Christina Applegate Debuts ‘Fresh’ Hair as Fans Rally Around Her Amid MS Journey: ‘Brave Is an Understatement’

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One fan commented, “Of all the MS voices out there, yours resonates the most with me. Dealing with MS, residual breast cancer issues, osteoporosis, menopause – it’s like a daily whack-a-mole of symptoms. Weird cheek spot fits right in.

“But we get our hair done, get dressed, put on some shoes that are not at all cute but that will allow us to walk at least a little…and carry on.”

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Another commenter empathized with the effort it takes to appear unbothered while managing a disability, saying, “I’m sorry there’s a new weird spot on your cheek. You’re being brave and vulnerable, but as a disabled person myself, I know how hard it actually is to pretend these things don’t faze us. How hard it is to fake it and put on a mask for the world.

“I hope you soon have many days where your body stays at a manageable baseline for you. Much love from a longtime fan.”

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A third fan praised Applegate’s courage, saying they admired her even before hearing her memoir, and told her that many people out there feel the same way and recognize how much love she puts into the world.

A fourth fan applauded how vulnerable Applegate was being by opening up to millions of followers, saying “Brave, is an understatement. You are amazing Christina.”

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According to a TMZ report, Applegate was hospitalized in early spring for unknown reasons and discharged that summer — making it all the more welcome to see her feeling good and showing off her freshly-colored hair now.

Back on April 10, she thanked fans on Instagram for their support, sharing a photo of her memoir alongside a coffee mug. She wrote that health issues are a constant for her, but said “I’m a strong chick and I’m getting stronger and better every day,” adding that she was stepping back to focus on her health with more updates to come.

The exact date she returned home isn’t clear, but by July 25 she was back to posting playful content, sharing an Instagram photo of herself and her daughter holding up chocolate lips over their faces.

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Protecting Your Inner Beauty and Self-Esteem

Licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin previously explained to SurvivorNet, “Cancer changes who you are both physically and emotionally.” Although Applegate isn’t battling cancer, she is a breast cancer survivor, and her MS journey perfectly illustrates how our choices can influence our self-esteem.

A study published in Frontiers in Psychology questioned how self-esteem should be considered in cancer patients. Researchers noted cancer patients’ framing of their diagnosis and how they cope with their diagnosis and subsequent treatment impacts their self-esteem throughout their cancer journeys.

“Adaptive adjustment strategies (positive reframing, use of emotional support, active coping, acceptance, and planning) in breast cancer patients were associated with high self-esteem. Social support also appears to be strongly related to self-esteem,” the study says.

Dr. Strongin suggests looking at the part or parts of your body impacted by the cancer or cancer treatment to help you cope with body changes. She recommends creating a regular practice of accepting your body image because it enables you to accept your cancer journey emotionally and physically.

“As you allow yourself to spend more time looking at all of you, you will begin having a new relationship with your body. It may not happen immediately, but you can start honoring and thanking your new body with time.

“Just because the treatment is behind you, the emotional recovery can take longer,” Dr. Strongin adds.

If you find yourself wrestling with your emotions because of a diagnosis, remember you don’t have to go it alone. Your support group is filled with loved ones who are there to help you on your journey.

“The patient or person going through the stressful event should accept that emotions will be fluid. You may feel fine one day and then feel a massive stress wave the next. It’s also important for those you look to for support, whether that’s a therapist, friends, family, or both, to understand the fluidity of stress-related emotions,” psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik says.

Christina Applegate’s MS Journey

Applegate began experiencing symptoms of Multiple sclerosis long before she had answers. She actually said she felt off balance during a dance sequence that occurred way back in season one of her dark comedy “Dead to Me.” She later noticed her aptitude for tennis started to fail.

“I wish I had paid attention,” she previously told The New York Times. “But who was I to know?”

It took several years of worsening tingling and numbness in her extremities before her diagnosis arrived while on set. This life-altering realization wouldn’t stop Applegate from finishing her portrayal of Jen Harding, but she did need a break. Production of the final season ceased for about five months as she began treatment.

“There was the sense of, ‘Well, let’s get her some medicine so she can get better,’” Applegate said. “And there is no better. But it was good for me. I needed to process my loss of my life, my loss of that part of me. So I needed that time.”

Applegate admits she’ll never fully “accept” her condition, but she did learn how to work with it. And she’s previously talked about how the show was a cathartic outlet and safe space.

“I had an obligation to Liz [Feldman] and to Linda [Cardellini], to our story,” she said of the show’s writer and her co-star respectively. “The powers that be were like, ‘Let’s just stop. We don’t need to finish it. Let’s put a few episodes together.’ I said, ‘No. We’re going to do it, but we’re going to do it on my terms.’”

Applegate wasn’t able to work as hard or as long or in the heat without her body giving out, but she found pride in her self-sufficiency. With the help of some adjustments to the schedule, she powered through. Nicole Vassell, a writer for The Independent, says other programs should learn from the way Applegate’s “physical changes [were] seamlessly incorporated into the show.”

“This is the first time anyone’s going to see me the way I am,” Applegate said. “I put on 40 pounds; I can’t walk without a cane. I want people to know that I am very aware of all of that.”

In a later episode of the “MeSsy” podcast, Applegate shared that she has since lost the 40 pounds naturally, without using any weight-loss medications. She joked that the weight came off as a result of stomach problems linked to the medication she takes while managing her MS.

Understanding Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Multiple sclerosis causes the immune system to attack cells that form the protective sheath that covers nerve fibers in the spinal cord. The disruption leads to communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body.

Once the protective barrier is damaged, the spinal cord struggles to communicate to the body’s arms, legs, and other parts to function normally.

Dr. Lauren Krupp, a neurologist at NYU Langone in New York City, describes MS to SurvivorNet as an “immune mediated condition,” which causes the immune system to work against itself.

“We’re not exactly sure why that happens, but it probably has to do with an exposure to a virus at some point in time. And in the effort to fight off that virus, the immune system turns against itself and specifically, a coating of the nerves called myelin,” Dr. Krupp explains. “The myelin that it affects involves the central nervous system, and that’s the brain and the spinal cord.”

Because it can involve different areas in the brain or spinal cord, Dr. Krupp explains, “the symptoms can vary in location.”

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke describes MS as: “An unpredictable disease of the central nervous system, [MS] can range from relatively benign to somewhat disabling to devastating, as communication between the brain and other parts of the body is disrupted.”

Currently, there is no cure for MS (which researchers believe is an autoimmune disorder), though many people treat the disease using chemotherapy, medications, or steroid drugs.

Questions for Your Doctor

If you are diagnosed with MS or are concerned you have the chronic disease due to symptoms you’re experiencing, consider asking your doctor the following questions.

• Although there’s no cure for MS, which treatment option to manage my symptoms do you recommend for me?
• Are there any potential side effects of MS treatment?
• What if the treatment to manage symptoms doesn’t work?
• Will exercise or therapy help my symptoms?
• Are there any MS support groups you recommend to help me cope

Critical Questions. Trusted Answers. A New Wave of Cancer Patients Using SurvivorNet’s My Health AI Tools For Support

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.