Louis Theroux has shared a health update after shaving off his eyebrows, amid his alopecia diagnosis.
The journalist and presenter, 53, informed fans about his diagnosis last year, and has been using social media to communicate updates and request advice.
Alopecia is a condition that causes hair loss and can affect many areas of the body, but mainly impacts a person’s scalp, head, or face.
Some forms of the condition can be autoimmune, such as alopecia areata, which can cause patches of hair loss.
Louis first noticed he had experienced hair loss on his face across his beard, but has now revealed the ‘lesions’ have appeared on his scalp.
However, he’s also undergone microblading to replace the loss of hair over his eyebrows, and has shared his joy at having his ‘old face back’.
Using Instagram with a series of selfies, Louis wrote: ‘I realise there are much bigger things to worry about in the world but… a while ago I shared that my eyebrows had basically disappeared due to alopecia.
‘I received a lot of nice messages, some suggesting I try “microblading”, a form of temporary tattoo. So that’s what I did!
‘It took two sessions of a couple of hours. I’m happy to have my old face back.
‘The new brows are neater and more shapely than my “real” ones were. But there are a couple of wisps of my remaining hair in there which help make them look more natural.’
He went on: ‘Meanwhile more gaps – or “lesions” to use the technical term – have appeared on my scalp.
‘I have photos of those which I may share at some point or I may not – they are a bit weird and depressing to look at tbh. Life goes on.
‘I am happy and healthy in every other way and I feel very grateful.’
Fans rushed to support him in the comments, with @possumofconsomme writing: ‘I have the same condition – it sucks but I think you’re really brave to normalise it.’
‘How can anyone not love this guy,’ @daniel.r.adams.3 added.
In December, Louis shaved off his eyebrows and shared the clip to Instagram, saying: ‘no eyebrows is better than patchy eyebrows’.
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‘I’d like to know how I’m supposed to continue a career based largely on raising and lowering different eyebrows without any eyebrows!’ he had earlier asked fans.
Though there is no cure for alopecia, in February it was revealed a medicine for severe hair loss is being recommended on the NHS for the first time.
The daily pill, called ritlecitinib or Litfulo, could help 14,000 people in England, by helping to fight inflammation to improve hair growth.
Other celebrities who deal with forms of alopecia in their daily lives include Gail Porter, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Glee actress Lea Michele, Jesy Nelson, and Ricki Lake.
