Ricki Lake shows regrowth after hair loss and shaved head

Ricki Lake is full of gratitude — and rocking fabulous hair.

The talk show host, 53, posted side-by-side photos revealing the transformation of her hair since she shaved it in 2019 — and the results have fans wowed.

Showing a photo of herself with a shaved head in December 2019 and another snapshot with thick, full gray hair in January 2021, Lake wrote: “For those of you who don’t know or don’t remember my personal journey. These side by sides show the dramatic success I’ve had using @harklinikken products.”

The star, who is a brand rep for Harklinikken hair care and has suffered with hair loss for decades, said she’s “been following their simple and easy protocol for over 2 years now,” including the label’s individually customized “Extract” product ($88), which addresses thinning hair.

Ricki Lake
Lake revealed her buzz cut in 2020.
rickilake/Instagram

“I could not be happier with my results and to finally be at peace with my hair loss struggles,” she wrote, adding three confetti emojis.

Fans praised her for speaking out about her hair, writing comments like, “I appreciate your authenticity always. So happy you’re seeing results,” and “Gorgeous! Thank you for being brave enough to share your journey!”

Back in 2020, Lake went public with her issues after “suffering mostly in silence off and on for almost 30 years.”

Ricki Lake
A year after shaving her strands, the actress shared a snap of her thicker hair.
rickilake/Instagram

Adding that she was “not sick” or going through “a mental breakdown,” the TV star posted a photo of herself with a shaved head, revealing she had been dealing with hair loss for decades and was “so done with hiding.”

Calling the experience “debilitating, embarrassing, painful, scary, depressing, lonely, all the things,” Lake admitted she had experienced suicidal thoughts because of the situation.

“I buzzed my hair off and it feels so good!” she said. “For 2020 and beyond, I want to be real.”

In January 2021, the “Hairspray” actress posted another Instagram update, this time with a fuller head of gray hair swept back in a chic, short ‘do.

Ricki Lake and Ross Burningham
Lake married Ross Burningham in January 2022.
rickilake/Instagram

Writing that “it’s been just over a year since I decided to take matters into my own hands and shave my head,” the star — who posted the photo just weeks before getting engaged to her now-husband, Ross Burningham — said she was “thrilled to share with the world what I used to get my hair back to its healthiest ever.”

Admitting that she’d been “skeptical” and that she’d “never publicly endorsed a product,” Lake said haircare guru Lars Skjoth’s products had changed her life.

“My hope is that I am able to help others struggling, as I did for far too long,” she wrote. “This journey has been such a gift for me, I finally truly love my hair, and more importantly love myself unconditionally from the inside out.”

Ricki Lake
Lake showed off her fuller hair at an event in March.
Getty Images

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).