The most talked-about moment from Sunday's Oscars ceremony revolved on a disorder that causes hair loss. Jada Pinkett Smith said she has alopecia four years ago, which explains why she has shaved her head or wore turbans in public.
Pinkett Smith's husband, actor Will Smith, went to the stage, struck Rock in the face, and profanely urged him not to talk about his wife after comedian Chris Rock joked about her baldness at Sunday night's event.
Pinkett Smith has alopecia areata, a disorder in which the body's immune system assaults hair follicles, most commonly on the scalp or face, but also on other regions of the body. Hair can come out in pieces, resulting in just partial baldness. Hair can come back in certain cases, however baldness can be recurrent.
It affects all racial and ethnic groups, men and women equally, according to the National Institutes of Health. There is no cure, although doctors may use steroids, immune-suppressing medicines, or treatments that encourage hair growth to treat the illness.
According to the National Alopecia Areata Association, the disorder affects around 2% of the population, or nearly 7 million people in the United States. It can strike at any age, although it is most common in adolescence or early adulthood. Pinkett Smith is 50 years old.
Ayanna Pressley, a Democratic congresswoman from Massachusetts, British actor and comedian Matt Lucas, and bluegrass artist Molly Tuttle are among others who have the illness.
Alopecia is a condition that runs in families. Hair loss that covers the entire body is possible, although it is uncommon. The disorder can also create dents and ridges in the fingernails and toenails, but otherwise, the affected persons remain healthy.
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