Cork woman Rebecca O’Mahony, a highly experienced dental hygienist, mental health advocate and mom of two young sons, is known to thousands online through her Instagram account the_tooth_scoop. She has built her reputation as a trusted voice in dental care, with over twenty years experience in dentistry.
Rebecca,also uses her platform to speak candidly about her personal journey with alopecia and the impact it has had on her confidence and wellbeing. She explained that behind the professional success there was a very personal and often painful battle with androgenic alopecia , a hereditary form of hair loss that she first experienced as a teenager.
She said her hair loss began when she was just 19 years old. “It was such a vulnerable age. You’re only finding yourself as a woman, starting to go out with your friends, and everything feels centred around how you look. To be balding at that age was devastating.”
Her hair was thinning so severely that her mom often had to help her brush and dry it. “It was too sore for me to manage myself,” she explained. “My hair was coming out in bunches. I was embarrassed, but I didn’t admit to anyone how much pain I was in. Looking back now, I can see how deeply it affected me, but at the time I just masked it. I didn’t want to face it.”
Rebecca said those years left their mark. “I definitely held back as a person. When my friends would chat about their hair, I’d sit there in silence, secretly feeling awkward. My best friend had fabulous, thick hair, and she’d be giving out about how long it took to dry. I’d be thinking, mine takes three minutes because there’s hardly any of it. It made me feel very different, very exposed. I look back now and feel sorry for that 19-year-old girl.”
In her search for solutions, Rebecca recalled visiting Cork barber Mick Moriarty in Blackpool. “ I grew up in the Parklands so my mum brought me to him. He was brilliant, he gave me a serum that was supposed to wake up the follicles. It worked for a while, then the hair loss came back. It was on and off like that for years.”
The cycle returned with force in 2018, after the birth of her first son. “I had a very difficult labour and needed surgery. I was unwell for a year afterwards, and the alopecia came back with a vengeance,” she said. “Throughout Covid I tried everything, lotions and potions, you could have seen me with camomile tea on my head with a towel wrapped around it. You name it, I tried it. Even brushing my hair felt like torture.”
The condition also limited her daily life. “There were days I wouldn’t go out if it was windy. I used powders to cover the patches, but if the wind blew, I’d be terrified it would shift. People might say, ‘It’s a first world problem,’ but for anyone going through it, I know how tough it feels. It’s lonely, and it can chip away at your confidence.”
Today, Rebecca describes herself as much stronger, not only because her hair has improved, but because of the inner resilience she’s built. Alongside her dental work, she has put a lot of time and effort into her personal development. “I ignored my mental health for a long time,” she admitted. “But when the alopecia came back after my first baby, I realised I couldn’t keep bottling it up. When I had it as a teenager my mum suggested going to a counsellor but I wasn’t ready for it. I went to counselling, and eventually psychotherapy, which has completely changed my outlook. Now, I can see how connected our physical struggles are to our mindset. If it comes back again, I know I’ll cope. I have the tools. I have a safe space with my therapist, and I won’t let it define me.”
Rebecca credits her current progress to strict scalp care and consistency. “I use a special shampoo and conditioner, called Nanogen and I massage my scalp to encourage blood flow, and never deviate from my routine. I also get any cysts on my scalp checked regularly. Everything is going really well now, I haven’t worn my topper since March. Over the summer I even got extensions, which make my hair look thicker and healthier. It’s not perfect, but I feel like myself again.”
Rebecca also emphasised the importance of getting professional advice rather than relying on “miracle cures” promoted online. “There are no quick fixes, it’s all about scalp health and proper medical support. Diet, hydration, keeping the scalp clean all play a role. But the best advice you’ll ever get will be from your GP. In Cork, there’s a brilliant doctor in Carrigtwohill called Dr. Ranga. He’s a GP who also specialises in dermatology and he is amazing. He really understands the condition and takes the time to guide you through it. There are also trichologists here in Cork who can help, and I’d say to anyone: don’t be afraid to ask for help, you don’t have to go through it alone.”
She also spoke about the frustration of Ireland’s dermatology system. “It’s almost impossible to get an appointment. I applied five years ago and only got a call this summer and that was to go private. There needs to be more support for people struggling with this.”
She added that she now sees her alopecia journey as part of who she is. “It shaped me, even though it hurt me. I’m stronger because of it, and it’s given me a deeper empathy for others with issues like this. It’s also why I became so passionate about mental health, because I know how important it is to care for the whole person, not just what you see in the mirror.”
Reflecting on her journey, Rebecca smiled: “Thank God everything is going really well at the moment. There were times when it felt so dark, but I’m living proof that there really can be light at the end of the tunnel.”
To follow Rebecca’s story see
the_tooth_scoop
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