American actor Lili Reinhart revealed that she had an alopecia diagnosis, reported the Hollywood Reporter. Recently, the 'Riverdale' star took to TikTok to post a video of her undergoing red light therapy, and wrote in the clip, "Was just diagnosed with alopecia in the midst of a major depressive episode."
Alopecia develops when the "immune system attacks hair follicles and causes hair loss," according to the National Institute of Health. It mainly affects the head and face, but hair loss can occur anywhere on the body.
According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, the disorder has no recognized aetiology and affects up to 6.7 million people in the United States alone.
In the footage shared to social media, Reinhart can be seen lip-syncing to audio of a man saying, "I'm pushed beyond the limits of what a person should be pushed to endure." The 'Look Both Ways' actor also captioned the post, "Red light therapy is my new best friend #alopecia #mentalhealth." While the National Institute of Health claimed there is no cure for alopecia, red light therapy is said to assist in stimulating hair growth, as reported by the Hollywood Reporter.
Reinhart has previously spoken openly about his struggles with mental health, sadness, and anxiety. In a 2020 interview with Refinery29, she admitted that her career and mental health experienced ups and downs and that she once felt like she was in a "black tunnel [that] was never going to end." However, the 'Hustlers' actor acknowledged that she attempted to confront her grief and challenges "head-on," rather than filling a "void" with external influences.
"I've seen a lot of people when it comes to heartache and grief and breakups, and they try to get that void filled with sex, with coke, with food, with drinking, [but] the void is still there," Reinhart told the outlet at the time. "I took the road less travelled and just dealt with my shit. I had to face my own pain head-on."
