Hi, my name is Charlene. I’m 43 years old, and this is the story of my journey with Angels Twelve and the Beyond the Mirror campaign.

When I was just 29, my life changed completely when I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

For a year and a half, I went through operations, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. There were many battles along the way, but I always tried to keep a positive and happy outlook on life.

I used to say to anyone who would listen, “I’m too busy to be sick!” — and having two young children gave me even more reason to keep going.

Before I lost my hair through chemotherapy, I decided to shave it all off myself, with my girls there beside me.

I wanted to show them that losing my hair wasn’t a big deal and that I was still me, with or without it.

And for a long time, it really wasn’t a big deal.

What I didn’t realise was that, years later, my hair would become one of my biggest insecurities.

After my treatment, my hair eventually grew back healthy, but it wasn’t the hair I had expected.

I had imagined that I would get my thick, beautiful, long curly hair back.

Instead, it grew back very fine, thin and straight.

Of course, I was incredibly grateful just to have hair again after everything I had been through, but deep down I longed for my old hair back.

Life carried on.

It wasn’t always easy, but it wasn’t always hard either.

A few years later, I was incredibly lucky to have another baby — something I had never been sure would be possible after chemotherapy.

Becoming a mum again was amazing, although, as any mum will tell you, life with children can be exhausting!

I just got on with it and tried to make our lives as happy as possible.

Then my best friend Clare 👯‍♀️ was chosen to be part of the Angels Twelve Beyond the Mirror campaign.

She thought it might be something that could help me too, so she put me forward.

I have never been someone who felt that I needed a lot done to my appearance.

My skin was never perfect, but I was quite happy with it, and I wasn’t sure about Botox or fillers.

So, if I’m honest, I wasn’t completely sure what I was going into when I first arrived.

Then I met the beautiful Dr Olha and her team.

We talked in depth about what I wanted and what I felt I needed.

Dr Olha actually felt that my skin didn’t need very much help, but during our conversation I mentioned my hair.

It was something I had become quite embarrassed about.

My hair was so fine and thin that you could clearly see my scalp through it, and although I tried not to let it bother me, it really affected how I felt about myself.

To my surprise, Dr Olha told me that she thought she could help.

She explained microneedling to me and told me about the Exogrow  hair regenerative system , which contain ingredients designed to support hair growth.

Suddenly, something I had spent years feeling self-conscious about was something I could actually try to change.

And I was SO excited!

I began my treatments with the beautiful Soodabeh.

Now, I’m not going to lie — microneedling with exosomes on your scalp isn’t exactly a relaxing spa treatment!

There are needles working across your scalp, and at times it can be uncomfortable.

But I went into every appointment with a happy and open heart, hoping that it would work.

Soodabeh was always apologising for causing me pain, even though thankfully it really wasn’t that bad.

And I had my little squeezy love hearts to hold onto while she worked her magic!

After just two treatments, I started noticing tiny signs of new hair growth.

It wasn’t much at first, but I could see it.

By my fifth treatment, there was so much more.

When I went for my before-and-after photographs, I was genuinely shocked by the difference.

Looking at the photographs and seeing how much hair had actually grown was incredible.

Dr Olha, Soodabeh and I were all amazed at the results.

But the biggest change wasn’t just on my scalp.

It was in me.

My confidence has grown so much since starting this journey.

I was also incredibly lucky to be offered some Botox and filler.

I had never really been someone who wanted those kinds of treatments, but having them done gave me another unexpected boost.

I feel younger, healthier and less tired-looking.

As mums, we all know how difficult it can be to keep up with the beauty standards of today, and sometimes we can put ourselves at the bottom of the list.

For me, Beyond the Mirror has changed the way I look at myself.

It has reminded me that it is okay to do something for myself and to care about how I feel when I look in the mirror.

My hair is still growing, and I still have a long way to go before I get my beautiful mermaid hair back!

But it IS growing.

The little baby hairs are there, and every time the wind blows, I can see them moving.

I have little wisps of hair that weren’t there before, and I genuinely believe that one day those little baby hairs will grow into beautiful locks.

I can’t thank Beyond the Mirror enough for giving me this opportunity.

I’ve also kept a little blog on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok throughout my journey because I wanted other women and men to see the reality of the treatment.

I wanted to be honest about whether it worked, whether it hurt, what the process was actually like and what results I received.

For me, the results have been amazing, and I would recommend it 100%.

Meeting Dr Olha has genuinely changed my life for the better, and I will always be grateful to her and to Soodabeh.

But I am probably even more grateful to my best friend Clare. 👯‍♀️

Without you, I would never have known about Beyond the Mirror.

And without you, I don’t think I would ever have had the courage to walk into that first appointment and talk openly about something that had made me feel so insecure for so many years.

And now?

I can’t stop talking about my hair!

I tell people about my journey, where I started and how far I’ve come.

Something that I once felt embarrassed about has become something I’m proud to talk about.

I’m hoping that over the next few months my hair will continue to grow, and with the continued support of Angels Twelve, my confidence will continue to grow too.

Maybe one day I’ll even feel ready to get back out there and start dating again…

Not just yet though — having two children is more than enough for now! 😂

But maybe, one day.

I think that is what makes Angels Twelve and Beyond the Mirror so special.

It isn’t just about changing how someone looks.

It’s about helping ordinary people feel like themselves again.

Sometimes a small change on the outside can create a huge change on the inside.

And for me, that is exactly what this journey has done.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my story, and thank you for helping me see myself a little differently.

With love,

Charlene Wilson ❤️