While fans are still reeling from Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars on Sunday night, some fans have shifted their focus off of the men and back to Jada Pinkett Smith as the topic for conversation.
The actress and Red Table host became the subject of Chris’s joke regarding her shaved head, but Jada shaved her hair off due to a condition called Alopecia, which results in significant hair loss.
Jada initially began dealing with Alopecia a few years ago and shaved her hair off to combat the hair loss from the disorder. It seems like Jada decided to cut her hair herself rather than letting it fall out in patches at a time, gaining a little bit of control over her appearance.
However, there are still many uncertainties about Alopecia, such as what it does and if it can be treated.
What is Alopecia?
News18 says that Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. Alopecia is fairly common, and the primary symptom is unpredictable hair loss. Many people lose hair in small patches, but in some cases, it is very extreme, and people lose a lot of hair very quickly.
Alopecia can impact people of all ages, genders, ages, and lifestyles. Some believe that it’s caused by stress, but there is not enough evidence to support that Alopecia is a result of high stress.
There is no cure for Alopecia at this time, but doctors can prescribe medications or topical creams to promote hair regrowth. However, this will not stop the hair from falling out.
Alopecia is not contagious and doesn’t directly make people physically sick, but it can have a huge impact on mental health. Some struggle with accepting the fact that they will lose hair and potentially go bald.
Fortunately, Jada has a strong support system that is literally willing to fight for her. She has found support not only in her husband, Will but also in her daughter, Willow.
Jada Pinkett Smith and daughter Willow rock shaved heads together
Jada first debuted her shaved head style in July of last year. She wore many headwraps for a while to cover her hair and head, but her daughter Willow helped her step out in confidence.
Willow shared a photo on her own Instagram in July where she stands with her head leaning against Jada. The two are both sporting shaved heads and looking absolutely flawless.
Jada shared a screenshot of Willow’s post and wrote, “Willow made me do it because it was time to let go BUT … my 50’s are bout to be Divinely lit with this shed.”
In December, Jada shared a video of herself where she talks about struggling with Alopecia and how a line appeared on her head from her hair loss. However, she seemed confident in the video and said she was going to “put rhinestones” on the line and make herself a “little crown.”
She took the visible line of hair loss in with grace and laughter, writing, “Mama’s gonna have to take it down to the scalp so nobody thinks she got brain surgery or something? Me and this alopecia are going to be friends … period!?”
Jada has been very open about her journey with Alopecia and her hair loss but seems to take everything that comes her way with poise and grace.
Fortunately, she has her daughter Willow to back her up, too.