In a deeply emotional Instagram post, Melanie Sykes has opened up about her ongoing battle with alopecia, revealing how it has left her “two-thirds bald.” The 55-year-old TV personality shared her painful journey with her fans, emphasizing how she’s learning to cope with the loss of her hair and her renewed focus on gratitude.
Melanie, who has been battling the autoimmune condition since it was diagnosed in April 2025, admitted that while she has only a small amount of hair left, it is still healthy. The TV star shared a touching selfie with her followers, wearing tinted glasses and a T-shirt, with her remaining hair styled into a bob. She wrote alongside the post, “Hey strumps, My crown is pretty much what’s left of my hair now and how healthy it is. I do get cold, hence my beanie and various headwear, but I’m learning to live with ‘loss’ and counting my blessings instead.”
The star, who has also been dealing with heart issues causing palpitations, expressed her deep gratitude for the strength she’s found despite the challenging circumstances. Melanie said, “It’s not always easy to be grateful, but it is the key to happiness and takes daily, moment-to-moment practice. Practice love.”
Reflecting on her emotional health, Melanie also spoke candidly about her experience with “Post-Traumatic Growth,” a psychological change that some people undergo after a life crisis or trauma. She shared how, despite the ongoing suffering from alopecia and body inflammation, she has found solace in her spiritual journey, which has included meditation and self-healing. “Even the most difficult times do pass, they do, and I just want to use this term post-traumatic growth—it’s real, you can be suffering from PTSD but still at the same time be experiencing post-traumatic growth,” she wrote.
Before sharing the positive update on her health in late 2025, Melanie revealed how her condition had taken a physical and emotional toll, causing both excessive inflammation and hair loss. Her Instagram post from last year showed her side profile, pointing out a bald patch on her head and admitting, “I am experiencing alopecia and heart issues due to everything that has happened over the last few months—PTSD, shock, mistreatment, and malpractice.” Despite this, she assured her fans not to worry about her, stating, “Life is so good, and I know it because I’m right here right now and there’s nothing to fear.”
In the face of adversity, Melanie has learned to keep a positive outlook. She explained that while it’s tempting to focus on what’s been lost, she chooses to focus on the blessings she still has, including the small amount of healthy hair that remains. “We don’t need to bring that to the conversation. It’s not like I’m hiding it, I’d just rather talk about something else because I’ve got that down and I’m healing myself,” she said.
Over the past year, Melanie has embarked on a deeply spiritual journey, practicing meditation and even completing a meditation teacher training course, though she admitted to not finishing it due to her illness. “In the last three months, I’ve done a meditation teacher training course. I was too ill to finish it, like literally the last two days of it I couldn’t do,” she explained, adding that she had reignited her YouTube channel to share her healing journey with fans.
Despite the challenging road ahead, Melanie’s strength continues to inspire those who follow her. Her openness about her health struggles and her journey of healing through spirituality and self-love has helped her connect with others facing similar battles. As she continues to heal, Melanie’s message remains clear: “I’m learning to live with loss, and I am counting my blessings.”
Source: Daily Mail
