Who is Mary Sickler? Miss USA contestant embraces her alopecia as she walks runway without wig

Model Mary Sickler took the Miss USA competition stage by storm on October 22 when she competed in the preliminary round with a head covering, ditching her wig. Sickler suffers from alopecia universalis, which causes an extreme loss of hair, and the 22-year-old became the first woman on the prestigious pageant stage to walk the ramp without hair.

A pageant regular, Mary Sickler, was crowned Miss Nevada 2025 in July. Sickler, who is studying pre-law at Rice University, is also an advocate for the National Alopecia Areata Foundation. In addition to participating in pageants, Sickler has modelled for Louis Vuitton and for the NFL, as per People Magazine.

According to US Weekly, Sickler first appeared on the ramp for the Miss USA preliminaries in Reno, Nevada, walking for the swimsuit round while wearing a red two-piece swimsuit and sporting a wig.

After the swimsuit round, Sickler walked the ramp for the evening gown round while wearing a bejewelled headpiece and in a matching silver gown, notes the news outlet.

Mary Sickler recently opened up about her struggle with alopecia

Mary Sickler was first diagnosed with partial hair loss before receiving her diagnosis of alopecia universalis in December 2024, as per US Weekly. After a long period of dealing with the disease without opening up about her struggle, Sickler publicly announced that she was suffering from complete hair loss in a video posted to social media in September.

After winning the Miss Nevada USA pageant, Sickler spoke out about her doctor providing her with the alopecia diagnosis, and said,

“She said I had alopecia universalis, which meant that I was going to lose my hair everywhere. My motivation to keep competing in pageants is Miss Universe. I have been competing in pageants since I was just 10 years old. I knew I had the capabilities to compete, I knew I had the capabilities to work hard. But the biggest thing that I want to do is, I want to represent this country. And I want to represent it as a beacon of hope…And I want every little girl and every woman to know that you are beautiful, and you are worthy, and you can be on that stage. We can come together and we can break the mold, we can break beauty standards.”

In an interview with People Magazine, Sickler told the publication that it took her a long time to come to terms with her disease. Speaking about how her self-worth declined, the model candidly shared,

“I remember coming home, and I looked in the mirror and I had never felt uglier. My hair was all in patches, my eyelashes were completely gone, I had no eyebrows, and I honestly couldn't recognize myself anymore.”

While recalling the difficult period in her life, Sickler recalled that she withdrew from her professional life and even her friends, as her parents became the only people who knew about her diagnosis. Eventually, Sickler was able to find the internal courage to return to pageants. She competed in the Miss Texas USA pageant to become the first runner-up. As per People Magazine, however, pageant participants are allowed to compete in two state pageants in a year, and Sickler entered the Nevada pageant to grab the top prize and qualify for the Miss USA competition.

Now, Sickler is ready to share her story to inspire others. After walking the stage without her wig, she took to Instagram to write,

“I cannot believe I just walked THE Miss USA stage!!…I am so proud to have achieved that goal especially by being the first woman to walk the Miss USA stage without hair. What makes this even more special is knowing it isn’t just about me. I am the first woman with alopecia universalis to compete at Miss USA. I am living proof that no trial can stand in the way of your wildest dream.”

After the preliminary round of the Miss USA, the final round will be held on October 24.