Ashley Tisdale reveals alopecia struggles connected to ‘stress overload’
Ashley Tisdale has nothing to hide.
The “High School Musical” star opened up about her struggle with alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss, on Instagram Wednesday.
“Alopecia and hair loss are fairly common, but a lot of people feel embarrassed to talk about these issues,” Tisdale, 37, wrote in her caption.
“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 openly — because it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
While the condition can be linked to hormones or heredity, she added, hers is “connected to stress overload.”
In a story posted on her lifestyle website, Frenshe, Tisdale elaborated further on her experience with alopecia — which began when she was in her early 20s — and how she manages the condition.
The Disney Channel alum pointed to platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment as being particularly helpful, writing, “It’s expensive and it is certainly not the most pleasant experience — it involves microneedling the scalp, after all — but it made my hair grow back amazingly fast, and research shows that it works.”
She also uses the Hairmax Laserband several times weekly to “stimulate [her] hair follicles,” as recommended by her hairstylist.
And to reduce stress, the mom of one turns to yoga, meditation and a mindful diet.
“Eating with a focus on gut health also helps me thrive,” Tisdale wrote, adding that following the autoimmune paleo diet — which is “full of vegetables, fruit, fermented foods, seafood, poultry and herbs” — for 30 days at a time has proven beneficial.
