‘Riverdale’ star Lili Reinhart reveals alopecia diagnosis

‘Riverdale’ star Lili Reinhart | Images: Instagram, TikTok/@lilireinhart

Lili Reinhart shared she was diagnosed with alopecia amid depression and currently undergoing treatment. 

On TikTok on Tuesday, January 30, the “Riverdale” star posted a video with a text, “Was just diagnosed with alopecia in the midst of a major depressive episode.” The video showed her sitting under a machine commonly used to help treat skin conditions. 

Reinhart wrote in the caption that red therapy is her “new best friend.” In the clip, Reinhart also lip-synced over a sound of a man saying, “I’m pushed beyond the limits of what a person should be pushed to endure.”

In the TikTok video of the actress, fans have extended their sympathies and prayers, as they commented words of encouragement and shared their personal experience with the disease.  

“Thank you for using your platform to bring awareness to this. I have alopecia and my health and depression make it worse. Sending love,” wrote TikTok user @becca 

“I’ve had alopecia areata since I was 4 (I’m now 25). I’m so sorry you’re experiencing this. You are not alone,” said netizen @rylee

In 2021, Reinhart first opened up about her depression, saying she had been battling it for a long time now.

“Some days I feel really defeated by my depression. It’s an exhausting battle that I’ve been fighting for 11 years,” she wrote on Instagram. 

The 27-year-old actress comforted the people who are going through the same battle as her, noting there’s a “tomorrow” that awaits them.

“Remember you are always worth fighting for. And tomorrow could be such a beautiful day,” she said. 

The National Alopecia Areata Foundation describes alopecia as a “surprisingly common disease” that results in hair loss on the face, body, and scalp. Up to 6 million people in the United States alone are diagnosed with the illness, and its cause remains unclear.