Who is Mary Sickler? First Miss USA contestant with alopecia removes wig on stage

Here's everything about Miss Nevada USA Mary Sickler, who ditched her wig while competing at Miss USA preliminaries.

Miss Nevada USA Mary Sickler, who has alopecia, surprised her fans and followers on Wednesday, October 22, by not wearing her wig during the pageant preliminaries. The event took place in Nevada's Reno city. Embracing all aspects of her beauty, Sickler made the bold move to ditch her wig as she eyes the Miss USA crown, People magazine reported.

Mary Sickler's bold move

Miss USA contestant Mary Sickler, who has alopecia, removes wig on stage during pageant preliminaries (Instagram/mary_sickler)

As Sickler demonstrated her confidence on stage, she has now become the first contestant ever with the alopecia diagnosis to compete at the Miss USA event. "I lost all my hair, and I definitely didn't think that I would be walking on the Miss USA stage without any hair, but I am," People quoted Sickler as saying.

However, the journey behind this was not straightforward for her, as she highlighted that it took her a long time to “finally be able to see myself as beautiful.” "I think if you see yourself as beautiful and you own it, then other people will too," she added.

Decoding Mary Sickler's look

The winner of Miss USA will be announced after the final round takes place on Friday, October 24. The 22-year-old was diagnosed with alopecia in December last year. At first, she found out that her hair was falling in patches. Initially, doctors thought she suffered from alopecia areata (partial balding).

She told People magazine in September that her eyelashes were "completely gone" and she did not even have "eyebrows". "I honestly couldn't recognize myself anymore," she added.

Sickler has been taking part in beauty pageants since the age of 10. She was witnessing a major rise in her modeling career before her diagnosis.

In May this year, she was named the first runner-up at Miss Texas USA. In July, she decided to take part in Miss Nevada USA. As per the rules of the Miss USA organization, contestants are allowed to take part in two state pageants in a particular year. After bagging the Nevada pageant, she was finally able to qualify for Miss USA.

FAQs:

When was Mary Sickler diagnosed with alopecia?

She was diagnosed with alopecia in December last year, but did not disclose it only after she bagged the state title in July this year.

What is alopecia universalis?

As per Healthline, the autoimmune disease leads to complete hair loss on the scalp and body.

What is Mary Sickler's age?

She is 22 years old.