum. But she knows about, you know, um, mental health issues. She's very confident, very good at everything. But she knows that I will say to her, you need to talk, you call me at any time, anything upsets you, you call me anytime. You know, she's at uni now and, um, I worry about that. But, um, no, I mean, I just say to her, talk. Yeah, like I say to her friends, talk to anybody. Well, not strangers in the street, but, um, that's, that's what your mum does. But, uh, no, just, just if anything bothers you, there's nothing to be embarrassed about ever. Yeah, yeah, you know, she's at that age now, she's like, yeah, whatever. But yeah, but she knows that I've got her back, and she's gone through seeing the struggles I've gone through, and I apologize a lot to her. I'm like, I'm so sorry that that happened. It's like, it's fine. It's not fine because she's had to grow up differently from other kids, you know. Mum's been sectioned, Mum's not been well, Mum's been homeless. Um, but you know, it's also made her a very strong little human being. Yeah, yeah. And the fact we've just been very honest. So who's got your back then, Gail? Who's in, who's in your phone book on the speed dial that you talk to? Uh, well, I talked to the cat a lot, which is quite good because she doesn't answer back. But now I've got friends. Um, I don't really like to burden people too much, and at the moment I'm really happy. But I do know that I've got a good handful of friends that if the worst comes to worst, if I phoned them at 2 o'clock in the morning, they would answer. But luckily, touch wood, I don't need to do that at the moment. I mean, I have my days when I wish I could phone my mom and my dad or my grandma and my grandpa, and I don't have them anymore, so that kind of hurts sometimes. But I will try and phone my daughter, but if she picks up, that's amazing. She's too busy, too busy. You're gonna be busy when you're 20. But no, I've got great friends, so I know the people that I can phone if I'm feeling a bit down that won't judge me and they'll just listen. And vice versa, they know they can call me anytime too. So if the phone goes at 11 o'clock, I always take my phone to bed with me. Well, I'll leave it beside me on vibrate just in case, because I had a friend unfortunately who committed suicide a long, long time ago, and I didn't have my phone with me, and she had tried to phone me earlier in the evening, but I was asleep. I don't know if it would have made any difference or not, but it's never left my head, just thinking, oh my gosh, you know. Yeah, I don't know, it's just one of those things I think about quite a lot, thinking, oh, I should have had my phone, but I don't think it would have made any difference at all. I just like knowing it's there. And also, when you've got a 20-year-old, you know, you've got a teenager, when you've got children, you need to have the phone beside the bed just in case. Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely. And that's hard, isn't it, to carry that thought that, could I have done something different for my friend at that point? And it's, it's that responsibility you carry, but it's not your responsibility. You know logically that that is, that isn't your responsibility, I guess. And kind of back to you, I know you've talked about harm and self-harm as well before. Did you ever feel like that in terms of the harm moving to a place of taking your life? No. I mean, I, I once took an accidental overdose, and that genuinely was an accidental overdose. I was exhausted and I was— hadn't slept for days, and I kept just taking, and I had headaches, and I was just crying so much. I took a few painkillers and then been given— is it called codamol or something like that— from the doctors, and then I was taking that on top of something else, and then suddenly I thought, oh my gosh, I'm not right. So I actually phoned my ex-husband and I said, I think I've mixed up these pills and I shouldn't have done it, because if I wanted to do anything to see it, I would never want to do anything like that. But I phoned him up, I said, I think I've genuinely made a mistake. So he was like, okay, fine, get to the hospital. And we were fine, it was all good. So, uh, but of course my phone was being hacked at the time, so suddenly it was in the papers, Gil Porter tries to kill herself. I was like, no, I just mixed up tablets, my fault. And then they made it into a sensational story, which was upsetting because, yeah. But no, self-harm was a thing that I started when I was a teenager. I don't know where it came from. I've tried to look into it a bit more about why. I think it was just— I didn't like myself very much, and it was kind of a release. And it sounds so stupid now, you know, I still got my scars on my arms, and sometimes I look at them and I think, what an idiot. But then sometimes I look at them and I thought, well, thank goodness you got over all that mad— well, I can't say madness, can you? But that's sort of whatever was going on in my head. I don't really understand it. I don't know why I did it. And, um, but it just gave me some sort of weird sense of relief. Yeah, don't do it now, obviously. I'm very happy with everything. Yeah, yeah. And self-harm, there's depth to that, isn't there? And I think, you know, I've also sort of that thinking that we're all harming ourselves in some way or another, in some format of