Alopecia Shouldn't Be A Punchline, But It Should Get More Attention

[Jilly_in_VA]

The biggest moment from the Oscars on Sunday put Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia front and center, when Best Actor winner Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock after a joke about Pinkett Smith’s shaved head.

Pinkett Smith has spoken openly about her experience with alopecia, recalling the “terrifying” moment she first begin losing “handfuls of hair.” The condition is why she began shaving her head, and still does.

Alopecia is often incredibly misunderstood and underdiscussed, even though it affects millions of people. Here’s everything you need to know:

Alopecia refers generally to hair loss in parts of the body that usually have hair. As the American Academy of Dermatology Association explains, there are generally three types:

Alopecia totalis: When a person loses all hair on the scalp.

Alopecia universalis: When a person loses all hair on their body, which is very rare.

Alopecia areata: When a person develops patchy baldness somewhere on their body, including the scalp, beard area, eyebrows, eyelashes, armpits, inside the nose, or ears. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease (more on that below).

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-to-know-alopecia_l_6241b899e4b0ab00739d3b23
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Rep. Ayanna Pressley has alopecia. So does Pittsburgh backup QB Joshua Dobbs. And Arkansas women's basketball player Rylee Langerman, who embraces her baldness to inspire young girls with the condition.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. Both of my sons have alopecia areata.

And both have Universalis, meaning no eyebrows, eyelashes, hair anywhere at all on the body. Neither has ever had to shave.

Take a look at the National Alopecia Areata Foundation https://www.naaf.org/ for a lot more information. They have local support groups and have a yearly conference.

My oldest son lost his hair when he was four, his younger brother at the age of ten. I can tell you that having two young children who are totally bald is quite interesting.

[mitch96]

2. I was just talking to a friend about this bluegrass player who has Alo Totalis. It must have been

devastating for a young teen to loose ALL her hair... uff..
m

[NQAS]

3. My daughter...

Has alopecia universalis. There are, of course, worse conditions. But it is devastating. She has dealt with it remarkably well, but the first few years were very tough - it’s been more than ten years. I don’t think she’s ever gone out without a wig, and those cost thousands every year or two, for new or for service. It’s definitely not something you joke about.

Could Will Smith have handled it differently? Sure. But in the moment I can understand his intense need to protect his wife. Not because he’s got to be tough and she’s a woman, but because his instinct is to protect and support someone he loves. That said, I think a verbal put down could have been awesome.

[bamagal62]

4. I have alopecia areata.

Luckily for me, my small bald spots are hidden by my quite thick hair. My dermatologist gives me injections to stimulate the hair to grow back. And sometimes it just grows back on its own. I know because I find little Mohawks sticking out when I blow dry my hair! It is frightening when you see hair that comes out in chunks. I also no longer have leg or armpit hair. Oddly enough, it started at almost the exact time that my eczema started.