“It was one of those moments in my life where I was literally shaking in fear.”
At a point, Jada opened up about her decision to completely shave her hair. On December 28, 2021, she took to her Instagram page @jadapinkettsmith to show a bare line on her scalp and said she was going to be friends with alopecia.
She wrote: “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!”
Over the weekend, Jada was the centre of controversy at the 2022 Oscars, after Chris Rock joked that he was excited to see her in a potential G.I. Jane sequel, seemingly referencing her shaved head.
According to WebMD, Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder that causes the hair to come out, often in clumps, the size and shape of a quarter. However, the amount of hair loss is different for everyone.
Females are more likely to develop alopecia areata than males, but experts say the reason is not known.
While alopecia and baldness seem to be a problem relating to men, women can also suffer from it.
Although it is not an illness, it is an extremely difficult situation for women who suffer from it.
There are different types of the condition but Alopecia areata is the most common one.
Founder of Heroic Alopecian Foundation, Jasmine Oguns, on her Facebook page said people diagnosed with Alopecia often consider their hair loss to be a serious problem, subsequently leading to distress and negatively impacting their quality of life and mental health.
“Psychological support such as psychotherapy is also an important part of disease management, as Alopecia can result in psychological burden,” Oguns said.
Causes of Alopecia
As an autoimmune disease, the immune system attacks the body, and with alopecia areata, it’s the hair follicles that are attacked.
Meanwhile, experts don’t know the exact cause of the condition.
An online health portal, Healthline, noted that alopecia areata occurs in people who have a family history of other autoimmune conditions, such as type 1diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis.
“This is why some scientists suspect that genetics may contribute to the development of alopecia areata. They also believe that certain factors in the environment are needed to trigger alopecia areata in people who are genetically predisposed to it,” it said.
Symptoms
According to Healthline, the main symptom of alopecia areata is hair loss.
“Hair usually falls out in small patches on the scalp. These patches are often several centimeters or less. Hair loss might also occur on other parts of the face, like the eyebrows, eyelashes, and beard, as well as other parts of the body. Some people lose hair in a few places. Others lose it in a lot of spots.
“You may first notice clumps of hair on your pillow or in the shower. If the spots are on the back of your head, someone may bring them to your attention. However, other health conditions can also cause hair to fall out in a similar pattern. Hair loss alone isn’t used to diagnose alopecia areata.
“In rare cases, some people may experience more extensive hair loss. This is usually an indication of another type of alopecia, such as alopecia totalis, which is the loss of all hair on the scalp, or alopecia universalis, which is the loss of all hair on the entire body.”
The hair loss associated with alopecia areata is unpredictable and may grow back at any time and then may fall out again, the health portal added.
Diagnosis
Experts say the condition is diagnosed by examining the symptoms.
According to Medical News Today, “They might look at the degree of hair loss and examine hairs from affected areas under a microscope.
“If, after an initial clinical examination, the doctor is not able to make a diagnosis, they can perform a skin biopsy. If they need to rule out other autoimmune diseases, they might perform a blood test.
“As the symptoms of alopecia areata are so distinctive, making a diagnosis is usually quick and straightforward.”
Treatment
Alopecia areata can’t be cured. But it can be prevented from spreading further with appropriate diagnosis and treatment by a dermatologist.
Medical News Today noted that the most common form of alopecia areata treatment is the use of corticosteroids, powerful anti-inflammatory drugs that can suppress the immune system.
It added that they are mostly commonly administered through local injections, topical ointment application, or orally.
“Other medications that can be prescribed that either promote hair growth or affect the immune system include Minoxidil, Anthralin, Squaric acid dibutylester, and Diphenylcyclopropenone. Although some of these may help with the re-growth of hair, they cannot prevent the formation of new bald patches,” it said.
Source: HealthWise
