For Ricki Lake, loss of hair is something she’s been hiding since the late 1980s. But in 2020, the former talk show host bravely decided to “bare” her buzzed head and “shameful secret” to the world!
In several stunning photos on the Ricki Lake Instagram page, the star showed off her newly shaved head.
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But there’s a story behind these pictures that’s both sad and inspiring. And it dates back several decades to when we first saw Ricki Lake in Hairspray.
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Ricki Lake In Hairspray
There are many reasons for hair loss in women. But Ricki Lake believes her loss stems from the role she played in the 1988 movie Hairspray.
Ricki’s role as Tracy Turnblad helped launch her Hollywood career. But it came with a price she never expected.
These days, those playing the character wear wigs. But that wasn’t the case for Ricki Lake in Hairspray.
All throughout the filming of the movie, stylists triple-processed and teased her perfectly healthy hair to create the iconic Tracy Turnblad coif. And since then, Ricki says her hair has never been the same.
Suffering In Silence For Decades
Since the initial damage from her time in Hairspray, Ricki Lake cites yo-yo dieting, hormonal fluctuations, and various other factors in contributing to her loss of hair.
Over the years, she’s used wigs and hair extensions while trying all kinds of treatments to try and cure her hair loss. But nothing has worked.
“I've been to many doctors, gotten steroid shots in my head, taking all the supplements and then some,” Rickie Lake explained. “My hair would recover and then shed again. It was maddening.”
And finally, Ricki decided she didn’t want to hide any longer. She took to social media and opened up about the toll this secret has taken on her over several decades.
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“I have been struggling with hair loss for most of my adult life,” said Ricki Lake of the loss. “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.”
Ricki Lake showed off her newly shaved head, proclaiming, “I am liberated. I am free.”
WATCH: Ricki Lake Loss Of Hair Secret Is Out
The courage of this inspirational overcomer encouraged so many other women to open up about how they share the same struggle. And their support has been a true blessing to Ricki Lake.
“This was personal,” Ricki Lake said of opening up about her loss of hair. “I’m overwhelmed by the reaction. I was really scared people were going to say mean things.”
And the freedom she is experiencing since “coming clean” is an incredible blessing, too.
“This has been something that has plagued me for so, so long. It was my secret,” she said.
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Kudos to Ricki Lake for having the courage to let go of the world’s expectations and fully accept that beauty comes from the inside!
h/t: AOL
Featured Image: Good Morning America