Even die-hard Hollywood obsessives can admit that, in recent years, the Oscars have become a bit, well, meh. Ratings have been sagging for years, and it seemed that audiences, once enamoured with the celestial dresses and dramatic acceptance speeches, had become a little bored.
But if you decided last night to be sensible and get a good night’s sleep instead of staying up bleary-eyed to watch the 94th Academy Awards, you’re probably kicking yourself this morning harder than… well… you know.
In case you somehow missed it: in the middle of a night no one could accuse of lacking in drama, Will Smith (yes, the Will Smith) got out of his chair, marched on stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock in the face, and told him to “leave my wife’s name out of your f**king mouth”, because the latter made an offensive joke about wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
Rock made a cheap (and rather cruel) gag about Pinkett Smith looking like she could play GI Jane in GI Jane 2, apparently in reference to her shaved head.
But fans of Pinkett Smith will know that in 2018, the actress revealed she had been diagnosed with alopecia, a serious hair loss condition, saying that when she started to lose handfuls of hair she “was literally shaking with fear”.
But what is the condition, and which other celebrities have suffered from it?
What is alopecia?
Alopecia is a general term for hair loss, but according to Alopecia UK, there are nine different types. The most common are androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata.
Alopecia areata, which Pinkett Smith suffers from, is an autoimmune disorder that causes your hair to fall out, often in small clumps.
Presenting in men, women and even children, it appears as rounded bald patches anywhere on the scalp. It often develops suddenly, even over the course of a few days, and there is no known cure.
It’s unknown what causes alopecia. The condition occurs when white blood cells attack the cells in hair follicles, causing them to shrink and dramatically slow down hair production.
While scientists are unsure what causes the body’s immune system to target hair follicles in this way, it seems that genetics plays a role – one in five people with the disease has a family member who has also developed alopecia areata. It is also thought to be more common after giving birth.
Can you treat alopecia?
There is currently no widespread cure for alopecia. The NHS states that most hair loss does not need treatment and is temporary, or a normal part of getting older.
However, if you are experiencing abnormal hair loss or it is causing you distress, there are several treatments available to ameliorate the symptoms, depending on the age and extent of the hair loss.
Some types of alopecia cannot be treated depending on how widespread the hair loss is, but dermatologists may be able to help offer treatments for other types.
Common treatments include topical steroids in the forms of creams, ointments, lotions or foams that are applied directly to the scalp or skin surface to stimulate hair growth.
What has Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia journey been like?
Pinkett Smith, 50, has spoken candidly about dealing with hair loss for years, first revealing her struggle in her Red Table Talk series in 2018.
“A lot of people have been asking why I’ve been wearing turbans. Well, I haven’t talked about it. It’s not easy to talk about, but I am going to talk about it,” she said.
The actress confessed it “was terrifying” to deal with when it first started.
“I was in the shower one day and had just handfuls of hair in my hands and I was just like, ‘Oh my God, am I going bald?’” she added. “It was one of those times in my life where I was literally shaking in fear. That’s why I cut my hair, and why I continue to cut it.”
At the time, Pinkett Smith said she was taking “little steroid injections” to medicate the alopecia: “They seem to be helping, but not curing... but I’m open to other ideas.”
Last July, she was widely praised by fans after she debuted her shaved hairstyle, crediting her daughter Willow, 21, for inspiring her to take the leap.
“Willow made me do it because it was time to let go,” she captioned a photo of the mother-daughter duo.
“Now at this point, I can only laugh,” she said in an Instagram video in December 2021 as she ran her finger across a bald line patch on her scalp. “Y’all know I’ve been struggling with alopecia and just all of a sudden one day, look at this line right here. Look at that.”
At the Critics Choice Awards earlier this year, she even highlighted her look by flaunting a $46,000 diamond headpiece.
Which other celebrities have struggled with hair loss?
Viola Davis
Viola Davis began experiencing hair loss from alopecia areata at 28-years old. The award-winning actress and Hollywood A-lister confessed to frequently wearing wigs on the red carpet to hide her hair loss caused by alopecia areata.
“I wore a wig in the Jacuzzi. I had a wig I wore around the house. I had a wig that I wore to events. I had a wig that I wore when I worked out. I never showed my natural hair,” Davis told Vulture.
Jesy Nelson
In an interview with Fabulous magazine, the former Little Mix star revealed she was bullied because of her alopecia areata, which caused noticeable bald spots.
“I was probably about 13 when my hair just started coming out,” she said. “Stress can cause alopecia, and it wasn’t nice. I got picked on because I’ve always liked to dress differently. I’ve never really wanted to fit in with everyone else.”
Tyra Banks
Whilst presenting her successful TV series America’s Next Top Model, Tyra Banks always looked impeccably groomed.
When she turned her hand to writing, however, the stress of fitting in a novel between her other commitments became too much and, as she explained to the Wall Street Journal, “How can I say this without tearing up? I got a little alopecia from the stress.”
Jemima Khan
A traumatic incident during a flight sparked a bout of hair loss for journalist and campaigner Jemima Khan.
She experienced a patch of alopecia areata which regrew naturally although the hair initially grew back white. She told Vogue magazine, “I’ve had to dye it ever since.”
Christina Milian
Actress Christina Milian says she experienced postpartum hair loss after her first two pregnancies and, thanks to research on the subject of hair loss after birth, was more prepared for it after welcoming her third child Kenna in April 2021.
“With my first two children, and most specifically with Violet, I’d say somewhere between four and six months [after birth] I noticed hair loss,” Milian told SheKnows. “It just kept happening, I washed my hair and next thing I know it was in my hands… It was scary, like ‘what is happening right now?’”
Lea Michele
Glee’s Lea Michele opened up about her experience with postpartum hair loss in early 2021, a few months after giving birth to her first child.
“The postpartum hair loss is REAL,” Michele wrote on Instagram at the time alongside a photo of a clump of hair that had fallen out. “Enjoying this long hair while it lasts because the mom bob is right around the corner.”
