Last night's Oscar ceremony was overshadowed by a rift between comedian Chris Rock and Academy Award winner Will Smith, after Rock made a gag about Smith's wife's hair.
Smith appeared to slap Rock on stage after the gag about Jada Pinkett Smith's short haircut. Referring to Pinkett Smith’s buzzcut, Rock said: “Jada, can’t wait for GI Jane 2”, prompting the actress to roll her eyes, before King Richard star Will Smith took to the stage and aimed a slap at Rock.
Will Smith was named as the winner of the Best Actor prize just minutes later.
Actress Jada Pinkett Smith has previously spoken about her struggles with alopecia, a term used to describe hair loss conditions. Other famous names who have alopecia include Newcastle United player Jonjo Shelvey and ex TV presenter Gail Porter.
Read more: Chris Rock's GI Jane 2 joke at Jada Pinkett Smith explained
What is alopecia?
The NHS says alopecia is a general term for hair loss. It can refer to many kinds, but in general, alopecia is mostly used to refer to a specific condition, alopecia areata.
Alopecia areata is a "common cause of non-scarring hair loss that can occur at any age," says the British Association of Dermatologists.
"It usually causes small, coin-sized, round patches of baldness on the scalp, although hair elsewhere such as the beard, eyebrows, eyelashes, body and limbs can be affected. In some people larger areas are affected and occasionally it can involve the whole scalp (alopecia totalis) or even the entire body and scalp (alopecia universalis)."
Some get patches of baldness, which can grow back. But for others, the condition can be permanent. Many choose to shave their entire head when they develop bald patches.
"Alopecia areata most typically displays as small round bald patches," says Alopecia.org.uk
"This could be just one patch or a number of patches. When diagnosed with alopecia areata, it is easy to panic that all hair will fall out. However, it is worth noting that 80% of people with just a few patches of alopecia areata experience regrowth without treatment.
What causes alopecia?
Professor Kevin McElwee, from the University of Bradford Centre for Skin Sciences, writes on Alopecia.org.uk that the cause, or causes, of alopecia, is not fully known. However, genetics is likely to play a part for many, and stress is a likely contributor.
Professor McElwee said : "While it is not clear what stress does in Alopecia Areata, the suspicion is that stress can throw the immune system cells out of balance and immune cells that are normally dormant, become active and target the hair follicles. Stress might also alter the hair follicle cells so that they become more “irritating” to the immune cells. There may also be a feedback loop between immune cells and stress hormones. In chronic inflammation, the chemical signals that immune cells use to communicate with each other (called cytokines) also affect the brain and pituitary gland. As a result, chronic inflammation may increase the production of stress hormones."
Inflammation causes hair loss, which could be linked to the immune system. But experts say they still do not fully understand the causes of alopecia.
The British Association of Dermatologists says: "Hair is lost because it is affected by inflammation. The cause of this inflammation is unknown but it is thought that the immune system, the natural defence which normally protects the body from infections and other diseases, may attack the growing hair. Why this might happen is not fully understood, nor is it known why only localised areas are affected and why the hair usually regrows again."
Can hair grow back if you have alopecia?
Yes, it can, but not always. According to Alopecia.org.uk, around 80% of those "with just a few patches of alopecia" see their hair eventually grow back. But 20% experience more or total hair loss
Is there a cure for alopecia?
There is no definite cure for alopecia, although there are treatments. Steroids and contact immunotherapy are among the methods used.
