'Heroes' Star Greg Grunberg Reveals Medical Diagnosis
Greg Grunberg might look different these days compared to his Heroes era and he's telling fans why.
The 58-year-old actor had people reaching out to him to ask if he was OK. That's because he's sporting a bald look these days and some of his followers were concerned that he was sick. Grunberg set the record straight on his YouTube channel on May 7 and revealed the reason why he looks different right now.
"First of all, I want to thank everybody who's like asking if I'm OK, you know, 'What's going on? I saw pictures of you, you have no hair, what's happening?' Well, this is what's happening," Grunberg said as he whipped off his baseball cap to reveal his bald head. "I, all of a sudden, got alopecia and I knew nothing about it. I'm still learning about it."
Alopecia, or hair loss, can affect any body part and it can be a temporary or permanent condition, per the Mayo Clinic. It is caused by a variety of reasons, including aging, heredity, or hormones, but it is most commonly found in men.
Grunberg revealed that it was a "recent diagnosis," and he believes it was triggered by his knee replacement surgery last October. "I think it shocked the alopecia into, you know, actually presenting itself," he noted. "I think I probably had it dormant in my body for a long time."
The surgery combined with his autoimmune disorder, Hashimoto's disease, and the post-surgery pain medication may have triggered the alopecia. While there is no cure for alopecia, there are treatments available that may help regrow his hair over time.
Still, the Felicity star is "feeling good" about his "new look." Grunberg added, "I don't really care, but I just wanted to address this, so you know what's going on... So, thank you, I love you all. Thank you so much for all of your concerns and your questions. It's alopecia and a lot of people have it and a lot of people — most people — live well with it, so that's what I'm doing, getting ahead of it."
Related: Jennifer Garner Returns to Her Roots — But Not How You’d Expect