By Rom Preston-Ellis A woman who started getting bald patches aged 13 is finally accepting her alopecia and is taking “back control”. Nicole Thomas, 27, was just a teenager when her hairdresser noticed a bald patch at the nape of her neck. She went to the GP and tried several different treatments before she was referred to a dermatologist who diagnosed Nicole with alopecia areata an autoimmune disease which causes patchy hair loss. Nicole lost 70 per cent of her hair and wore wigs for three years before she saw a steady regrowth aged 17. For the last eight years, Nicole has had “stable” hair g…