Selma Blair reveals bald head as she undergoes radical treatment for MS that will leave her immune system compromised for three months
Selma Blair has revealed she has shaved her head and undergone a radical procedure to treat her multiple sclerosis.
The 47-year-old actress was diagnosed with the disease last August, after years thinking she was dropping things and tripping up because she was ‘clumsy’, and was soon walking with a cane, then a walking bike.
On Thursday, Blair posted a photo on Instagram from inside a clinic, with a bald head, leaning on her walking bike, with a lengthy caption, including: ‘#newimmunesystem’.
Blair did not stipulate what kind of treatment she received for MS, for which there are many therapies, including injectable, oral, and infusion therapies.
Days earlier, she posted a photo of her son cutting her hair, a month after posting then deleting a photo of her son with a razor, and telling PEOPLE she is suffering hair loss.
On Thursday, Blair posted a photo on Instagram from inside a clinic, with a bald head, leaning on her walking bike, and the words: ‘#newimmunesystem’
Days earlier, she posted a photo of her son cutting her hair
Blair has been incredibly open about her symptoms and emotional journey since her diagnosis last summer.
Multiple sclerosis (known as MS) is an incurable, life-long condition in which the immune system attacks the body and causes nerve damage to the brain and spinal cord.
Symptoms can be mild in some, and in others more extreme causing severe disability.
MS affects 2.3 million people worldwide – including around 400,000 in the US, and 100,000 in the UK.
It is more than twice as common in women as it is in men. A person is usually diagnosed in their 20s and 30s.
The condition is more commonly diagnosed in people of European ancestry.
Blair has been open about her battle with MS since her diagnosis last August
The cause isn’t clear. There may be genes associated with it, but it is not directly hereditary. Smoking and low vitamin D levels are also linked to MS.
Symptoms include fatigue, difficulty walking, vision problems, bladder problems, numbness or tingling, muscle stiffness and spasms, problems with balance and co-ordination, and problems with thinking, learning and planning.
The majority of sufferers will have episodes of symptoms which go away and come back, while some have ones which get gradually worse over time.
Symptoms can be managed with medication and therapy.
The condition shortens the average life expectancy by around five to 10 years.