For its latest celebrity partnership, Pfizer went in a “Fabulous” direction.
The Big Pharma has teamed up with Ashley Tisdale to discuss the actor-singer-entrepreneur’s experience with alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that typically causes sudden bouts of hair loss in patches on the head and face.
In a video that Tisdale shared on her social media pages last week and Pfizer reposted Monday, the “High School Musical” star told her “alopecia areata story.” While looking through old photos of herself in the clip, Tisdale said she first began noticing “significant hair loss” in her early twenties. On her hair colorist’s suggestion, Tisdale sought help from a dermatologist, who diagnosed her with alopecia areata at age 24.
Now 38, Tisdale recalled feeling “completely stunned” at the diagnosis.
“I’d never even heard of it before,” she said. “I was really worried at first, because I had no idea what this would mean for me, and I was so busy with my career. And I’m just glad I was able to lean on my dermatologist for answers.”
She went on to share that one of the hardest parts about living with alopecia areata is its unpredictability—pointing out a picture that was taken shortly before one of her worst cycles of hair loss, which culminated in her being diagnosed with a severe case of the condition.
Though researchers believe the disease can be triggered by a variety of factors, Tisdale said she’s noticed a particular correlation with stress.
“My reaction has always been to hide my hair loss,” she said. “I would part my hair differently or wear it down or use different accessories, and part of hiding meant hiding my diagnosis for a long time, too.”
She finally decided to open up publicly about her diagnosis last year, and, though she said she was originally “worried about being judged,” she ended up receiving an outpouring of supportive comments, reminding her that she’s not alone in living with alopecia areata.
The Frenshe founder closed out the video by encouraging others with the condition to “lean on friends and family for support and to be open with your dermatologist about your hair loss” before teasing that there’s “more to come” from her partnership with Pfizer.
In an article posted on Pfizer’s website, Tisdale provides even more details about her journey with alopecia areata, repeatedly reiterating her dual-pronged advice to seek out support from loved ones and stay in regular contact with a dermatologist to help manage the disease.
“It’s really hard to be vulnerable, but I’ve realized other people have alopecia areata too and have probably struggled with this like I did,” she said. “So, I asked myself, ‘Why am I not talking about this?’ I should probably share what I've learned through my own journey.”
The partnership is framed around improving awareness and education and sharing a real patient's story, rather than being tied to any specific product—though Pfizer did just last year earn FDA approval for Litfulo, a daily oral treatment for severe alopecia areata, indicated for patients aged 12 and older.