Lake isn’t alone in suffering with hair loss or thinning though. According to Viviscal, 41% of women nationally are experiencing, or have previously experienced it in some form.

The reasons behind hair loss are extensive and there are multiple things that can cause it, but Lake puts hers down to “yo-yo dieting, hormonal birth control, radical weight fluctuations over the years, [my] pregnancies, genetics, stress, and hair dyes and extensions.” She also says that while she played Tracy Turnblad in the original 1988 version of Hairspray, her healthy virgin hair was “triple-processed and teased” every two weeks throughout filming.

Despite trying a number of treatments, including steroids and supplements, Lake says nothing worked – which is what led her to shave all her hair off. It’s no secret that hair acts as a safety blanket for the majority of women, so it was never going to be an easy decision to make.

Ricki Lake has shaved all her hair off for a very relatable reason