Miss Delaware Kayla Martell is one of the 53 contestants vying for Miss America 2011. The gorgeous beauty queen will be wearing a wig to cover her bald head.
Martell, 21, began to lose her hair at the age of 13, due to the condition alopecia areata. Instead of trying to hide the medical malady, she is using the disease as her platform. If she wins tonight she will spend the next year educating the public.
She competed for Miss Delaware three times without hair. In 2010, she decided to try something different. She put on a wig and won the competition on her fourth try.
The Milford native prefers to go without a wig but has styled a few to wear for special occasions — including the Miss America pageant. She admits that she isn’t used to wearing long hair and plans to keep it away from her face as much as possible.
Miss America 2011 Swimsuit Competition – bikini parade pics
More pageant photos below:
Photos: WENN