Aside From Jada Pinkett Smith, These Are The Celebrities Who Have Opened Up About Dealing With Alopecia
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease wherein the immune system attacks hair follicles resulting in hair loss. Humans who catch this disease can lose hair on any part of their body.
But this condition typically affects a person's head and face. Generally, fallouts occur by round patches, which are about the size of a quarter.
However, there are also cases where hair loss happens on a larger scale. People with this condition don't expect damaging symptoms.
In fact, people who get it are typically healthy. The extent of hair loss varies from one person to another.
Some hair loss bouts will stay for the rest of a person's life. Others will only have a few episodes of alopecia.
Doctors and people who are suffering from this condition also cannot tell when recovery is possible. It's impossible to cure this disease.
But hair treatments have been developed to facilitate hair growth. Resources are also available for people with this condition.
These sudden changes in one's physical appearance can be mentally painful. It is especially difficult for prominent personalities such as Hollywood stars.
Today, we're looking at Jada Pinkett Smith and the other celebrities who admitted that they have alopecia. Let's find out how they're dealing with this disease.
Dealing with hair loss isn't easy even for Hollywood stars.
Predrag Popovski / Getty ImagesJada Pinkett Smith is one celeb who's particularly open about the challenges with hair loss.
The USA alone has 6.8 million cases of alopecia. And Jada isn't the only celebrity dealing with the said condition.
@jadapinkettsmith / Via instagram.com / Instagram: @bexxfrancoisJada shared her struggles in the talkshow, Red Table Talk.
It was one of those times in my life where I was literally shaking with fear...Even in my terror and even in my fear and in the moment of just going, ‘Oh, my God, like, why are you so terrified that you might lose your hair?’ I really had to put it in a spiritual perspective of, like, the higher power takes so much from people. People are out here who have cancer, people who have sick children. I watch the higher power take things every day. And, by golly, if the higher power wants to take your hair, that’s hair? When I looked at it from that perspective, it really did settle me,
Arturo Holmes / FilmMagic / Getty ImagesJesy Nelson was only a teenager when she started experiencing hair loss.
I was probably about 13 when my hair just started coming out. Stress can cause alopecia, and it wasn’t nice. I got picked on because I’ve always liked to dress differently. I’ve never really wanted to fit in with everyone else.
Karwai Tang / WireImage / Getty ImagesViola Davis was shocked to find out that she was losing hair in her late 20s.
I woke up one day, and it looked like I had a Mohawk. Big splash of bald on the top of my head.Initially, she didn't feel comfortable being under her skin. Eventually, she decided to stop using wigs and be herself.
Abc / ABC via Getty ImagesNeve Campbell's condition stemmed from being stressed and overworked in her early 20s.
At 23, I developed alopecia. I was horribly overworked and going through a divorce. Also, I had stalkers and started receiving threatening mail. I was so distressed by it all that my hair started falling out. Life hasn’t always been a bowl of cherries.
Tasos Katopodis / WireImage / Getty Images
Tyra Banks experienced hair loss at one point in her life.
Honestly, chilling for me was eating a meal. I couldn't just look at the ocean. And in hindsight, that wasn't healthy. How can I say this without tearing up? I got a little alopecia from the stress.Banks said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
Ian Tuttle / Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley admitted in 2020 that she has been dealing with alopecia for some months.
I did not want to go to sleep because I did not want the morning to come where I would remove this bonnet and my wrap and be met with more hair in the sink and an image in the mirror of a person who increasingly felt like a stranger to me.She said in a video by the political and cultural YouTube channel, The Root.
Paul Morigi / Getty Images
Kiera Knightley experienced hair loss due to dyeing her hair too much.
I have dyed my hair virtually every color imaginable for different films. It got so bad that my hair literally began to fall out of my head! So for the past five years, I’ve used wigs, which is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to my hair.Knightley shared in a 2016 interview.
Kristy Sparow / WireImage
Naomi Campbell caught the disease from using hair extensions a lot.
She also ended up having bald spots on her head. Fortunately, it grew back when she started taking care of or hair.
Thierry Chesnot / Getty Images
Alyssa Milano started experiencing hair loss after getting stressed from battling COVID-19.
Thought I’d show you what COVID-19 does to your hair. Please take this seriously. One brushing, this is my hair loss.She tells people on an Instagram video.
For Ricki Lake, it took almost three decades before she could finally admit that she has alopecia. Hair loss was part of her adult life.
In my case, I believe my hair loss was due to many factors, yo-yo dieting, hormonal birth control, radical weight fluctuations over the years, my pregnancies, genetics, stress, and hair dyes and extensions. Working as talent on various shows and movies, whether DWTS or my talk show, also took its toll on my fine hair.Lake shared on an Instagram post.
@rickilake / Via instagram.com
Christina Milian experienced postpartum hair loss.
I have always taken pride in not being the girl that leaves hair in the shower. Like, you're not going to find my hair all over the soap. Well, I became that girl...It's a really disheartening experience. I had times where I wanted to cry because I wasn't sure if I'd ever have my hair grow back again.Milian shared with people. She eventually found products that helped with her condition.
Dominik Bindl / Getty Images
Just like any other chronic disease, alopecia areata causes mental and psychological strain on people.
And celebs aren't immune to these effects of their condition. The sudden physical changes in their bodies cause them to feel depressed.
You can't help but admire celebs who, instead of living in fear, decided to create awareness by admitting that they have the disease. It tells people that they're not alone in their journey to treat their condition.