another, because we're not prioritizing taking care of ourselves. So self-harm can appear in many guises. Yours appeared in the form of cutting, but it can appear in terms of neglecting how you eat and having that extra cream cake when you don't need it, or neglecting how you sleep and getting on Netflix and social media all night, right? This is all harm, isn't it? And it is that, that call, isn't it, really, that we do need to reach out for a different level of help and a different level of responsibility as well. Taking that 100% responsibility for what you do, what is— even if it feels so hard, is so important. Yeah, because I did the same with the food thing. So I'd either not eat or then overeat. It was kind of like control because I felt like my life was out of control. And I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be doing, what I was going to study, didn't know where I was going, um, had no idea about anything. So I thought, right, I would just control eating, hurt myself every now and then, because actually hurting myself is better than what was going on around me, uh, because— and also I was in control of that. And the eating thing, I was in control of that, uh, but I wasn't really. I was just— yeah, I didn't know what I was doing. I thought I was in control, but I wasn't really. So what is it now for you? If it's not control, what's— what pushes you forward? As you say, you're in this— you feel as though you're in a happier place, you're in a different place. What's your motivator? We often talk about purpose, don't we, and what we value and what has meaning in life. What is it for you? Uh, my daughter. So, um, the fact that I did all these crazy things when she was younger I don't even know if I'm allowed to use the word crazy. Strange things, um, you know, with this woke world, I'm never sure what I can and can't say. But, um, when I did all those things when my daughter was little and I was losing control and I'd lost my house and everything, I was so ashamed of myself. And I shouldn't have been. I just was in a really bad place and I couldn't seem to get myself out of it. So now she's managed to work through all this She's such a strong human being. She's at university, she's studying really hard. I'm so proud of her. So every day I just get up and she just makes my world a better place, even if she doesn't phone me until like on a Thursday once a week. Not that I'm like getting annoyed with her, but, um, yeah, no, I'm just— she just makes me happy. And also when I do talks all over the place around the country and I will say if anyone wants a hug at the end, feel free. And I get lots of other people coming up and give me a hug, and I was like, oh, that's so nice, um, and chatting to me about all sorts of different things. And so that gives me a sense of, you know, I do a lot of them for free. Just as long as I make enough money doing something to keep a roof over my head, I'm happy. And I'm happy to do talks for, you know, if it's a charity, of course you do it for free. Um, if it's some, you know, a tiny, tiny business that have got no money or they're really struggling of course you'll do it for free if there's like lots of people and they need your help. Not that I'm a therapist or anything, but sometimes it's nice to hear just your normal next-door neighbor just chatting to you going, well, this happened, right? And they'll go, ah, yes. So that keeps me going, it really does. And you know, the fact I've got a roof over my head keeps me going, which is— I think you have to— well, for me personally, hitting the lowest of the low made me look at life through a whole different set of eyes, because I never in a million years thought I would be sleeping on a bench in Hampstead Heath with one bag and everything else is gone. And, um, yeah, so, um, every day is a blessing really, even if I feel grumpy. Yeah. So charity work, you mentioned working for charities. I know you're an ambassador of charities as well, and you've done some work with the Samaritans as well. Tell me about your, your work in the charity space. Well, yeah, ambassador for the Samaritans, ambassador for Scottish Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, um, with the— well, I used to work with Little Princess Trust, which gives wigs to children who have lost their hair through alopecia or chemotherapy, um, and I work with the guide dogs. Um, I've actually just got a guide dog named Gail. They named a guide dog Gail. That's quite difficult to say. But yes, so I've got my own little guide dog running around getting trained at the moment called Gail. So that was a really lovely thing. That's better than getting paid, isn't it? And yeah, do you know, anyone that asks for anything, whether it's a local charity or if I've got time and I can do, you know, a Zoom or turn up at something or donate something, you know, if they've got a raffle or something, I'll do anything or just spread the word. Samaritans is amazing because when a lot of people speak to me on social media, I'm not feeling great, or what do I do, I can't help you. And I don't— I mean, I can just say, right, speak to Samaritans. Honestly, believe you me, I spoke to them so many times before I became an ambassador because they don't judge you, they don't ask your name, they don't ask anything. So you're speaking to a complete stranger, you can tell them whatever you want and they're not