Ashley Tisdale spoke candidly about the autoimmune disease she was diagnosed with years ago.
The "High School Musical" star took her story on Instagram on Wednesday, saying that her dermatologist diagnosed her with alopecia in her young 20s. She said that her condition is "autoimmune, and a lot of it is triggered by stress."
Tisdale revealed she first noticed something was wrong when she saw a bald spot at her hairline. Her colorist eventually said she had alopecia, leading her to consult a doctor.
"Any type of hair loss can affect your self-esteem, especially if you feel like you're the only one going through it," she wrote in the caption. "That's why I want to talk about it openly-because it's nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes it's connected to hormones, other times to heredity, and for me, it's connected to stress overload."
The 37-year-old "What I've Been Looking For" singer shared with her fans the solutions she tried that helped her with alopecia. According to Tisdale, she took stress management techniques, including meditation and yoga.
She also started having therapy like using platelet-rich plasma and invested in the autoimmune paleo diet.
The American Academy of Dermatology Association explains that alopecia happens when the body attacks its hair follicles. It can begin at any age, and people with the condition suffer hair loss and nail changes.
Ashley Tisdale Opens Up About Return to the Music Industry
While battling with the disease, Tisdale notably marked her return to the music industry in 2019, over a decade after enjoying her success in the 2000s.
During her return, she released her third album, "Symptoms." She told Paper Magazine that music was always part of her and her plan.
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"Since it's been so long since I have done music, I always said I was not going to make music just to put something out there. It'd have to mean something," she said. "I definitely have gone through things over the last couple of years, and even have become more aware of things that I go through."
Tisdale co-wrote all the songs on the album. Although she wants to do more as a singer, she remains more famous for her role in the hit show, "High School Musical."
She has also been focusing on her life as a married woman. She tied the knot with musician and composer, Christopher French in 2014 and welcomed their baby in 2021.
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