Ricki Lake Goes Public About 'Debilitating' Hair Loss

Feb 04, 2020 by apost team

Hairspray’s Ricki Lake has gone public about her 'debilitating' hair loss, which she has been experiencing for the past thirty years.

The former television presenter opened up about her struggles last month on Social Media, where she announced she will no longer be hiding the fact that she has been “struggling with hair loss for most of [her] adult life.” Two days later, the 51-year-old spoke to Good Morning America in-depth about her groundbreaking announcement. 

Ricki Lake spoke to Robin Roberts on "Good Morning America” about her hair loss. The interview came just days after Lake shared her heartbreaking Facebook post. 

"This was personal. I'm overwhelmed by the reaction," Lake told Roberts. "I was really scared people were going to say mean things."

"This has been something that has plagued me for so, so long. It was my secret, and I'm an open book,” Lake added.

 "You guys grew up with me -- I wear everything on my sleeve. I've talked extensively about my husband who died by suicide almost three years ago -- I have shared, I'm an over-share-er. I was just at the end of my rope; it had gotten too difficult to manage."

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In her social media post, the 51-year-old explained that following her role in the 1988 film Hairspray, her hair became permanently damaged. 

“Ever since I played Tracy Turnblad in the original Hairspray back in 1988 and they triple-processed and teased my then healthy virgin hair every 2 weeks during filming, my hair was never the same. (Yes, that was all my own hair in the film.) From Hairspray to Hairless,” she wrote.

“In my case, I believe my hair loss was due to many factors, yo-yo dieting, hormonal birth control, radical weight fluctuations over the years, my pregnancies, genetics, stress, and hair dyes and extensions. Working as talent on various shows and movies, whether DWTS or my talk show, also took its toll on my fine hair.”

Lake’s revelation has since sparked an outpour of support from thousands on social media, with many women posting photos of themselves sporting a bald look. 

"Your courage has set so many women free today, and for that I say, thank you," wrote one social media user.

Since coming clean about her struggles, Lake told GMA she’s “never been prouder” of herself.

"I'm holding my head up high," she said. "I've never been prouder of myself and I'm really touched by the reaction and the fact that I can help others through this process."

What do you think about Ricki Lake coming clean about her hair loss? Let us know in the comments - and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family!