Good Morning America did a piece on how Ricki Lake’s hair loss journey inspired others and it featured an interview with one of our customers from our Dallas location, Dani Austin. The story focused on the social media response that comes from many who now feel empowered in their struggle with hair loss. Dani started sharing the story of her hair loss journey this past summer and she has been an inspiration to thousands of women going through the same thing.

Ricki Lake reflects on her battle with hair loss

Ricki Lake posted a picture of herself on Instagram on New Year’s Day with a very short haircut and shared her story about the journey through hair loss.

“Liberated and Free, Me. First things first, I am not sick. (THANK GOD.) I am not having a mid-life crisis. nor am I having a mental breakdown, though I have been suffering. Suffering mostly in silence off and on for almost 30 years. AND I am finally ready to share my secret,” she wrote in lengthy posts on Instagram and Facebook. “Deep breath Ricki… Here goes….. I have been struggling with hair loss for most of my adult life.”

It’s been “debilitating, embarrassing, painful, scary, depressing, lonely, all the things,” she said. Lake said she even has felt suicidal at times and that no one, not even her therapists, knew the “level of deep pain and trauma.”

She said she can only assume it’s the years of having her hair color processed for different roles in her career, from her starring turn as Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 film, “Hairspray” to hosting a daytime talk show for more than a decade. She also said it could be her years of dieting, genetics and more.

“From Hairspray to Hairless. :( In my case, 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,” she added.

The response was huge. Her post was a massive success, it currently has more than 51,000 likes on Instagram and hundreds of comments from fans, supporters, and people sharing their own experiences with hair loss. Thank you, GMA for sharing Ricki Lake’s hair loss journey.

At Bravadas, we provide everything you need to reclaim healthy, beautiful hair. Take our quiz or reach out.