Sharing her story. Ricki Lake is proud of a “brave ass leap” she took in 2019.
The TV personality, 54, took to Instagram on Sunday, January 1, to share a deeply moving video of the moment she decided to shave her head after years of suffering with androgenic hair loss. In the clip, a nervous Lake is seen with her hand placed on her chest as a friend used clippers to cut her brunette locks.
“3 years ago today, on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve day 2019, I took a brave ass leap of faith and chose to make the drastic decision to shave my head after years and years of struggling in secret w/ my androgenic hair loss,” the New York native began in the caption.
According to the National Library of Medicine, androgenetic alopecia is “a genetically predetermined disorder due to an excessive response to androgens … characterized by progressive loss of terminal hair of the scalp any time after puberty.”
Lake continued: “I have never shared this raw video footage before but felt like I wanted to now, for those of you who have followed my story and have been invested in it. Some of you know my struggle all too well personally and I want you to know, I truly feel you.”
The actress explained that in the emotional clip her fans can see her “come to a place of peace, liberation, and most importantly, self-love and self-acceptance.” She wrote: “I want to thank my dear friends, who were present during this transformation. I will never forget your support, love, kindness and humor.”
Now, Lake said she has a better appreciation and “love” for her “natural gray and sometimes wild unruly head of hair.” She concluded her post with words of encouragement for her followers. “May all of you struggling with whatever also come to a place of peace and acceptance. Life is too damn short. #HappyNewYear!” she wrote on Instagram.
Lake previously opened up to Us Weekly about her hair journey after first revealing her struggles to the world in 2020. “First things first, I am not sick. (THANK GOD.) I am not having a mid-life crisis. Nor am I having a mental breakdown,” she said via Instagram at the time. “I have been struggling with hair loss for most of my adult life. It has been debilitating, embarrassing, painful, scary, depressing, lonely, all the things. There have been a few times where I have even felt suicidal over it.”
Lake told Us in 2021 that she started using Danish brand Harklinikken, which has given her healthier and thicker hair.
“It has given me my life back,” Lake said. “And I know those are big words, but honestly, anyone that’s suffered with this knows what I’m talking about. It takes over your life. Every time you walk past a mirror, every time you run a brush through your hair … I love my hair today … I never thought I’d be in that place.”
