Actress Ricki Lake is feeling “liberated and free,” after revealing her 30-year struggle with hair loss.
Lake shared the news in a Facebook post Wednesday, featuring a selfie of her newly shaved head.
In the post, she explains how her career as an actress and public figure impacted her thinning hair.
“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 two weeks during filming, my hair was never the same,” the actress wrote.
Lake also discussed the toll hair loss was taking on her mental health, describing the few times “where I have even felt suicidal over it.”
Now, with the support of friends, Lake is telling her fans that she “is so done with hiding.”
Are you in a crisis? If you need help, contact Crisis Services Canada at their website or by calling 1-833-456-4566. If you know someone who may be having thoughts of suicide, read this guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) to learn how to talk about suicide with the person you’re worried about.