Ashley Tisdale Shares Years-Long Struggle With Hair Loss After Alopecia Diagnosis

Ashley Tisdale is reflecting on her personal experience with hair loss.

The High School Musical alum opened up about her Alopecia diagnosis, letting social media followers know that if they also struggle with the disease, they're not alone.

"Alopecia and hair loss are fairly common, but a lot of people feel embarrassed to talk about these issues," Ashley shared on Instagram Jan. 11. "Any type of hair loss can affect your self-esteem, especially if you feel like you're the only one going through it. That's why I want to talk about it openly—because it's nothing to be ashamed of."

The Picture This star went on to list the possible different causes of the condition, including factors such as hormone levels and stress.

"Sometimes it's connected to hormones, other times to heredity, and for me, it's connected to stress overload," she continued. "Today on @frenshe I'm sharing what I've learned about my alopecia and how I help manage it."

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In her personal essay shared to her website, the "Be Good To Me" singer recalled the moment she began to notice a change in her hair.

"A couple of months ago, while simultaneously moving, starting a home renovation, and kicking off a TV project, I noticed that a patch of my hair was starting to fall out," Ashley wrote. "Nothing major—just a small section behind my ear—but still, it was happening, and not for the first time. A few years ago, the same thing happened when I was overly stressed, so I knew exactly what I was experiencing: alopecia."

Ashley went on to detail three main suggestions she has to manage Alopecia, which included not letting worry take over, seek treatment (if you want to) and to stay on top of managing stress.

As for how she dealt with managing her stress? She changed up her diet.

"Eating with a focus on gut health also helps me thrive," she continued. "I loved the way I felt, and I also felt great about eating fresh food instead of reaching for random convenient snacks."

Ashley also wants those who are going through the same thing to know that they must prioritize their self care.

"Hair loss is one of my body's ways of signaling stress overload—and a sign to prioritize my self-care rituals." she explained. "Whatever your self-care plan may be, embrace it."

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