Overcoming Personal Obstacles
- Talk show host and actress Ricki Lake is celebrating decades-long goals of overcoming hair loss and getting down to her healthiest weight at age 55, despite going through perimenopause, which made her worried she wouldn’t be able to drop weight as easily.
- Though the Hairspray star has never had cancer, Lake has faced relatable issues that many women going through treatment suffer from, and shows that it is possible to overcome these personal challenges.
- Many women go into menopause prematurely after cancer treatment and struggle with hormone-related weight gain.
- Understandably, hair loss can be both physically and emotionally devastating. It happens because this treatment targets quickly-dividing cells throughout the body. Once treatment ends, the hair will typically grow back, though the texture may change, and sometimes for the better!
The actress and talk show host proudly showed fans the results of her efforts Saturday on Instagram, posing in a black sports bra and athletic pants, with definition showing in her tummy for her mirror selfie.
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“Being 55 and in perimenopause, I was a bit worried, that my body would not drop the lbs like it had in the past,” the Hairspray star added.
“I am so so proud of us. I feel amazing. I feel strong. 💪,” she continued. “I will go in depth in another post of what I did exactly,
but suffice to say this is the healthiest way I’ve lost weight in all of my years.”
Lake concluded the post noting that she only started weighing herself in November, but “guessing I was about 170 when I started. I’m 5’3”.”
Lake shared a “before photo” from November adorably snuggled up with her other half, 55, outside on a patio deck during sunset, and it is evident how far they have come in a relatively short time.
Ricki Lake’s Struggle with Hair Loss
Ricki Lake first opened up about her hair loss struggles in January 2020, posting a vulnerable share on Instagram.
“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,” she wrote under a series of photos of her rocking a shaved head.
“Suffering mostly in silence off and on for almost 30 years. AND I am finally ready to share my secret.”
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Lake said she had struggled with hair loss for much of her adult life, and it took an incredible toll on her.
“It has been debilitating, embarrassing, painful, scary, depressing, lonely, all the things. There have been a few times where I have even felt suicidal over it. Almost no one in my life knew the level of deep pain and trauma I was experiencing. Not even my therapist/s over the years knew my truth.”
Lake went on to share that she believes her hair loss was due to “many factors,” including “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 noted.
Coping with Hair Loss
Hair loss can be one of the most devastating side effects for people going through chemotherapy treatment.
When Salt Lake City resident, Stephanie Hess, was diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer, she already knew what to expect. She’d seen her mother, along with a few other people who were close to her, go through the rigors of cancer treatment. But that didn’t mean she worried any less about losing her long brown locks.
“Because my mom had passed away from cancer, I knew what it felt like. The thought of losing your hair, that’s the ultimate indicator of being a cancer patient.” Hess told SurvivorNet in a previous interview. “I didn’t want to be bald.”
Making Peace With Hair Loss Stephanie Hess Shares Her Story
Understandably, hair loss can be both physically and emotionally challenging. It happens because this treatment targets quickly-dividing cells throughout the body. That includes cancer cells, but also hair cells. And the loss doesn’t only affect hair on the scalp. Women may lose their eyebrows and eyelashes, too.
Once treatment ends, the hair will typically grow back. And while it’s gone, a wig or scarf can help to camouflage the loss. Many insurance companies will cover the cost of a wig, and often women can find one that resembles their original hairstyle.
People Battling Cancer Embrace the Effects of Treatment
Yet some cancer patients choose to embrace their new look. There have been many movements of women rocking the bald look as a form of proud expression, which is a beautiful thing. And sometimes, their loved ones adopt the same look in solidarity. In fact, in more recent years,
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