Oscar 2022 saw host Chris Rock being slapped by actor Will Smith on stage for making a joke on wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald look. However, Jada is suffering from a hair loss condition called Alopecia since last year. The Matrix Reloaded actress took to Instagram in 2021 to post a video of her bald self and revealed that she is suffering from Alopecia Areata. The 50-year-old captioned the video, “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!”
WHAT IS ALOPECIA?
In simple terms, Alopecia Areata is classified as a common autoimmune condition that results in unpredictable hair loss. It is regarded as a common condition among many, and individuals with the disorder might often experience that hair falls out in small patches and in some cases it is extreme and rapid hair loss in patches. Experts also state that some individuals might see complete hair loss on the scalp while in some extreme cases hair fall is seen throughout the body.
Alopecia Areata can affect people from different any gender, age, etc. however, it is stated that it usually happens before the age of 30. One in five people who are suffering from Alopecia usually have a family member, too, who has the disorder. The condition develops rapidly in an individual and it is only a matter of a few days before the individual starts to see sudden hair fall in patches. There have been debates about Alopecia Areata being caused by stress, but there’s almost no scientific evidence to support this. In some rare cases where people have only a few patches of hair loss, people even experience a sudden hair growth and fully recover from the condition.
WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR ALOPECIA AREATA?
In terms of treatment, there is no cure for Alopecia Areata so far. However, doctors do suggest a few alternative solutions for hair re-growth. Multiple reports state that the most commonly suggested treatment for the condition is the usage of corticosteroids, which is an anti-inflammatory drug that is known to suppress the affected individual’s immune system. Even though doctors prescribe medications for hair re-growth, the individual will continue to see random patches of hair loss.
MENTAL HEALTH AND ALOPECIA
Alopecia Areata is not a contagious condition and nor does it directly make people sick through the condition. However, more than the physical health, it is the mental health that gets affected. People with Alopecia Areata need to accept the fact that they will have rapid hair loss and can even go bald.
Following the altercations between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscar 2022, twitterati and other social media users have been coming out in support of Will and even other individuals who are suffering from Alopecia Areata. MP and Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi took to Twitter to express her views on the same.
https://twitter.com/priyankac19/status/1508286851936780289
Former basketball player Charlie Villanueva also took to Twitter and shared his views on the condition and of what struggles people go through.
