'High School Musical' alum Ashley Tisdale opens up about alopecia diagnosis: 'It's nothing to be ashamed of'
Former Disney and High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale went into deeper detail about how she has been struggling with alopecia since her early 20s.
The now-37-year-old opened up about the condition on Instagram, chronicling how she noticed a bald spot at her hairline. After going to her hair stylist and dermatologist, the actress was diagnosed with alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that causes your hair to fall out in clumps.
"A lot of it's triggered by stress, and I was going through a really stressful time. So the hair grew back and it always does thankfully, but there's been a couple of times in my life that I've had very stressful events and have noticed that it would come back," she said in the video.
Tisdale continued to share her journey and experience with the condition in a blog post. The actress is now a mom to a two-year-old daughter.
"Any type of hair loss can affect your self-esteem, especially if you feel like you're the only one going through it. That's why I want to talk about it more openly—because it's nothing to be ashamed of," the actress shared.
"Sometimes it's connected to hormones, other times to heredity, and for me, it's connected to stress overload."
To manage stress, Tisdale underwent therapy, meditation, yoga, and followed a 30-day autoimmune paleo diet: "I like it because it's full of vegetables, fruit, fermented foods, seafood, poultry, and herbs. I loved the way I felt, and I also felt great about eating fresh food instead of reaching for random convenient snacks. Whatever your self-care plan may be, embrace it."
She also got platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment, involving microneedling the scalp, which helped her hair grow back fast. For those who prefer to wear a wig or go hairless, the Disney star said, "Do it with confidence!"
"If you're going through hair loss, know that you're not alone," Tisdale said.
Other celebrities like Jada Pinkett Smith, Tyra Banks, Viola Davis, Matt Lucas, and Jesy Nelson have opened up about their struggles with alopecia.