going to judge you, and they'll give you the possible advice. So I was honored when they asked me to be an ambassador for them. And, um, Changing Faces— I'm going to speak to them in about half an hour. Changing Faces is a charity that, um, well, basically is what it is. It's, um, is what it says, sorry. It's about people that look different. So whether it's a birth deformity, it's, um, burns, it's me having alopecia— we look different, we're changing faces, we're just having We're just being positive and giving each other, you know, just being there for each other to say, you know what, it's good, it's good, we're different, it's all right, we're all good here. Wow, I'm just so humbled by hearing all the incredible work that you're doing. And you do loads of great work, everyone does stuff, just we just don't know it sometimes. Yeah, yeah. And it's sometimes worth having a bit of reflective space about, because we think about all the things we want to do but we don't pause to think about what I have done and also who I am as well. You know, the whole idea of I'm a human being, not just a human doing. So who am I being when I turn up as Gayle Porter? Who is Gayle Porter? And it's so great to just hear that through all your pain has come this journey that's taken you to this place where your contribution is, is huge to people who really need to hear what you've been going through in order to make sense of their own lives. Because there's no doubt, is there, that life is full of challenges. The love comes with, with the pain. The, the grief comes because of what you gain in life. You have to have both sides of the coin in, in life and face those. And that's exactly what you've done, accepted the hard times. And now you're in a space where that becomes your, your contribution back to the world. So really, honestly, genuinely feel totally humbled by what you've just pushed through and are doing right now. You've had an amazing, amazing career. Well, you know, I think a lot of people don't realize how much they do for other people without actually knowing that they're doing it. So, you know, us having this chat, you've made me feel good this morning because I was really tired, and then you were so lovely, and I thought, yeah, I'm good now, I'm okay. And then, you know, neighbors— I gave my little one across the road, I always give him a wave. I got him some stuff for Halloween. You know, it's just something that you do. You pick something up at a supermarket and hand it over, or the lady downstairs, I'll drop in. I know she likes bananas, so I'll drop in bananas. Yeah. It's just tiny things and you think, well, that doesn't mean anything. And then I'll get a little note going, oh, that was so nice. Thanks. You think, do you know what? We can all do that. Yeah. Tiny wee things make a difference. Amazing. I love that. I love that. Yeah. It's the small things and you've gotta notice them, right? Just recognize that. Yeah. You have to say it in Scottish, tiny wee things. Tiny wee things. How's that? Yeah. You got it, I got it. A little bit more practice and I'm there. Amazing. I was very impressed. I'm not usually impressed by people's Scottish accents, but that was good. Love it, love it. So, um, look, yeah, let's try and wrap this up. We could keep talking and talking, couldn't we? So I guess it's that connection between health and success in life. What's your message for people in terms of I want a successful, happy life. What do I do to take care of my health in order to achieve that? Well, to take care of your health mentally, I would say, you know, you're gonna have to take a few knockdowns. Everyone takes knockdowns. Don't take it personally, just get up again. Might be a bit rubbish at the time, but you just keep getting up again. Um, for me as well, I need to get outside even if it's pouring with rain. And if I've not got any work on or anything and I think I want to stay in bed, I can't stay in bed because then I'll think too much. And then sometimes it'll be happy, and then it can go to, oh, I'm not good enough, or I'm not this enough, or I should be doing this, or I should have done that. So I am out, even if it's just a walk to the park, or a walk around the block, or a run to the park, or go and offer to walk my friend's dog. Yeah, anything. Doesn't matter. Just get up, get out, and think, OK, we've got a bad day. But if you're having a— if you really need a rest, put on a really funny movie. Don't put on something really depressing. Which I used to do. It's like, you know, sometimes when you're feeling really sad or slightly heartbroken, you put on sad songs. Why? It's not going to help. Not going to help in the slightest. Or you put on a really depressing movie or like love story and you start crying. That's not helping. Put on Anchorman. You heard it here, folks. Gayle's favorite funny movie is Anchorman. Or Eurovision. Yeah, yeah, ding dong. So, um, anything, anything that's daft and funny. So yeah, just take the knocks, but take the knocks, but don't let the knocks take you. Just take them, go, right, thanks very much, I'll pick myself back up and I'm on it again. If I can do it, my gosh, I was on a bench, what, 7 years ago, 8 years ago? