Celebrities are more open about their beauty rituals than ever before. From what plastic surgery procedures they’ve undergone to their grossest guilty pleasures, it’s never been easier to know every aspect of a star’s routine. Recently, there’s been another once-taboo (but increasingly common) topic that celebs haven’t been afraid to get real about: hair loss.
For years, the condition was considered something to hide and worry about in private, often leading to shame around shedding for millions of people around the world. (Even though it is reported to impact 40 percent of women in the US by the age of 40, according to WebMD.) Luckily, many celebrities have started breaking down those stigmas by revealing their personal experiences with hair loss. The causes behind each person’s story varied: some have dealt with traction alopecia from wearing too-tight hairstyles, while many others experienced shedding as a lingering side effect of COVID-19.
This is normal: “Hair fallout [is] triggered as a result of sudden shock to a body function,” Bridgette Hill, certified trichologist and founder of Root Cause Scalp Analysis, previously told POPSUGAR. “It can be stress induced, hormonally, mentally, nutritionally, or physically induced.” Hair loss, on the other hand, is when “something stops hair from growing,” according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association. The causes for hair loss can be hereditary, due to harsh hair-care products, or an immune system overreaction, amongst other causes.
Still, stars speaking up about their experiences helps normalize the reality of hair loss and, hopefully, inspire action instead of grief. Keep reading to see which celebrities have gotten real about hair fallout, along with what they’ve been doing to help.