Chloe Kelly opens up about her battle with alopecia
Chloe Kelly has revealed that she was diagnosed with alopecia last year after a period of severe anxiety that left the England forward fearing she was suffering heart attacks and unable to leave her home, reports BritPanorama.
The 27-year-old Lionesses star, whose dramatic winning goal at last summer’s European Championship made her a national figure, has spoken candidly about the toll the final months of her time at Manchester City took on her mental and physical health.
Returning to Arsenal in January, initially on loan, Kelly stated that what she described as “negative behaviour” at City had a “huge impact” on her wellbeing. Now, speaking nearly a year on, she described how her anxiety spiralled to a point where everyday life became overwhelming.
Appearing on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast, Kelly shared that her symptoms became so debilitating she found comfort only in isolation and darkness. “I loved sitting in the dark and I was like, ‘This isn’t okay,’” she said. “It got to the point with my anxiety that I couldn’t get off the bathroom floor because I was just being sick.”
Kelly recalled distressing moments, including one where her partner, Scott Moore, had to intervene. “There was one occasion where Scott got me off the bathroom floor and put me in the hallway, just to stop me throwing up,” she said. As her anxiety persisted, she began to notice physical changes, alarming enough to lead to her diagnosis of alopecia.
“I started losing my hair. I was like, ‘No, this isn’t acceptable,’” she noted. “I noticed then on the other side another bald patch and it was then that I thought I had alopecia.” After seeking medical advice, she confirmed her diagnosis and confronted the physical impact of her mental health struggles.
Kelly reflected on the emotional weight of her condition, acknowledging how it affected her confidence and sense of self. Despite facing panic attacks so intense she feared she was experiencing heart attacks, she found a turning point when she returned to Arsenal, where she had risen through the youth ranks.
“January was a real turning point for me, coming back to London and to a club I love in Arsenal,” she stated. After a successful loan spell culminating in a Champions League triumph, she signed permanently in the summer. “I was in a really dark place, riddled with anxiety,” she admitted.
Now, as she observes her hair growing back and adjusting to her new normal, Kelly finds gratitude in what she describes as a life-affirming process. “Incredible things have happened since I made that step,” she concluded, highlighting a narrative of resilience and recovery.
In navigating her mental health alongside a professional sports career, Kelly exemplifies the precarious balance many athletes face — leaving a reminder of how vulnerability exists in even the strongest contenders.
