Gillian Anderson Explains Why She's Wearing A Wig On X-Files

Fans spying the set of FOX's upcoming The X-Files miniseries event, have observed star Gillian Anderson wearing a wig to approximate her iconic '90s look as red-haired FBI doctor Dana Scully.

...And, fair enough, some fans have wondered why.

A pretty good reason: apparently the years of makeup-chair abuse that her hair has taken has left it somewhat sensitive, and there's concern that dyeing her hair back and forth could actually result in hair loss.

"My hair started falling out last year," she told Entertainment Weekly. "We were in the middle of doing The Fall and they actually had to stop using tongs and hot rollers because it was literally coming out in the hair dresser's hand."

"The guy I use to do my hair was like, 'You must be out of your mind [to dye it]. You have no idea what the end result will be," she added. "So yeah, unfortunately, it is a wig."

That doesn't mean she hasn't committed to the character physically, though.

"Oh my God, it's like wearing a vice on your head," said Anderson. "I mean, every day, I have a whopping headache. And so I'm paying for that decision. I want all the fans to know that I'm suffering for the red!"

The X-Files returns in January on FOX.