'Riverdale' Star Lili Reinhart Opens Up About Alopecia Diagnosis, Reveals Undergoing Treatment In A Video

In a recent TikTok video, the star shared a glimpse of her experience with red light therapy and mentioned in the clip, “Was just diagnosed with alopecia in the midst of a major depressive episode.”

To explain what it is, as per American Association of Dermatology, “Alopecia areata is a disease that causes hair loss. Most people lose hair on their scalp or beard area, but hair loss can occur anywhere on your body.”

The degree of hair loss experienced by Reinhart remains uncertain; nevertheless, she informed her fans and followers that she is undergoing red light therapy for her condition. 

In the video, the 27-year-old actress can be seen lip-syncing to an audio of a man saying, “I’m pushed beyond the limits of what a person should be pushed to endure.” The ‘Chemical Hearts’ actress also captioned the post, “Red light therapy is my new best friend #alopecia #mentalhealth”

As per Healthline, “Red light therapy (RLT) is a therapeutic technique that uses low level wavelengths of red light to help treat skin conditions.” While there is presently no cure for this skin disease, various treatments which aim at minimizing inflammation around hair follicles to stimulate hair growth, can reduce symptoms for the time-being  for certain individuals with the condition, according to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation. 

But this would not be the first time Lili would have spoken up so candidly about her health. She has previously discussed her battles with mental health, depression, and anxiety. In a 2020 interview with Refinery29, she acknowledged the setbacks in her career and mental well-being, revealing moments when she felt trapped in a “black tunnel [that] was never going to end.” Despite this, the ‘Hustlers’ actress decided to confront her struggles “head-on”, instead of trying to fill a “void” with bad, external influences.