Riverdale star Lili Reinhart diagnosed with alopecia 'in midst of major depressive episode'
Topics: Film and TV, Celebrity, Mental Health, Health
Emily Brown
Featured Image Credit: TikTok / @lilireinhart/ The CW
Topics: Film and TV, Celebrity, Mental Health, Health
Riverdale actor Lili Reinhart has revealed she has been diagnosed with alopecia while experiencing a 'major depressive episode'.
Reinhart, who also stars in Netflix's rom-com Look Both Ways, took to TikTok to share her health update with fans this week.
In the post, the 27-year-old actor shared a video of herself sitting under a red light with her hair pulled back off her face, with a caption reading: "Red light therapy is my new best friend."
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Reinhart has previously been open about her mental health by sharing posts and pictures discussing her 'darkest battles with depression', and in 2021 she revealed she had experienced depression and anxiety for 'over a decade'.
In her latest post, Reinhart indicated she had been struggling more intensely recently.
In a caption posted on top of her video, the actor wrote: "Was just diagnosed with alopecia in the midst of a major depressive episode."
Reinhart also filmed herself lip-syncing over audio which said: "I’m pushed beyond the limits of what a person should be pushed to endure."
The American Academy of Dermatology Association explains that alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease in which your immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles.
Hair loss can occur on any part of the body that grows hair, including the scalp, eyelashes, arms and legs. Reinhart did not go into detail about her diagnosis.
Red light therapy, which uses beams of a specific wavelength, has been around for decades and has shown promising results for stimulating hair regrowth.
It's unclear how long Reinhart has been undergoing red light therapy, but her description of the therapy as her 'new best friend' indicates it's a relatively recent addition to her life.
Fans of the actor have praised her for opening up about her experiences with depression and alopecia, with many responding to her video to share their own stories and struggles.
"Thank you for using your platform to bring awareness to this," one TikTok user wrote. "I have alopecia and my health and depression make it worse. sending love."
Another commented: "I love you. I got diagnosed with alopecia in 2019 and lost 80% of my hair. It all grew back my love. Have hope!"
Though the immune system can attack hair follicles, it rarely destroys them altogether, meaning it is possible for hair to grow back.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or you can webchat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.