The Riverdale star Lili Reinhart revealed in TikTok on Monday that she was recently diagnosed with alopecia amid a challenging chapter in her life.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, alopecia means "hair loss" and can occur anywhere, though it usually affects the scalp or beard area.
Reinhart Diagnosed With Alopecia
According to E! News, Reinhart posted on January 30 in TikTok, which showed her sitting beneath a skin condition-treating machine. She wrote, "Was just diagnosed with alopecia amid a major depressive episode."
She captioned the photo, "My new best friend is red light therapy." She also lip-synced over an audio recording of a man saying: "I'm pushed beyond limits of what a person should be pushed to endure."
The actress needed hair extensions inserted into her ponytails to relieve the stress on her damaged hair, which had been damaged over the run of the show due to heat styling and constant highlighting to keep the same blonde hue.
Throughout the years, Reinhart has been vocal about her self-care journey. The 27-year-old confirmed in 2019 that she started her therapy for anxiety and depression.
She wrote a friendly reminder on her Instagram story that therapy is never something to feel ashamed of. She continued that everyone can benefit from seeing a therapist, and it does not matter how old or proud they are trying to be, as we are all human.
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HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 30: Lili Reinhart attends the 2023 WIF Honors presented by Women In Film at The Ray Dolby Ballroom on November 30, 2023, in Hollywood, California.
Celebrities Share Physical, Mental Journey
Many other celebrities have been open about their battles with alopecia. In May 2018, Jada Pinkett Smith revealed her diagnosis, describing it as "terrifying when it first started."
"I was in the shower one day and had just handfuls of hair in my hands, and I was just like, 'Oh my god, am I going bald?'" the 'Girls Trip' actress shared on an episode of 'Red Table Talk.' "That's why I cut my hair and why I continue to cut it."
Ashley Tisdale has also fought alopecia for years. In a January 23 post on her Frenshe website, she recalled that hair loss is one of her body's ways of signaling stress overload and a sign to prioritize her self-care rituals.
She shared that she noticed a patch of her hair had started falling out during her home renovation and when she was kicking off a TV project. She continued that a few years ago, the same thing happened to her when she was overly stressed, so she knows that she was struggling with alopecia.
The Grammy Award-winning singer Billie Eilish has been very open about guarding her energy, such as ignoring haters on social media and sharing her advice for those needing help.
In an interview with Vogue, she said that when people ask her what she would say to somebody looking for mental health advice, she can only say patience.
Katy Perry opened up on how difficult these kinds of circumstances can be amid everyone attempting to contain the coronavirus outbreak by socially distancing themselves as much as possible.
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