Ricki Lake opens up about 'debilitating' hair loss and her journey to self acceptance
"No woman as far as I knew had ever gone public about female baldness"
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to W&H Newsletter Newsletter

Sign up to our free daily email for the latest royal and entertainment news, interesting opinion, expert advice on styling and beauty trends, and no-nonsense guides to the health and wellness questions you want answered.
Thank you for signing up to . You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
After shaving off her hair a year ago, Ricki Lake has opened up about her hair loss journey in a refreshingly honest new interview.
"I went back and forth about coming forward last year," she told PEOPLE exclusively. It's such a shameful thing.
"I was afraid of coming out [as bald]. Because no woman as far as I knew had ever gone public about female baldness."
As for what caused Ricki Lake to lose her hair, the presenter previously explained that she first noticed a difference after starring in Hairspray back in 1988. While filming, her hair was "triple processed" every two weeks, as well as being teased into the iconic Tracy Turnblad hairstyle.
More from woman&home:
- Causes of hair loss in women (opens in new tab) and why you may have experienced it in lockdown
- Short hairstyles for women (opens in new tab): the best short haircuts for fine and thick hair
- The best hair dryers (opens in new tab) for a professional blowout at home
In the three decades that followed, she had numerous episodes of excessive hair shedding and tried every method under the sun to prevent the hair loss – eventually resorting to hair pieces and extensions.
A post shared by Ricki Lake (@rickilake) (opens in new tab)
A photo posted by on
After shaving her head, she posted her new look to Instagram on New Year's Day 2020. "It wasn't a calculated move," she explained. "I just needed to be set free from this silent suffering."
"I have been struggling with hair loss for most of my adult life," the post read. "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. Almost no one in my life knew the level of deep pain and trauma I was experiencing. Not even my therapist/s over the years knew my truth.
"I know that by sharing my truth, I will be striking a chord with so so many women and men. I am not alone in this and my goal is to help others while at the same time unshackle myself from this quiet hell I have been living in."
She then went on to explain that her hair was "never the same" after filming Hairspray. "I believe my hair loss was due to many factors, yo-yo dieting, hormonal birth control, radical weight fluctuations over the years, my pregnancies, genetics, stress, and hair dyes and extensions. Working as talent on various shows and movies, whether DWTS or my talk show, also took its toll on my fine hair." You can read the original post in full below.
A post shared by Ricki Lake (@rickilake) (opens in new tab)
A photo posted by on
Thankfully the star is much more confident these days. "It's about inner beauty, self-confidence and self-love," she said of her journey. "I truly appreciate what I see in the mirror now."
We applaud Ricki for her honesty and openness on what is a tough subject for so many, and hope this encourages others to open up. We're sure you'll agree, she looks fabulous!
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 in the USA. If you need someone to talk to in the UK, call Samaritans on 116 123.
Lucy is a UK-based beauty journalist who has written for the likes of Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, OK!, Women's Health and more, as well as contributing to woman&home. Her work covers everything from expert skin and haircare tips to the latest product launches and the show-stopping beauty looks spotted backstage at London Fashion Week. During her career she's interviewed some seriously famous faces, from Little Mix to Drag Race royalty The Vivienne, as well as chatting to the industry's leading hairdressers, dermatologists and make-up artists.
-
-
Prince Harry's 'older woman' who allegedly took his virginity speaks out - find out what she has to say following Harry's Spare revelations
Sasha Walpole has come forward to suggest she was the woman Harry lost his virginity to, after he spilled all in his memoir
By Jack Slater • Published
-
The Grammys 2023: how to watch, who is performing and why this year’s ceremony could be historic for icon Diana Ross
The biggest names in music will be pulling out all the stops tonight
By Jack Slater • Published