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Powerful. That's a really powerful message to leave people with, Gail. Take the knocks. But don't let the knocks take you. Yes, I'm gonna get a t-shirt made with that one. I'm gonna send it to you. Let's do it. Let's wear that. Love it. Thank you so much, Gail. I really, really valued our conversation today. Thank you so much for asking me. It's lovely to— hopefully I'll meet you in real life soon. Yeah, I would love that. Absolutely. Let's do it. Let's walk around London with our t-shirts on, walk around Scotland going, just a wee t-shirt, just a wee t-shirt. I'll get your kilt. Oh, brilliant. That'd be great fun. I've got two. You can have one of mine if you want. Love it. T-shirt and pill, I'm in. Let's just go and bring happiness to Scotland and then we'll come back to England. We'll give it to all of you. We'll do it. We'll do it. Okay. Amazing. Thank you so much, Gail. Thank you so much. Thank you. Wow. Wow. What a conversation. That phrase, take the knocks but don't let the knocks take you. That is so powerful. I'm, I'm gonna wear that t-shirt. So if anyone wants one, just, just let me know. Look, I know a lot came up in that conversation with Gayle and what she shared with us about her health and her hardship. So I do want to say that if you have been affected by any issues raised in this episode, please, please do reach out to me for support or for information. And you know how to reach me, just through my website, dralcapatel.com, or through my socials at Dr. Alka Patel UK. Okay, so let's get back to hair loss, alopecia. Now, the word alopecia comes from the Latin word that means bald. And there's several types of alopecia, some of which are very hormone-driven, like the male pattern balding from the temples and the crown that we see, or the female pattern balding where women tend to go much thinner on top. And some forms of alopecia, they're autoimmune-driven. So what does this mean? Well, it's where your body just, it just puts up a fight against itself, which then results in having patches of hair loss called alopecia areata. Areata is the Latin word for patch. So with Gail, with Gail, she experienced a form of alopecia which started as patches and then very, very quickly became total hair loss. And what I want to reassure you about is that most forms of hair loss do regrow if, if you focus on the right triggers. And what I will share with you as well is that I myself struggled with significant alopecia areata about, about a decade ago. So I completely understand how terrifying it can feel to lose hair and the impact that it can have on your identity and your confidence. And for me, well, my hair loss followed a period of intense burnout. And what I remember really vividly is I remember keeping a bowl, a bowl on the edge of the bathroom sink so that I could collect bowlfuls of hair every single morning. I was just pulling them out very, very easily, a whole bowl full of hair every single morning. But I knew that my hair would grow back because I understood its triggers, and my hair, of course, as you can see, did come back. But unlike Gail, who didn't cover up her hair loss, I did. I tried to cover up my hair loss. I tried wearing headscarves and hats, and I guess, of course, as a GP at that time, I was seeing, what, 40, 50 patients a day. That's 50 people who all had something to say about my hair every day. Trust me, everyone. Had a comment to make. There really wasn't any hiding. It wasn't, it wasn't an easy time. But look, as I said, there are so many, so many reasons for hair loss, so you have to find your trigger. We're now going to take a short break, and when we return, I'll share with you this week's 3 health activating hacks. In the break, you're going to hear some music from friend of the show Justin M'Kirk. The first track you'll hear is entitled 'Through the Eyes of a Child.' This track features on Justin's 2012 album 'Take Your Place,' and it's available to download from justinm'kirk.co.uk. The second track you'll hear, that's entitled 'You Are,' released as a single in 2020. Justin co-wrote this song with Nashville writer Cynthia Torres. You Are is now available to download from iTunes and across all digital platforms. For what they are, not the color of their skin or where they gonna pray. For we are all the same at the end of the day. I wish I could see the world through the eyes of a child. Where everything is innocent and everything is fair. Yeah, yeah, I wish I could see the world through the eyes of a child, where everything is beautiful and love is everywhere. Yeah, doesn't matter who we are, it's about who we can be. When we open up our hearts, we can set each other free. When you have children of your own, they'll be looking up at you. So be careful what you teach, or someday they'll teach you too. I wish we could see the world through the eyes of a child, where every Everything is innocent and everything is fair. Yeah, yeah, I wish we could see the world through the eyes of a child, where everything is beautiful and love is everywhere. I know I'm not perfect, but I try, 'cause love is worth it. Yeah. I wish I could see the world through the eyes of a child. I wish we could see the world through the eyes of a child, where everything is innocent and everything is fair. Yeah, yeah, I wish we could see the world through the eyes of a child, where everything is Beautiful. Love is every— love is every— love is everywhere. Open your eyes, what do you see? Is it darkness or light or in between? Open your mind, what do you think? Don't let your thoughts steal