Melanie Sykes has shared a photograph of her completely bald head, days after revealing that she has lost a significant amount of hair due to alopecia. The 55-year-old television personality posted a smiling selfie on Sunday, accompanied by the caption "Loss + Gain = Life" and hashtags such as '#wise', '#sage', and '#yogi'.
Sykes first publicly disclosed her battle with alopecia in April of the previous year. On Friday, she provided an update on the condition, showing the extent of hair loss on the sides of her head in an Instagram video captioned '#Liberty'.
Previously, in December, Sykes had informed her followers about her ongoing health issues, stating, "I am not well, as you know, I've been ill all year. I've got a condition. I'm losing my hair." She also mentioned experiencing a heart condition that causes palpitations and inflammation throughout her body.
In March, Sykes offered another update, describing her scalp as "pretty much what's left of my hair now." She acknowledged feeling cold, necessitating headwear, but emphasized her learning process of accepting loss and practicing gratitude. "It's not always easy to be grateful, but it is the key to happiness and takes daily, moment-to-moment practice. Practice love," she advised.
Concluding 2025, Sykes shared a positive health update, referring to her experience as "Post-Traumatic Growth." She explained on Instagram that she was "vibrating high" after "transcending trauma" related to the autoimmune condition that has led to her being "two-thirds bald" and experiencing widespread inflammation. Post-Traumatic Growth, she noted, is the positive psychological change some individuals experience after a crisis or traumatic event.
Sykes stated that difficult times do pass and expressed that one can experience Post-Traumatic Growth even while potentially dealing with PTSD. She added, "I'm in both camps because you can be both things at once, as long as I attend to myself and what makes me happy and feel grief about whatever has gone on and process it and move on from it." She concluded, "We can transcend all trauma, we can be changed, and I am living f***ing proof of that!"
The presenter first confirmed her alopecia diagnosis when she shared a photo of a bald spot on her head in April of the previous year, taken while she was in London investigating health issues. At that time, she revealed, "I am experiencing alopecia and heart issues due to all that has happened over the last few months. PTSD, shock, mistreatment and malpractice."
Sykes has urged fans not to worry about her, asserting that she has learned to take care of herself and is in the process of healing. "Life is so good, and I know it because I'm right here right now and there's nothing to fear," she said. She also expressed a preference for focusing conversations on other topics, stating, "It's not like I'm hiding it, I'd just rather have a conversation about something else because I've got that down and I'm healing myself." She encouraged her followers to focus on their own well-being: "Worry about yourselves, if anything, and I don't even mean worry about yourselves, I just mean attend to your own spiritual garden, yourself, your body, your mind, your creative spirit."
Sykes also mentioned living with excessive inflammation all over her body. She has been embracing a "spiritual existence," encouraging meditation and maintaining a positive outlook. She shared, "I'm not well, as you know, I've been ill all year, I've got an autoimmune condition, I am losing my hair, I keep having crazy inflammation all over and I am working on healing." She also noted completing a meditation teacher training course, though she was too ill to finish the final days. Sykes has reignited her YouTube channel after a period of learning, meditating, and healing.