An alopecia sufferer is urging people to sign her online petition calling on the Government to fund research into the autoimmune disease in the hope of finding a cure.

Amy Johnson needs 100,000 signatures on her epetition to spark a debate on the subject in the House of Commons.

The 29-year-old, who went bald two years ago, hopes it will not only encourage the Department of Health to take action, but also encourage doctors to take alopecia seriously as a health issue.

“Alopecia is not taken seriously by many health professionals as it is not life-threatening, but it is not just a hair issue, it is a health issue,” she said.

“Hair serves a purpose. It’s not just to look pretty. Research is needed into the cause and, hopefully, a cure for alopecia.”

Amy, of Baildon, first suffered a small amount of hair loss in 2007, but the two small areas affected grew back.

It was in February 2010 that she began to lose her hair rapidly. She was not under stress at the time, which is sometimes blamed for the illness.

However, she has a theory it could have been triggered by physical pain from a dental appointment.

“I was devastated,” she said. “Every morning I’d wake up and see clumps of hair left on the pillow. No one could give me words of support. It was incredibly hard and it is something that could happen to anyone.”

By July 2010, Amy’s hair was very thin so she decided to shave the rest off, raising more than £2,000 for Ilkley boy Ben Smithson, who has cerebral palsy and needed a pioneering operation in the US.

“I took control and did it for charity,” she said. “Shortly after that I lost my eyebrows, lashes and the rest of my body hair.”

Amy, who chooses not to wear a wig, says meeting fellow sufferers has made a big difference to how she feels and she is now hoping to set up a support group for fellow sufferers in the Bradford and Leeds area.

“Alopecia does not leave you, but you have to get on with it because there is no treatment and no cure,” she said.

“I think the NHS does a wonderful job, but GPs don’t have a clue what to do (for alopecia sufferers) and when you get to see a dermatologist you are full of hope that they will help, but they have nothing either.

“There is only one live research project for alopecia compared to about 50 for obesity, so we need to get more attention.”

The epetition can be signed by visiting epetitions.direct.gov.uk/ petitions/40068. If you would like to contact Amy about the support group, she is on Twitter @Hairlesswhisper