away your dreams. The sun is always shining down somewhere. Find the path that will take you there. You are a beautiful sight. You are a starry night. You are wings that fly. You are You are a song to sing. You are a symphony. You are the one who holds the key. If you believe you are, open your ears. What do you hear? Are you listening to the love or to the fear? Open your soul. What do you feel? The light in you is a light that heals. The sun is always shining down somewhere. Find the path that will take you there. You are a beautiful sight. You are a starry night. You are wings that fly. You are— You are a song to sing. You are a symphony. You are the one who holds the key. If you believe, you are. You are a beautiful sight. You are a starry night. You are wings to fly. You are— You are a beautiful sight. You are a starry night. You are wings to fly. You are— You are a song to sing. You are a symphony. You are the one who holds the key. If you believe you are, just believe you are. You know you are a song to sing, a symphony Welcome back. That was the wonderful Justin Mccurk, and you are listening to Health Hacktivators with me, Dr. Alka Patel. And now for this week's 3 health activating hacks. Are you ready? Are you ready to unlock your health hacktivation code code in 3 steps: data, devices, decisions. So let's talk hair. Number 1 is data. So when it comes to hair, what data do you need to know? Here's your hack, which is to test, test, test, test. From a nutritional and metabolic aspect, there are key nutrients that support hair growth. So remember, hair is dead, it is keratin, but your hair follicles, that's where your hair grows from, that is very much alive and what you need to do is to feed your follicles. So you need to know what they need and you need to know what you might be missing. So what are you testing? Test your iron, vitamin D, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, biotin because here's what I see, I see that nutrient deficiencies are one of the biggest contributors to hair loss in the clients that I see. So feed your follicles again. Now I've just mentioned biotin. What is this? Well, biotin is also known as vitamin B7, and it helps your body to metabolize, to metabolize carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. And it does other things as well. It works at a cellular level, at a cell cell signaling level, and it also works at a genetic level affecting your gene activity. Now, some of the research on biotin and hair is quite mixed, so what I wouldn't advocate is just spending money and taking biotin supplements without testing. I mean, you can, but if you know specifically that a biotin deficiency is part of the reason for your hair loss, then your hair hack will of course be targeted. Now, biotin is not a test that you're going to be able to get from your regular doctor, your regular GP, but it is a test that I do and that I have found very, very useful with significant improvement in hair growth if used in the right person. And I also mentioned zinc. Well, zinc is important for hair growth, and it's also a cofactor for thyroid health. Now, where do you find zinc? Well, you You find zinc in food sources such as nuts and chickpeas, chicken, red meat, and oysters. And I mentioned iron as well. Iron you need in order to make hemoglobin, and what hemoglobin does, it carries oxygen to cells that are used then for the growth and repair of your hair follicles. And here's something that's really useful to know as well. It's about your thyroid. Your thyroid also uses iron to produce thyroid hormones like T3. So if anything disrupts thyroid hormone production, then this is also going to affect your hair follicles. So important to test this as well. And you don't always absorb iron from the food that you eat. And another metabolite— what's another metabolite I want to tell you about? Well, another one that you probably won't hear about from your GP is glutathione. What's glutathione? Well, think of glutathione as the mother of all antioxidants. So we'll be diving more into antioxidants and autoimmunity in future shows, I know that, but when it comes to hair loss, long-term deficiency of glutathione can be linked to loss and can be linked to a very compromised immune system as well. Let me now introduce you as well to the sponsors of the show today. It's Youth and Earth. I am very, very excited to bring this brand to you. It's a brand that is synonymous with health at a cellular level, everything that I love talking about. And one of my favorite products of theirs, which I use both myself and with my clients after testing, is their liposome Liposomal Glutathione, and I love it because, because it's not only a delicious mango-flavored liquid, but because it's liposomal. And what do I mean by liposomal? Well, liposomes are microscopic bubbles, and they're created from phospholipid layers, and that's the same material that makes up our cell membranes. So what does this mean? Well, it means that the material that's contained within the liposome gets delivered to the cell in a way that is so much better absorbed and so much better utilized by the cell, which then means that I know more is getting to exactly where it needs to. Now, Youth and Earth are giving listeners of this show an exclusive discount, so just click the link in the show notes or on my website. And of course, you'll know that my preference when it comes to supplements is to to test before you treat where possible. That's my mantra—test before you treat where possible. And I say this—well, why do I say this? Well, I say this so that you stay targeted with your optimization. So if you do want to arrange testing for glutathione and anything else that I'm talking about today, please, please do get in touch as well. And interestingly, I was chatting to my hairdresser recently about hair. Well, that's not strange, of course, that's what you talk to hairdressers about. And what she said was that 70 to 80% of people who see her have hair loss to some degree, or they're worrying about it. 70 to 80%, so I'm expecting a lot of you to get in touch. Now remember, you can lose up to 50% of your hair before you even even notice the loss. So quick hack number 2 is optimize your hair health before you start to lose hair. Do not wait to lose it and then think about, what shall I do next? Okay, so that's data. Let's look at devices. So here I want to look at laser light therapy for hair loss, LLT. What is laser light therapy? Well, It's a form of topical hair growth treatment, and devices that are using laser light therapy have become so much more widespread and so much more convenient so that you can use them at home. So what do these devices look like? Well, at-home laser devices are usually shaped like a hat or a helmet or a handheld tool, and what happens is when you put the device on your scalp and turn it on, the laser These lasers send out photons of light which get absorbed by your mitochondria. Your mitochondria are those tiny energy-producing organelles in your cells, and as those mitochondria make more energy, it's targeted right at your follicles. Your hair growth is then stimulated. And what this means is, remember, that in order for light laser therapy to be effective you have to have follicles. The laser, what it does is it stimulates these follicles even if they're dormant or it's weak. And here's something to know as well, because it's light energy, there's no side effects so long as you use the devices according to the manufacturer's instructions. And another important thing, remember this as well, is that using light therapy is like like brushing your teeth or like using a daily facial cream. So what I mean is that it's something that needs to become part of your daily routine to maintain its benefit. So think about it this way: if you stop brushing your teeth, what would happen? They'd decay. So in the same way, if you stop using the laser light therapy, your hair growth won't stay stimulated. And a question I get asked a lot is, does laser light Does laser therapy really work? Well, we can look at some of the evidence base for this. An evidence-based review in the journal Lasers Medical Science did look at 21 relevant studies, and all the randomized controlled trials showed good evidence of benefit. And what was also shown, and this is important as well, is that devices were found to be safe. So really important when you're looking for a laser-like device is that you look for devices that have been approved for safety. And I've had a look at some of those, some of what's available. So if you do want to know more, I've put all this together in my blog, which is linked to the show notes as well. Uh, so the link is in the notes and the blog is on my website. So head over there to get more information as well. Okay. Third part of your Health Activation Code: Data, Devices, Decisions. What decisions are you making to optimize your hair health? So think about this, make a FAST decision. What do I mean by a FAST decision? I mean a decision that's focused, achievable, shared, and trackable, right? Focused, achievable, shared, and trackable. So let me give you an example of what this might look like. For example, I am testing 10 key nutrients to optimize my hair health. I will achieve this within the next 10 days, and I'll let my family know why I'm doing this. I'll take targeted actions based on my results, and I'll retest so that I can be sure what I'm doing is having the effect that I want. That is how you make a fast decision. So my question is, what's your fast decision? I hope you've enjoyed today's unlocking of your health hacktivation code. That brings us to the end of today's conversation, and I wish you a health hacktivating day. Thank you for listening to Health Hacktivators. If you have enjoyed this episode, then please support the show by leaving us a 5-star review and by sharing this episode with a friend. Don't forget to click the link in the show notes right now to find out more details about what was covered in this episode and to connect with Dr. Alka Patel in order to take your strategic self-care to the next level. Please do support today's show partner, Youth and Earth. Youth and Earth have a range of products that I love to use myself to supercharge my metabolism, to support my health, and to slow down cellular aging. Just be sure you click the link in the show notes for exclusive offers which Youth and Earth are so generously giving for listeners of this show. Thank you for listening to Health Activators with me, Dr. Alka Patel, on the Woman's Radio Station. I'd love you to stay connected through the socials. You can find me at Dr. Alka Patel UK, and to learn more about the Woman's Radio Station, do give them a follow too on their socials at Woman's Radio STN.
