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Dr. Marie Jourdan (Dermatologist)
In the middle of the Oscars, actor Will Smith slaps comedian Chris Rock after a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s cropped haircut, when she actually has alopecia. But, what exactly is this disease? The point with Marie Jourdan, dermatologist.
“Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth”, Will Smith yelled at Chris Rock after slapping him for a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss at the 2022 Oscars. The reason? The comedian and actor who hosted the ceremony joked about her haircut, comparing it to Demi Moore’s shaved head in the movie A Equal Arms by Ridley Scott (1997).
A joke badly perceived by the actress and producer who, unlike Demi Moore, does not sport a nearly shaven head by choice but by illness. In 2018, Jada Pinkett Smith spoke publicly about her hair loss on the set of her TV show, Red Table Talk. “It was terrifying when it started. I was in the shower one day and just had handfuls of hair in my hands. I thought to myself that I was going bald. It was the first time in my life that I literally trembled with fear,” she says.
Female alopecia: what is it?
Although many people still think that hair loss is a phenomenon exclusive to men, this is not the case. Alopecia also affects women and affects approximately 16% of them. Specifically, this disease is characterized by a consequent loss of hair but also sometimes hair on the body. It can cause partial or total thinning of the scalp.
In this case of significant hair loss, it may be alopecia areata, androgenetic alopecia or a trichotillomania. Alopecia areata, which Jada Pinkett Smith seems to suffer from, “is an autoimmune disease sometimes associated with other autoimmune diseases such as thyroiditis or vitiligo for example, this autoimmune reaction attacks the hair bulbsexplains dermatologist Marie Jourdan. We don’t really know what causes it, but we generally find triggering environmental factors such as a viral episode, great fatigue or a psycho-emotional shock.
Unlike alopecia areata, androgenetic alopecia is an inherited disease which is characterized by a decrease in hair density. “Unlike alopecia areata, there are no hairless patches and it is not something that happens overnight,” says the dermatologist. To recognize alopecia areata from androgenetic alopecia, it’s simple: “Alopecia areata is distinguished by patches on which the skin is completely smooth, there is no hair follicle, there is no hair at all”. Androgenetic alopecia is a gradual decrease in hair density, starting at the top of the skull on favorable genetic and family grounds and sometimes associated with a particular hormonal balance.
Regarding trichotillomania, it is a psychological disorder where the subject triturates, rolls up and pulls out strands of hair, impulsively. The affected areas retain very short and fragile broken hair.
Treatments for alopecia
After making a precise diagnosis with a dermatologist, you get an appropriate treatment. For the treatment of alopecia areata, corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, can be used locally, by injection or orally. It is associated with treatments that promote hair growth such as Minoxidil°. For more severe alopecia areata, we can turn to other immunosuppressants such as Methotrexate.
To know that “the evolution of alopecia areata is very variable and depends on each individual. Most alopecia areata like the one Jada seems to suffer from can also resolve spontaneously in a few months when others will require local or general treatments.says Marie Jourdan. The evolution is nevertheless difficult to predict and the psychological impact can be very important”concludes the specialist.