“Comfort and healing”: Lili Reinhart gets internet’s support after revealing alopecia diagnosis amid “major depressive episode”

Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of depression and anxiety. Reader's discretion is advised.

Lili Reinhart, the American actress known for playing Betty Cooper on The CW teen drama series Riverdale, revealed that she was recently diagnosed with alopecia on January 29, 2024. Alopecia is a disease that causes hair loss, often affecting the scalp. Depending on the severity, it can impact hair anywhere on the body, per the American Academy of Dermatology.

On Monday, the 27-year-old took to TikTok to post a video opening up about her mental health journey and battle with depression and anxiety.

She wrote in the caption,

"Was just diagnosed with alopecia in the midst of a major depressive episode. Red light therapy is my new best friend. #alopecia #mentalhealth."

A fan comments well wishes under Lili's TikTok. (Images via TikTok/@lilireinhart)

Netizens were quick to show support for the actress, sending in messages for her well-being.

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Lili Reinhart opens up about alopecia diagnosis amid "Depressive Episode"

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Lili Reinhart was born on September 13, 1996, in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. At an early age, she developed a passion for the performing arts. She took dance classes for ten years and performed in many local musicals. The actress is famous for portraying Betty Cooper on Riverdale from 2017 to 2023 and Annabelle in Lorene Scafaria's black comedy crime drama film Hustlers.

Lili Reinhart has always been open about her mental health struggles. In 2022, the actress spoke about the same on the Armchair Expert podcast, saying,

"I feel that I can handle my depression and my sadness. It's the anxiety that becomes unbearable. It feels like this engine inside you that's running, and there's nowhere for it to go."

On Monday, Lili posted a TikTok video recording herself leaning against a pillow, bathed in a red light that she revealed to be part of her new routine, red light therapy. The actress explained that she was diagnosed with alopecia because of depression. As per People, red light therapy stimulates hair growth and can help increase hair growth, thickness, and density.

According to the Mayo Clinic, alopecia can be "the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions, or a normal part of aging." The condition can be temporary or permanent. It is more common in men. However, anyone can lose hair on their head.

Many comments and posts supporting Lili Reinhart flooded in on social media. Her fans expressed gratitude toward the actress for using her platform to raise awareness about the condition. Some of the reactions are given below.

In 2018, the actress first expressed that she suffered from anxiety and depression in an interview with V Magazine. She detailed how she went through debilitating panic attacks and how therapy ultimately gave her a new chance in life. The depression became "extreme" after she moved to Los Angeles at the age of 18, as per People. She told the magazine,

"'I didn't know anyone there. I didn't have any friends there. I didn't have any family there. So when I moved there, it was just me. And I wasn't going to school, so I didn't have any way to really meet people, necessarily, or be social. I was just kind of waiting around for my auditions."

Lili Reinhart explained how she spent "most of my days doing nothing, sitting in my room watching Netflix and waiting for an audition. And it was miserable." She said she "was throwing up every day, [having] panic attacks, night sweats, and I was just sad."

Her mental health diagnosis also includes body dysmorphia and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), as per USA Today.