Lili Reinhart has been diagnosed with alopecia.
Reinhart, 27, shared the news via TikTok on Monday, January 29. “I’m pushed beyond limits of what a person should be pushed to endure,” she mouthed, using a popular TikTok audio. In the clip she appeared somber, leaning against a pillow with a red light arched over her head. Alopecia is a common disease that causes hair loss. Oftentimes it’s on the scalp but can affect any hair on the body.
“Was just diagnosed with alopecia in the midst of a major depressive episode,” Reinhart captioned the post. “Red light therapy is my new best friend. #alopecia #mentalhealth.” Red light therapy stimulates hair growth and can increase hair count, thickness and density.
Fans have since shared their support for Reinhart, offering encouraging words and telling their own experiences with the illness.
“Thank you for using your platform to bring awareness to this,” one follower wrote, while another added, “The beginning is tough, but you got this ❤️.” More fans wished her well and sent their “love.”
Reinhart previously opened up about her battle with depression in May 2021 via social media.
@lilireinhart Red light therapy is my new best friend. #alopecia #mentalhealth
“Some days I feel really defeated by my depression,” she captioned an Instagram Story. “It’s an exhausting battle that I’ve been fighting for 11 years and some days, like today, it can feel intolerable.”
She continued, encouraging fans who are also struggling with depression, “Remember you are always worth fighting for. And tomorrow could be such a beautiful day.”
Prior to her alopecia diagnosis, Reinhart has been candid about experiencing hair damage due to her work in TV and film.
“My hair is damaged as hell from being on [Riverdale] and just from heat styling in general,” she shared in her 2019 cover story with Allure, adding, “I try to take really good care of my hair” by using hydrating and repairing products.
Elsewhere in the interview, Reinhart noted that if she received a role that required her to dye her hair, she would “ have to wear a wig” because her tresses have “been through so much.”
