Woman whose ill health caused her to lose her teeth and suffer hair loss looks unrecognizable

A 31-year-old woman whose ill health caused her to lose her teeth and suffer hair loss look unrecognizable thanks to her dentures and wig.

Stacey Barbera, from Pennsylvania, has suffered thyroid cancer and auto-immune illnesses which caused her to lose her hair and teeth over the years.

After deciding to get the remainder of her top teeth extracted, Stacey now has to wear dentures which she says make her feel like a million dollars.

When the soon to be mother-of-eight puts her dentures in and her wig on to cover her hair loss, she looks like an entirely new woman, which has sent her self-esteem through the roof.

Stacey Barbera, from Pennsylvania, has suffered thyroid cancer and auto-immune illnesses which caused her to lose her hair and teeth over the years. Pictured, without her dentures

When the soon to be mother-of-eight puts her dentures in and her wig on to cover her hair loss, she looks like an entirely new woman, which has sent her self-esteem through the roof. Pictured, smiling with dentures in

When the soon to be mother-of-eight puts her dentures in and her wig on to cover her hair loss, she looks like an entirely new woman, which has sent her self-esteem through the roof. Pictured, smiling with dentures in

After deciding to get the remainder of her top teeth extracted (pictured), Stacey now has to wear dentures which she says make her feel like a million dollars

After deciding to get the remainder of her top teeth extracted (pictured), Stacey now has to wear dentures which she says make her feel like a million dollars

Stacey is hoping to spread positivity about younger people wearing dentures. 

‘Since I got my dentures earlier this year, everything has changed for me,’ she explained. ‘I have a shine about me now, whereas before I was so self-conscious of my teeth.

‘I would be embarrassed to talk and smile because my teeth were so brittle, they were cracking, so I tried to cover my mouth as much as possible.

‘There is such a stigma around dentures as people think they are for the elderly or that you have lost your teeth due to addiction, but there are many health reasons as to why people lose their teeth too.

Stacey's teeth before she started to lose them

Stacey showing the gaps in her teeth where the problem began

Stacey is hoping to spread positivity about younger people wearing dentures. Pictured left, her teeth before she started to lose them and right, showing the gaps in her teeth where the problem began

The 31-year-old said she would be 'embarrassed' to talk and smile because her teeth were so brittle, they were cracking. Pictured, smiling with her missing teeth

The 31-year-old said she would be ’embarrassed’ to talk and smile because her teeth were so brittle, they were cracking. Pictured, smiling with her missing teeth

When the soon to be mother-of-eight puts her dentures in and her wig on to cover her hair loss, she looks like an entirely new woman, which has sent her self-esteem through the roof. Pictured, smiling with her wig on and dentures in

When the soon to be mother-of-eight puts her dentures in and her wig on to cover her hair loss, she looks like an entirely new woman, which has sent her self-esteem through the roof. Pictured, smiling with her wig on and dentures in

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF THYROID CANCER? 

The main symptom of thyroid cancer is a lump in the front of the neck. But the disease tends to develop slowly and may not cause any symptoms at first.

Thyroid cancer often causes a painless lump or swelling low down in the front of the neck.

However, neck lumps are common and are usually caused by a less serious condition, such as an enlarged thyroid. Only around 1 in every 20 is cancer. A lump is more likely to be cancer if it:

See your GP if you have a swelling or lump at the front of your neck. While it’s unlikely to be cancer, it’s important to get it checked out.

Other symptoms include:

Rarely, thyroid cancer can affect the production of thyroid hormones and cause diarrhoea and flushing.

Source: NHS Choices

‘I have found it very fulfilling being open and positive with my journey with dentures, and others have said that I have even inspired them.

‘In January last year, I discovered I had thyroid cancer after I found a lump in my throat when I was pregnant with my seventh child. I was also severely anaemic and had a calcium deficiency.

‘All of this caused my teeth to become brittle; the enamel came off my teeth and they began to crack. So, I had no choice but to have my broken teeth pulled out.

‘On top of all this, my hair has been thinning since I was a child, but it has gotten so much worse in recent years.

‘I wear a long blonde wig to cover my hair loss.’

By January this year, Stacey had lost four teeth and noticed a crack on her front tooth which sent her into a panic.

Her dentist confirmed that this tooth would need to be extracted which made Stacey weigh up her options about whether she would get a full upper denture.

Stacey, a stay-at-home mother who is currently pregnant with her eighth child, said: ‘After months of thinking about what I wanted to do, in April I decided to have my remaining nine top teeth removed and get dentures.

‘Eventually I will need my bottom teeth done too but it will be after I have the baby.

‘It took me a while to come to the decision because I thought my life would be over if I got dentures.

‘I thought I wouldn’t be able to eat or talk, and I thought they would look so obvious too.

Since getting her dentures, Stacey's confidence and self-esteem have both dramatically increased. Pictured, smiling with dentures in

Since getting her dentures, Stacey’s confidence and self-esteem have both dramatically increased. Pictured, smiling with dentures in

Stacey says that she feels like a million dollars when she looks in the mirror and sees her perfect smile in the reflection. Pictured, smiling with dentures

Stacey says that she feels like a million dollars when she looks in the mirror and sees her perfect smile in the reflection. Pictured, smiling with dentures

‘Since getting my dentures it has been a hard journey adjusting to how I look now, and it was immensely painful. It’s been hard accepting what I also look like without my dentures.

‘I felt so worthless because I was so young and in the position of having to consider getting dentures.’

However, since getting her dentures, Stacey’s confidence and self-esteem have both dramatically increased.

She says that she feels like a million dollars when she looks in the mirror and sees her perfect smile in the reflection. 

The soon to be mother-of-eight says that she 'feels amazing' now (pictured) and smiles more than she has ever done before

The soon to be mother-of-eight says that she ‘feels amazing’ now (pictured) and smiles more than she has ever done before

Stacey added: ‘I feel amazing now. I smile more than I have ever done before, and my smile is so much bigger now. It is the best feeling.

‘I still get feelings of insecurity when I take my dentures out, but it has still been life-changing for me. My husband Joe [31] has been my number one supporter.

‘We have been together since we were 12-years-old. If we hadn’t been together for as long as we have, I would have been worried about how my denture journey could have affected my relationship with him. But he always reminds me that I am beautiful no matter what.

‘I love spreading positivity about dentures on social media, especially among young people who may be in a similar situation to me to help them. It’s so empowering.’

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk