Alopecia Makes its Oscar Debut with Jada Pinkett Smith

Why did Will Smith slap Chris Rock at the Oscars?

Penned by Carlyn

Two words: Alopecia Areata.

In the medical vocabulary, Alopecia implies ‘bald’ and Areata implies ‘patchy’.

Jada Pinkett Smith, actor Will Smith’s spouse, has been candid about her struggles with an autoimmune sickness known as Alopecia Areata, which is composed of patchy and unpredictable hair decline.

Through last night’s 94th Academy Awards, Chris Rock directed a bald joke at Jada, which did not sit effectively with ‘Best Actor’ winner Will Smith. Rock was referring to Demi Moore’s bald glimpse in the 1997 Action movie G.I. Jane.

Alopecia Areata is categorized as an autoimmune disease, which consists of the immune program mistakenly attacking parts of the body. In this scenario, the cells of the immune procedure assault and surround the hair follicles, halting hair development.

Here’s what Toronto skin doctor Dr. Lisa Kellett of DLK on Avenue experienced to say about the affliction:

There are several unique types of hair loss, also known as Alopecia. Hair reduction can be divided into cicatricial (scarring) and non-cicatricial (non-scarring) kinds. One variety of non-cicatricial alopecia is Alopecia Areata. This is a kind of Alopecia brought about by an autoinflammatory reaction to the hair follicle. Clients can have isolated patches of hair loss on the scalp, even so in extra significant types, it can occur any where on the entire body like the eyelashes and eyebrows. Some people can also practical experience the reduction of all hair (Alopecia Universalis). Sufferers with Alopecia Areata are also at a greater chance of owning other autoimmune health conditions, this sort of as Thyroid Sickness, Pernicious Anemia and Addison’s Sickness among the many others, so it is crucial to abide by these sufferers thoroughly.

Treatments for Alopecia Areata contains topical methods these types of as topical steroids, intralesional steroid injections or systemic medications in additional extreme sorts. Other popular kinds of non-cicatricial alopecia are Telogen Effluvium, which can happen immediately after illness or trauma and Androgenetic Alopecia, which is usually witnessed in males and some women of all ages with ageing.

Evidently, Alopecia is severe and can be upsetting for the individual afflicted thanks to look elements. In 2018, a peer-reviewed research showed that “Black and Hispanic gals in the U.S. have a considerably increased probability of establishing Alopecia Areata in their life span than White females.”

In 2018, JPS was open up about her problem in the course of an episode of her Facebook series, Red Desk Chat, stating that “It was terrifying when it very first started off. I was in the shower one working day and then just handfuls of hair just in my palms.”

Did Chris have it coming?